Buying a ton of tires for every situation is way too costly. So, if you are someone who owns a truck/SUV and you love taking your truck/SUV on both school runs and off-road trails, the best thing you can do is invest in an all-terrain tire.
These are designed to be adequate for almost every situation while some of them even excel in multiple areas. Nitto Ridge Grappler and Toyo R/T are both heavy hitters in the world of hybrid all-terrain tires, so it’s only just to put them head-to-head.
Bottom Line Up Front: Tire Rack has some of the best selection of tires on the planet. They offer a more seamless, low stress buying experience. And since they are an online-only shop, Tire Rack can deliver a better quality product at a lower price compared to other name brands.
Nitto Ridge Grappler
Nitto Ridge Grappler
The Nitto Grappler tire series is designed for trucks that are often being driven off-road, yet do not suffer when it comes to daily drivability. The key to success, in this case, is the Nitto Ridge Grappler, a tire designed to excel on muddy and treacherous surfaces while also being comfortable and quiet on the highway.
The Ridge Grappler is designed with a hybrid dynamic tread pattern in order to keep the noise levels down while the aggressive sidewalls and lugs deliver an adamant performance off the beaten path. You only need to look at the Ridge Grappler to realize that it is a tire made for off-roading which means that that is why most people buy it. After you enjoy your time crawling over rocks, going through mud, and sloping down an ice patch, the Ridge Grappler tire is also going to take you home in a comfortable manner.
The Ridge Grappler is available in almost 80 sizes which means that Nitto is confident that the Ridge Grappler is going to satisfy both light and heavy trucks and SUVs. The feedback the Ridge Grappler gets online is overwhelmingly positive while many people also deem the Ridge Grappler to be the best all-terrain tire out there.
Toyo RT
Japan is a country known for many things, but not too many people are aware that Japan is also home to many world’s most prominent tire brands such as Toyo and Yokohama. Even though most people associate Toyo tires with the JDM community, Toyo is also known for making extremely capable all-terrain tires such as the Toyota R/T, Toyo A/T, and Toyo M/T series.
The Toyo R/T is a true hybrid tire designed for a well-rounded experience no matter the surface you drive them on. The R/T designation refers to “Rugged Terrain” which means that the Toyo R/T somewhat bridges the gap between a mud tire and an all-terrain tire. It’s also worth mentioning that the R/T is 100% made in the US because Toyo is aware that the US is the place with the most colorful and dedicated all-terrain community.
Nevertheless, the Toyota R/T is a great choice if you want a tire that can do everything without being overbearingly expensive and lacking in some key areas. A hybrid tire is not as comfortable as a true all-terrain tire is, but when it comes to off-roading, and especially deep mud driving, hardly any tire can come close.
What Are The Features Of The Nitto Ridge Grappler?
The Nitto Ridge Grappler tire represents the next chapter in the Nitto Grappler family of tires by combining mud driving with all-terrain driving without sacrificing comfort. The Nitto Ridge Grappler features a revolutionary hybrid dynamic tread design that aims to offer superior noise levels while grappling mud and rocks as no other tire Nitto has done before.
Nitto also utilizes a myriad of proprietary technologies in order to make the tire competitive. The main ones are variable pitch tread pattern technology in which Nitto used advanced sound equipment to lower the road noise as much as possible. Shoulder & lateral Z grooves aim to satisfy all of your traction requirements, both in the mud and on the road.
The Nitto Grappler also utilizes an alternating dual sidewall design where one side features a more traditional pattern and the other one is a lot more aggressive. Reinforced block foundation reinforces the tire blocks while stone ejectors protect the tire from chipping and cuts. Staggered shoulders and edges are also designed to maximize traction.
What Are The Features Of The Toyo RT?
The Toyo R/T tire is 100% made in the USA using sophisticated computer-controlled manufacturing processes that guarantee uniformity and high levels of execution. The Toyo R/T tire is backed by a 3-ply polyester casing that strengthens the tire while the two spiral cap plies ensure high-speed endurance and yearlong uniformity.
The R/T is also proud to sport a wide shoulder groove design that further contributes to high overall durability. Moreover, the R/T also comes with mud-biting blocks, stone and mud ejectors, and a durable sidewall compound that is both customizable and highly efficient. Interlocking tread blocks, a special tread compound, and an optimized pattern ensure world-class all-terrain performance.
The R/T, the A/T, and the M/T Toyo tire products are all widely recognized as competitive and able to deliver in everything they promise to deliver. As such, the R/T has become a standard in its class which means that tires like the Nitto Ridge Grappler are indeed for a challenge.
What Are The Main Differences Between The Nitto Ridge Grappler And The Toyo RT Tire?
After we’ve thoroughly informed ourselves about both of these, now it’s time to put them in a classic head-to-head matchup. We are going to compare them both off-road and on-road with an emphasis on gravel driving and mud driving. We are also going to compare their snow-driving performances, prices, warranties, and how they stack against each other when it comes to comfort and treadwear.
