Toyo Open Country AT III vs Nitto Recon Grappler AT
The Toyo Open Country AT III and the Nitto Recon Grappler AT have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. The Open Country AT III was stronger in dry, the Recon Grappler AT in wet, snow, ice and off road.
Performance profile
17 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Open Country AT III
Recon Grappler AT
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it.
Where each scores higher
Open Country AT III
Recon Grappler AT
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | Open Country AT III | Gap | Recon Grappler AT | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Open Country AT III ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 140 | 0.9% | 142 | 1-0 |
| Dry Handling s | 47.83 | 0.7% | 48.19 | 1-0 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Subj. Road Score pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Wet Recon Grappler AT ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 241 | 2.4% | 235 | 0-1 |
| Wet Handling s | 57.15 | 0.1% | 57.18 | 1-0 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | 2.7% | scored | 0-1 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 65 | 10.1% | 71.6 | 0-1 |
| Snow Recon Grappler AT ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 79 | 3% | 77 | 0-1 |
| Snow Traction ft | 48 | 4.5% | 46 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | scored | 22.6% | scored | 0-1 |
| Ice Recon Grappler AT ahead | ||||
| Ice Braking ft | 53 | 11.7% | 46 | 0-1 |
| Ice Traction s | 6.42 | 7.5% | 5.94 | 0-1 |
| Off road Recon Grappler AT ahead | ||||
| Dirt Handling s | 73.11 | 0.1% | 73.01 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Dirt Handling pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Comfort Level | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 5.6% | scored | 0-1 |
| Subj. Noise pts | scored | 8.8% | scored | 1-0 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 2 tests, 2024 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Open Country AT III | Field | Recon Grappler AT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow Test | P27 of 30 | P17 of 30 | |
| The BEST All Terrain Tire for 2025 | P4 of 5 | P5 of 5 |
Open Country AT III vs Recon Grappler AT: your questions
Is the Toyo Open Country AT III or the Nitto Recon Grappler AT the better tire?
The Toyo Open Country AT III and the Nitto Recon Grappler AT have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Open Country AT III scores 6.1 and the Recon Grappler AT 6.3 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Open Country AT III or the Recon Grappler AT?
The Recon Grappler AT led 3 of the 4 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The Open Country AT III led 2 of the 4 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Recon Grappler AT led 3 of the 3 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.8/10 for the Open Country AT III and 9/10 for the Recon Grappler AT.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Open Country AT III 81% from 10 reviews and the Recon Grappler AT 66% from 1.
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Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.