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It goes without saying, the typical off-road tire owner hardly ever ventures off the pavement outside of hopping a couple curbs. Duh. And for years, mall crawlers have been forced to tolerate loud, temperamental tires that deem the lifted experience more of a burden than anything. This may be why I waited so long to pull the trigger on a set of off-road rubber; I simply won’t sacrifice. Thankfully, Toyo has produced a tire that delivers a happy medium between comfort, looks and performance for those of us that spend most of our time on asphalt but like to occasionally get our feet dirty, too.
Back in May, I mounted up a set of 33X12.50R20LT Toyo Open Country R/T (Rugged Terrain) tires on my 2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain 4×4. I looked in Toyo’s direction because I’ve had success with their products in the past and heard great things about the R/T’s dual-threat capabilities. For this review, I won’t bore you with how and why these tires perform the way they do because you can find that anywhere. The mission here is to simply convey my experience with the tires after 5,000 miles of the daily grind.
“ARE THEY LOUD?”
Road noise is typically the initial topic of conversation in off-road tire discussions. Some tires roar, others hum and the best produce an auditory whisper. In regards to excessive noise with the Open Country R/Ts, there’s none. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Or if there is noise, it’s exactly as much as the factory tires and I just don’t notice it. I’m not ruling out that my GMC could have a decent amount of sound deadening inside but I doubt that’s why I’m not hearing any tire howl or hum. These tires are specifically constructed to reduce noise because that’s obviously a big part of being daily-drivable.
STABILITY
If you’ve never driven a lifted vehicle with plus-sized mud tires, the only way to truly describe the sensation would be uncertainty and aggravation. On pavement, mud tires never feel entirely planted to the pavement and for that reason, I’ll never put them on a daily driver. If you only meander around town, this unstable feeling isn’t a big deal but if you’re putting highway miles on your truck, this is paramount. With that in mind, the Open Country R/T tires feel firm and instill confidence in your daily commutes. Assuming you’ve had your tires properly balanced and aligned by a reputable shop, the R/Ts ride like any other all-terrain tire. Whether you’re behind the wheel or riding shotgun, you’re confident and comfortable.
TRACTION
Because the Open Country R/T tires are designed similarly to the A/T, it performs very well in harsh road conditions. I’ve driven in torrential downpours, on dusty roads and fresh pavement and the traction has been impressive and never got me into any kind of trouble.
TREAD LIFE
The only reason my tires don’t look brand new after 5,000 miles is because the prickly, little rubber hairs are gone and I hardly ever clean them. Outside of that, they’re just like new. The Open Country RTs have a 45,000-mile warranty and there’s no doubt in my mind that I can get at least that out of them.
OFF-ROAD
If I’m being honest, I’m not taking this particular truck on hardcore trails or in mud pits – ever. I like it too much, it’s too handsome and I have a Toyota FJ Cruiser for the dirty stuff. I would imagine most people with nicer trucks feel the same way. However, quite often I find myself on loose dirt roads, gravel and grass and I enjoy knowing the Open Country R/Ts are more than capable for handling those situations.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Are there any negatives? Well, they’re heavy or at least heavier than stock. For the first week or so, it was noticeable as the acceleration was effected slightly. However, I’ve either become accustomed to it or my truck has made the adjustments itself because this is no longer an issue. And of course, with the additional weight, the gas mileage decreased about 1-2 mpg but that’s something I expected and is a reasonable trade-off.
Would I go with the R/T again? Absolutely and I plan on it when I step up to 35-inch tires next year. I’m a big fan of the Toyo Open Country R/T tires and I recommended them every chance I get. They truly offer an opportunity to achieve an aggressive aesthetic while sacrificing very little.