Continental TerrainContact AT vs Toyo Open Country AT III
- TR Score
- 8.9/10
- Owners say
- 79% · 9
- TR Score
- 6.1/10
- Owners say
- 81% · 10
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental TerrainContact AT finished ahead 3 times and the Open Country AT III once. The TerrainContact AT stopped 6.2% shorter in the wet; the Open Country AT III was 0.9% quicker in the snow traction test.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose Continental TerrainContact AT for road-heavy use, wet-climate safety, family SUV comfort, and quiet highway miles. Choose Toyo Open Country AT III if you prioritize off-road feel and lower rolling resistance, and can accept a firmer, noisier ride.
Where the TerrainContact AT is stronger
- Best-in-test wet grip: shortest wet braking and faster wet handling laps
- Consistently shorter dry braking and precise, confidence-inspiring steering
- Class-leading comfort and notably low noise (≈3-4 dB quieter in 2022 test)
Where the Open Country AT III is stronger
- Better subjective off-road feel on gravel; confident and predictable beyond the limit
- Lower rolling resistance for improved efficiency
- Slight edge in snow traction/handling in very close results
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
TerrainContact AT vs Open Country AT III at a glance
| Category | TerrainContact AT | Gap | Open Country AT III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won4 shared tests | 3 | 1 | |
| Dry7 measurements | 6 | The TerrainContact AT stopped 4.2% shorter in the dry (2 tests) | 0 |
| Wet10 measurements | 10 | The TerrainContact AT stopped 6.2% shorter in the wet (2 tests) | 0 |
| Snow9 measurements | 5 | The TerrainContact AT stopped 5.3% shorter on snow (3 tests) | 4 |
| Ice2 measurements | 2 | 0 | |
| Off road4 measurements | 1 | 2 | |
| Comfort5 measurements | 5 | 0 | |
| Value1 measurement | 0 | 1 | |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.9/10 | The TerrainContact AT by 2.8 | 6.1/10 |
| Owner rating9 and 10 reviews | 79% | The Open Country AT III by 2 points | 81% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 67% | The Open Country AT III by 11 points | 78% |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 1 | 1 size made in both | 36 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 4 tests, 2022 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 | TerrainContact AT | Field | Open Country AT III |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow Test | P17 of 30 | P27 of 30 | |
| 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Test | P1 of 9 | P7 of 9 | |
| 2023/24 Best All Terrain Tires In Snow | P5 of 7 | P4 of 7 | |
| 2022/23 Best 9 All Terrain Tires | P2 of 9 | P7 of 9 |
Performance profile
10 measurements from the 4 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
TerrainContact AT
Open Country AT III
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. The scale stops at 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 17 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
TerrainContact AT
Open Country AT III
Not ahead in any category
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.
Where owners rate each higher
TerrainContact AT
Open Country AT III
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the TerrainContact AT 79% from 9 reviews and the Open Country AT III 81% from 10. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
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. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | TerrainContact AT | Gap | Open Country AT III | Wins | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 4.2% | 139 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 68.6 | = | 68.63 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 3.3% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 0.75 | 4.2% | 0.72 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | = | scored | 0-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 173 | 6.2% | 185 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 59.29 | 3% | 61.32 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 19.9% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 13.39 | 2.8% | 13.77 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 0.6 | 5.3% | 0.57 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 52.4 | 2.1% | 51.4 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 10.2 | 0.6% | 10.2 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 130 | 5.3% | 137 | 3-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 5.66 | 0.9% | 5.61 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||
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| 41 | 13.7% | 48 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 102.6 | 0.1% | 102.5 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 22.6% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 52 | 1.9% | 53 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 6.21 | 3.3% | 6.42 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 62.73 | 1% | 62.12 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 17.6% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||||||
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| 58 | 0.6% | 58.37 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | = | scored | 0-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 10% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| scored | 29.4% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 71.9 | 3.4 dB | 75.3 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||
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| 9.67 | 4.1% | 9.27 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||
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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. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the TerrainContact AT scores 8.9 and the Open Country AT III 6.1 out of 10.
| TerrainContact AT | Category | Open Country AT III | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | Dry | 41 | ||
| 76 | Wet | 24 | ||
| 97 | Comfort | 18 | ||
| 24 | Value | 10 | ||
| 58 | Snow | 33 | ||
| 24 | Ice | 19 | ||
| 37 | Off road | 19 | ||
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.
What owners say
| TerrainContact AT | Category | Open Country AT III | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | Dry Grip | 9.3 | ||
| 8.8 | Wet Grip | 8.3 | ||
| 7.9 | Road Feedback | 7.7 | ||
| 8.2 | Handling | 9.1 | ||
| 7.6 | Wear | 7.8 | ||
| 8.1 | Comfort | 8.8 | ||
| 4.8 | Snow Grip | 8.6 | ||
| 4.3 | Ice Grip | 6.5 | ||
Owners rate the TerrainContact AT 79% from 9 reviews and the Open Country AT III 81% from 10. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Continental TerrainContact AT
- 79%from 9 reviews
- 67%would buy again
- 163,059 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers report the Continental TerrainContact AT delivers strong all-around performance, especially excellent wet-road grip/hydroplaning resistance, confident on-road handling, and generally quiet, comfortable manners for an all-terrain tire. Off-road traction on dirt, gravel, and mild-to-moderate trails is commonly described as solid. A minority of users note faster-than-expected tread wear, and some mention more noticeable tread-pattern noise at highway speeds. Winter/mountain conditions (snow/ice) are mixed, with a couple of drivers reporting reduced confidence compared with their expectations.