Off-road Performance: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
The Nitto Ridge Grappler is a relatively capable tire when it comes to most off-roading situations, especially gravel roads and rocky terrains. However, the fact that the Ridge Grappler utilizes a comparably narrower grove design makes it less capable when it comes to mud, especially deeper mud. These narrower grooves fill up with mud a lot easier and thus the tires are not able to maintain traction as well as the Toyo tires are.
Both the Nitto and the Toyo tires are more than capable when it comes to driving on gravel roads. The Nitto narrower groove openings maintain decent traction with the surface while the stone ejecting design is acceptable. On the other hand, the Toyo R/T tire is even better thanks to a higher void ratio and an even better stone ejecting tread design, yet the traction is slightly better on the Nitto.
Winner: Toyo RT
On-road Performance: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Nitto Ridge Grappler incorporates a much narrower groove design which means that the contact patch is comparably larger. This means that these tires are better when it comes to maintaining traction in the dry. The Toyo R/T tire is a more off-road oriented tire which means that it can not compete with the Ridge Grappler on the road.
Wet traction is more or less similar, the only aspect where the Toyo R/T seems to be a bit better is aquaplaning as the larger grooves do let more water in and thus the chances of aquaplaning are comparably lower.
Winner: Nitto Ridge Grappler
Snow Performance: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
Driving in the snow is somewhat similar to driving in the mud because the distance between the grooves is essential to how well a tire can scoop up snow and throw it backward. As we already know, the Nitto Ridge Grappler uses a narrower groove design which means that it struggles in deeper snow while the Toyo R/T with its comparably wider grooves manages to offer a more consistent snow driving performance, especially in deeper snow.
Winner: Toyo R/T
Treadwear And Durability: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
Both of these are constructed to be able to withstand lots of stress no matter the surface you are driving on. The Nitto Ridge Grappler is a 3-ply sidewall tire with a fairly decent puncture-resistant additional layer on top of it. Furthermore, the Ridge Grappler also utilizes a jointless cap ply construction which further protects the tire from punctures and cuts.
The Toyo R/T on the other hand has an aggressive and well thought after tread pattern that equally prioritizes handling, traction, and durability. We have already mentioned that the R/T tire has a more sophisticated tire ejecting design which ensures that tire cuts and punctures are non-existent. The Toyo R/T also comes with a 3-ply design and a more rugged shoulder design that extends over into the tread area. As such, the Toyo R/T should last longer.
Winner: Toyo R/T
Comfort: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
The Nitto Ridge Grappler is a more road-oriented tire when compared to the Toyo R/T. This is rather apparent when you realize that the Nitto tire employs a narrower groove design which means that less air can be trapped between those grooves as opposed to the Toyo R/T tire which ultimately leads to less noise.
Nitto has invested a lot of thought into making the Ridge Grappler one of the quietest all-terrain tires on the market and even though the Toyo R/T is not a particularly loud tire, it still can not match the Nitto Ridge Grappler when it comes to both comfort and sound levels.
Winner: Nitto Ridge Grappler
Warranty And Price: Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT
The Nitto Ridge Grappler warranty situation is a bit more complicated when compared to the Toyo R/T because they are eligible for a full manufacturer warranty coverage which seems to cover the treadwear life expectancy for up to 60 months after purchase. If you do 10k miles each year, this adds up to about 50,000 miles which means that the treadwear warranty coverage depends on how much you drive the car.
The Toyo R/T tire comes with a 45,000-mile warranty no matter how much time it takes you to do 45,000 miles. This means that if you are someone who spends a lot of time behind the wheel, the Ridge Grappler tire is better, but if you own multiple cars or you simply don’t drive as much, chances are that the Toyo R/T warranty coverage will suit your needs better.
As far as the price is concerned, these two are almost identical, yet it seems that the Toyo R/T tends to command a slightly higher price in most retail shops. However, many factors influence the price you end up paying which means that these slight differences don’t matter all that much.
Winner: It’s a tie
Why Should I Choose The Nitto Ridge Grappler Over The Toyo RT Tire?
- Better on-road performance
- Slightly cheaper
- Quieter
- More comfortable
Why Should I Choose The Toyo RT Over The Nitto Ridge Grappler Tire?
- Better off-road performance
- Better snow performance
- Longer warranty coverage in most cases
- A more well-rounded all-terrain tire
Wrap Up
At the end of our Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Toyo RT comparison, it’s safe to say that these two are relatively closely matched. The Nitto Ridge Grappler is the better everyday option for those who spend a lot of time on the open roads and are not as frequent on the off-road course. The Toyo R/T tire on the other hand does seem like a more capable tire thanks to its superior stone ejecting design and better traction in both mud, snow, and standing water.
No matter which one of these two you end up going for, you are likely going to be satisfied with the levels of performance they offer in each of these categories.
