A few months ago, Yokohama’s unveiling of the Geolandar X-AT brought us out to Las Vegas to see what this new tire was all about. Our man in Sin City, Dustin Singleton, had a blast checking out what these tires could do, and you can check out his full review. But why should he have all the fun? That’s why we got Yokohama to send us a set here in SoCal.
We located a truck in need – a 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel, owned by Nicholas S. out of the High Desert area – and got it here in the shop for the installation. It was a pretty quick swap and before we knew it, we were on the road, heading to the mountains.
Along the way, we took note of the tire’s easygoing road manners. California has some rough roads down here, and they don’t get any nicer in the summer. We enjoyed the responsiveness of the X-ATs on the road. They were good at sharp turns and even a little canyon carving.
The road noise was manageable and didn’t get in the way of conversation. We could hear the radio playing at a decent volume, rather than using it to drown out a droning tone. It must’ve been thanks to the tighter tread blocks and all-new rubber compound, which Yokohama took special care to enhance the on-road driving experience.
Once we got to our destination, we made our way up the hills. We left the tire pressure where we had it after leaving the shop – 45 psi – and started climbing. The tires had zero slippage or sketchiness going up steep inclines, and maintained grip all the way to the top. Rocks, soft-pack dirt, gravel – nothing got in the way of us making forward progress.
The X-AT’s aggressive center blocks, combination grooves, and dynamic should blocks came into play here. The center and shoulder blocks gave us the grip to make our way up, while the durable three-ply sidewall ensured that punctures and impacts wouldn’t leave us stranded.
The rest was all up to the Rebel, and she did a fantastic job. Just like the one I drove back in February, this pickup had plenty of get-up-and-go to make off-roading fun and on-road driving enjoyable.
The Yokohama Geolandar X-AT tires, we concluded, are an ideal fit for anyone that wants the right balance. The X-ATs are great for the driver that wants his off-road capability without sacrificing on-road finesse. We recommend you check out more about the X-AT by visiting Yokohama’s website and Facebook page.
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