- Excellent wet traction and hydroplaning resistance
- Quiet for an all-terrain tire with good ride comfort
- Good on-road handling/stability and overall all-around performance
- Capable traction on gravel, dirt, and light-to-moderate off-road use
- Some increase in tread-pattern road noise at highway speeds
- Tread life can be shorter than expected for some drivers
- Mixed confidence in snow/ice or mountain winter conditions
Summarised by AI from 9 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 9 TerrainContact AT reviews40% city, 40% highway, 20% ranch road driving. This tire gave exceptional grip on road in both wet and dry, and decent grip off road. MPG was average. I might be happy with this tire, but for the money, the Michelin LTX MS2 is the better choice because of how fast these tires wore out. Quick wear doesn't just mean you buy new tires sooner, but you have to rotate them more often, and that is annoying.
Toyo Open Country AT III
- 81%from 10 reviews
- 78%would buy again
- 349,000 milesdriven by reviewers
Most drivers report the Toyo Open Country AT III as a strong all-around all-terrain tire, praised for confident handling and traction on dirt, snow and wet roads, with several high-scoring reviews highlighting long service life and even wear. Noise is generally described as low to moderate for an A/T, though a minority report noticeable noise and reduced responsiveness. The most consistent downside across lower/mid-scoring reviews is faster-than-expected tread wear compared with key competitors.
- Strong all-around capability on-road and off-road
- Good winter/snow traction for an all-terrain tire
- Good wet performance/hydroplane resistance
- Stable handling and confidence (towing and cornering)
- Tread wear/longevity concerns compared to competitors
- Some reports of increased road noise
- Slightly reduced responsiveness/comfort (stiffer feel)
Summarised by AI from 9 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 10 Open Country AT III reviewsReally impressed with theses tires. Bought the LT version of the tires because I tow a 6k lbs trailer around all summer. The ride is stiff but the handling is amazing, no more Rolly Polly when changing lanes or sweeping turns! Live in Ontario so get a lot of snow, they handle really well and even aired them down to go down my favorite hunting trail in 7-8 inches of powder. Have had them when rock crawling in places I shouldn't have been with a stock GMC AT4 and they have never met me down. Best thing is after 75k miles with 40k towing a trailer I still have about half of the tread depth left.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 1 sizes of the TerrainContact AT and 36 of the Open Country AT III, 1 of them made in both.
| Category | TerrainContact AT | Open Country AT III |
|---|---|---|
| Season | All Season | All Season |
| Sizes made | 1 sizes, 18 to 18 inch | 36 sizes, 15 to 20 inch |
| Made in both | 1 size 265/60 R18 | |
| EU label wet grip | C100% | D97%C3% |
| EU label rolling resistance | D100% | D93%E4%B3% |
| EU label noise | 72 dB B100% | 72-75 dB B100% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 0 of 1 | 193 of 194 |
| On the market since | 2021 | - |
| Replaced by | Continental TerrainContact AT2 | - |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
This head-to-head pits two popular mild all-terrain options for SUVs and 4x4s: Continental's TerrainContact AT versus Toyo's Open Country AT III. Across three shared professional tests, the Continental routinely tops the charts on-road, while the Toyo leans more toward rugged, off-road manners and efficiency. Both are all-season, but their priorities are clearly different.
Expect the Continental to deliver class-leading wet and dry security, shorter braking, and the quietest, most composed ride of the group. The Toyo counters with stronger off-road feel and lower rolling resistance, plus a slight edge in snow traction/handling in tightly matched results, even if it trails in most road-focused metrics.
Conclusion
The data shows a decisive on-road winner: the TerrainContact AT. It takes first overall at Tire Rack 2025 (1/9 vs. 7/9) and 2022 (2/9 vs. 7/9), with meaningful advantages in wet braking (up to ~7%), wet handling, aquaplaning resistance, dry braking (~4-5%), steering precision, comfort, and especially noise (e.g., 71.9 dB vs. 75.3 dB). For daily driving, highway trips, and wet-climate safety, the Continental is the safer, calmer, and more polished choice.
The Toyo's case rests on its off-road composure and efficiency. It scores subjective wins off-road (gravel feel), posts lower rolling resistance, and edges the Continental in tightly grouped snow traction/handling runs, while proving predictable in emergency maneuvers. If your usage skews toward trails and you value a sturdier feel and better fuel economy over refinement, the Toyo remains appealing-just accept the stiffer ride and higher noise. Bottom line: choose Continental for road-first confidence, Toyo for off-road leaning and efficiency.
TerrainContact AT vs Open Country AT III: your questions
Is the Continental TerrainContact AT or the Toyo Open Country AT III the better tire?
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental TerrainContact AT finished ahead 3 times and the Open Country AT III once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the TerrainContact AT scores 8.9 and the Open Country AT III 6.1 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the TerrainContact AT or the Open Country AT III?
The TerrainContact AT led 10 of the 10 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 6.2% shorter in the wet across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The TerrainContact AT led 6 of the 7 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 4.2% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The TerrainContact AT led 5 of the 9 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 5.3% shorter on snow across 3 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.1/10 for the TerrainContact AT and 8.8/10 for the Open Country AT III.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the TerrainContact AT 79% from 9 reviews and the Open Country AT III 81% from 10. 67% of TerrainContact AT owners would buy it again, against 78% for the Open Country AT III.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The TerrainContact AT is made in 1 sizes (18 to 18 inch) and the Open Country AT III in 36 (15 to 20 inch). 1 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the TerrainContact AT is graded C for wet grip and D for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Open Country AT III D and D.
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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.
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