The off-road tire scene is a bit of a crowded marketplace. One that can be difficult to navigate for a tire shopper looking for new rubber. Choosing the right tire application all comes down to wants and needs. Not every driver wants the ultimate top-tier mud terrain tire. And not every tire will suffice for the daily-driven trail rig needing rugged off-road performance. Fortunately for the savvy tire shopper, Toyo Tire’s Open Country R/T Trail has come to fill in a void.
Recently, Off Road Xtreme was given the chance to take part in testing this tire which is an all-new addition to the Open Country lineup. Hold up, this is not the same as the original Open Country R/T, nor will it be replacing that tire. We are here to report the important details you need to know and our overall experience with the Open Country R/T Trail tire.
Open Country R/T Trail Tire Details
Toyo’s new Open Country R/T Trail tire takes everything great about the Open Country A/TIII and incorporates advanced off-road characteristics from the Open Country M/T and Open Country R/T. The result is an aggressive-looking daily drive tire with impressive on-road handling, low noise, and long tread life, all while providing a smooth comfortable ride. Simultaneously, the R/T Trail is engineered with rugged durability, improved grip, and bolstered traction. In wet or dry conditions, this tire is ripe for the road, mud, sand, gravel, and snow.
The one thing R/T Trail does not come with is the three-peak mountain snowflake rating. However, that doesn’t mean the tire won’t be able to handle severe snow conditions. Toyo gives it a 4.5 (out of 5) for winter handling whereas the A/TIII scores a 5 top ranking. Toyo is so confident in this new tire, it is sold with a “No Regrets 45-Day/500-Mile Trial Offer” and an impressive 45,000-mile treadwear warranty.
Engineered as an off-road workhorse with hybrid capabilities, the R/T Trail features double thick rubber sidewalls for increased puncture resistance.
Through extensive on-the-ground marketplace research and much in-person enthusiast surveying, Toyo identified customers wanting off-road rugged durability combined with on-road comfort and performance.
A new Bronco Badlands shoed with the Open Country R/T Trail tires.
Launching The R/T Trail Tire
Toyo’s R/T Trail tire was developed in America for America. It is the second light-truck tire to be conceived and produced in their new state-of-the-art R&D facility in White, Georgia, where the R/T Trail will be manufactured.
The official launch date is set for November 1, 2022, and there will be 47 total SKUs available. Tire size will range up to a 38-inch overall diameter for 16- to 24-inch wheel diameters. The R/T Trail will be available in unique size and load combinations appropriate for most applications.
“We are thrilled to announce the all-new Open Country R/T Trail, our latest off-road capable tire,” says Todd Bergeson, senior manager, product planning and technical services, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Our development team and engineers spent an extensive amount of time ‘wheeling’ with off-road enthusiast clubs across the country while testing in the harshest conditions to ensure we exceed the expectations with our design, capability, and durability.”
Main Attributes:
- Bold design
- Attractive from every angle
- Capable
- Durable
- Confident
- Rugged
- Load ranges: CDEF
- Off-road traction
- Sand traction
- Wet traction
- Winter handling
- Dry handling
- Tread life
- Quiet ride
- Ride comfort
- Fuel efficiency
Optimized Tread Design With Large Tread Blocks And A Three-Variable Pitch Pattern
- Delivers off-road durability, traction, and stability.
- Improves wet braking and handling performance.
- Reduces irregular wear.
- Reduces noise and ride harshness.
Staggered Scalloped Shoulder Blocks And An Extra-Thick Sidewall
- Dig into sand, mud, and uneven surfaces.
- Protect the shoulder and outer sidewall against cuts, impacts, and punctures.
Two-Wide Circumferential Grooves
- Evacuate Water for Hydroplaning Resistance
Wide Lateral Zigzag Grooves With Stone Ejectors
- Provide superb off-road traction throughout the tire’s wear life with stone ejectors to help prevent stone drilling.
4-Way Tapered Notches
- Enhance multi-directional on and off-road traction.
Rim Protector
- Aids in Protecting Valuable Wheels
Where Does The R/T Trail Tire Fit In The Open Country Lineup?
