Toyo Open Country R/T Trail Review

Toyo Tires has a reputation for making some of the highest-quality tires in the off-road industry, and the Open Country lineup is among the best names in the business. We have reported extensively on the flagship Open Country AT III, the original 'tweener Open Country R/T, and the most aggressive Open Country M/T over the years, and we have always been impressed by Toyo's well-known quality, exceptional durability, and the legendary roundness of the tires.

Open Country R/T Trail

Despite having a broad lineup of off-road tires to choose from, Toyo identified a hole in the market for a tire that was more closely aligned with true all-terrain attributes, but with a more aggressive tread for both looks and performance. Where the original Open Country R/T is more like an Open Country M/T in a more subdued suit, the R/T Trail is closer to an A/T III that just let its hair down to party.

Though it doesn't carry the three-peak mountain snowflake like the A/T III does, the R/T Trail was engineered to be more aggressive in looks and performance without losing many of the A/T III's desirable attributes, such as on-road quietness, wet braking, and handling, while delivering increased traction and capability in mud, sand, gravel and deep snow. The R/T Trail also adds a thicker rubber layer on the sidewall for increased puncture resistance.

Construction and Sizes

Toyo says that advances were made in the tread design that optimized on- and off-road durability, traction, and stability, which provided improvements in grip in both wet and dry conditions. The Open Country R/T Trail features staggered and scalloped shoulder blocks, as well as extra-thick sidewall lugs that are designed to dig into soft terrain and uneven surfaces.

Loaded with additional features, the R/T Trail also incorporates wide circumferential grooves, lateral zigzag grooves and stone ejectors, four-way tapered notches, and a rim protector. A heavy gauge sidewall is utilized to help fend-off cuts, impacts, and punctures, all contributing to durability and off-road capability. Depending on the size and application, the Open Country R/T Trail will come in both two- and three-ply sidewalls.

Toyo developed the R/T Trail at the company's state-of-the art R&D facility in White, Georgia, and many of the 47 sizes, which will include 16- to 24-inch wheels in European, LT-metric, and Flotation categories all the way up to 38-inch sizes, will be manufactured in the USA at the same facility.

On-Road

For our testing, Toyo provided us with an early set of the new Open Country R/T Trail in the 35x12.5R17 size for our '22 Wrangler 392 with the XR package, making it a comparable size to the stock LT315/70R17 tires. With all-wheel drive, a ton of power, and a cabin more susceptible to tire noise, we felt that the 392 was going to be the perfect testbed for the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail tires.

We mounted the Toyos to a set of American Expedition Vehicles Savegre II wheels in the 17x8.5-inch size with a +25mm offset. With the wheels and tires installed, we were happy with how good the tire looked on our Jeep, and immediately noticed how quiet the aggressive R/T Trail tread was and just how nicely they rode. With good directional stability and little sidewall or tread squirm, our 392 was a pleasure to drive.

On our way to the trails around Big Bear, California, we charged up the mountain roads with our 392. With the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail tires, the 392 was even more fun to drive. Using our paddle shifters, we dove into corners, and powered out of them, listening for the slightest hint of tire squeal. In places where we would normally experience abject understeer and the limit of grip, these Toyos held on quietly and the Jeep handled neutrally and predictably, with no surprises.

To say that the solid-axled Wrangler almost felt like a sports car isn't hyperbole—these tires on that vehicle felt that good. Plenty of grip and confidence-inspiring handling allowed us to explore the limits of the Jeep's chassis on road.

Off-Road

Once on the mountain, it was time to hit the trails. We aired-down to 14 psi at the trailhead and spent the day winding our way through Joshua and pine trees on decomposed granite, two-tracks, and rough and rocky trails that had been rutted and rearranged by a recent downpour.

We found that the stiff sidewalls, which contributed to exceptional handling on pavement, proved to be compliant off-road, easily conforming to the variously sized rocks and terrain undulations, and providing a very smooth ride. Whether it was sand, loose dirt, or gravel, we always had good traction with little to no tire slip. The thick sidewall rubber protected the tires from punctures and the sidewall lugs gave good traction against angled rocks.

Many of the people in our group wanted to see how far they could get on our off-road training course without four-wheel drive, and it was great to watch the tires grip and claw for traction without spinning out and shooting roosts of rocks at bystanders.

At the end of the day, our wheels looked no worse for wear thanks to the tire's rim protector, and the tread itself showed none of the chunking or cutting that plague other tires in the same terrain. Backing this perceived durability on our test, the Open Country R/T Trail is backed with a class-leading 45,000-mile treadwear warranty and the Toyo Tires No Regrets 45-Day/500-Mile Trial Offer.

Conclusion: Toyo Open Country R/T Trail

Overall, we are big fans of the Open Country R/T Trail and we would consider it to be one of the top tires in its class, not just as a hybrid that sits between and A/T and an M/T, but as a rugged and refined hybrid that straddles the line between on-road and off-road performance.

More Details!

The Toyo Open Country R/T Trail features staggered and scalloped shoulder blocks, as well as extra-thick sidewall lugs for more traction and better protection.

Additional features of the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail include wide circumferential grooves, stone ejectors, and four-way tapered notches.

The Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail will be available in 47 sizes, which will include 16- to 24-inch wheels in European, LT-metric, and Flotation categories all the way up to 38-inches tall.

Depending on the size and application, the Open Country R/T Trail will come in both two- and three-ply sidewalls.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail mounted on a Ram TRX.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail mounted on a Ford Bronco.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail mounted on a Toyota Tacoma.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail on a Ford Bronco performing a water crossing.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail being used for crawling on a Jeep Wrangler JL.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail off-road on a Toyota Land Cruiser.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail off-road on a Toyota Tacoma.

Toyo Open Country  R/T Trail on a Ram TRX off-road.

Source

• www.toyotires.com

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