Toyo is a full-line tire manufacturer. The Open Country is the heart of the brand’s light truck lineup and the most successful. From mud terrains to all terrains, Toyo has the gamut of off-road tire applications well covered.
Toyo Tire's ranks the R/T Trail with ample off-road performance behind the M/T and R/T but shares the comfort of the A/TIII.
This Open Country R/T Trail tire is positioned right near the center of performance meeting comfort with a preferred balance of both off-road capability and on-highway performance. On a scale of Toyo’s off-road rated tires, the M/T is tops, then the R/T, then the R/T Trail, and then the A/TIII. All of these tires perform well off-road, but again, the perfect tire depends on the application. The new R/T Trail tire is engineered as an improved off-road performer while retaining its on-road driveability.
Performance-wise, the R/T Trail is similarly ranked in off-road traction, dry handling, and tread life as the original R/T. This new tire shares top-of-class scores in fuel efficiency, ride comfort, and low noise like its A/TIII brethren.
The ORXtreme JL Fitted Up With New Tires At Jeep Bash
Off Road Xtreme received a set of the final production Open Country R/T Trail tires before launch for testing purposes. Our mule was the ORXtreme JL, so we opted for the 37×12.50R17 to mount on our Dirty Life ENIGMA PRO wheels. Once again we turned to our friends at ORW Temecula for a quick Friday afternoon mount and easy balance.
Once the Jeep was ready for pickup, I scoped out the new appearance and it was just what I was hoping for. At a glance, the Jeep’s profile was looking more aggressive without being over the top. The tread pattern is visually pleasing and the shoulder lugs are ready for business. By all means and measures, the R/T Trail is a great-looking tire and we are sold on that aspect.
Locked and loaded, we headed down to Bolsa Chica State Beach for Mel Wade’s Jeep Bash. This was a first for me and I was in Jeep heaven on the beach! Fitting right in with our fully built 2021 JLU Rubicon, I found a spot right at the end of a row and posted up. Sporting the fresh never before seen by the public Toyo Tires, I was excited to see people’s reactions. Apparently, it was all well received because we got ducked on more than a few times. Stay tuned to Off Road Xtreme for extensive coverage of the 2022 Jeep Bash.
Testing The Open Country R/T Trail Hybrid Tire On-Road
My first driving impressions with these tires were that they rolled round, seamless, and smooth. Like most, driving on new tires makes me happy. So, it is easy to score a passing grade here. Driving around town on the roads and highways was easily managed. Yes, we are rocking 37s in a lifted Jeep, but these R/T Trail Hybrid tires were tame enough that I just kinda went about my business and forgot about the task at hand. Looking back, I guess that box gets checked when the tires do their job well enough that they go unnoticed.
Toyo did extensive testing on many vehicle applications like this Ram TRX fitted with R/T Trail tires.
I really started to pick up on the on-road performance when we headed up into the San Bernardino mountains on Highway 38. Our destination was Big Bear, but the journey and scenic drive were the real treats. Curve after curve, the ORXtreme JL equipped with road-hugging R/T Trail rubber mastered the winding highway. The tire’s superb ride quality and excellent road handling made the arduous task of driving a lifted jeep up the mountain more enjoyable than ever. Toyo states the tread pattern arrangement is optimized for good on-road performance and handling.
Our Favorite Aspect
The high mark from me on the R/T Trail is the low noise. I feel like the tire engineers must have done extensive modeling and testing because as far as all terrain tires go, this one is relatively quiet. Looking through the tire details, Toyo attributes the noise reduction to their three variable pitch pattern tread design.
Off-Road Testing Toyo’s New Open Country R/T Trail Tire
After approximately 300 miles of driving on-road, we were excited to see how the Open Country R/T Trail tire performed off-road. Toyo Tires organized and arranged for a group of media personnel to test out the new tire for a day out on the trails. This meant providing off-road capable vehicles for us to drive, all equipped with the R/T Trail in various sizes. Being local to the area, we opted to drive in and use our own rig.
Burns Canyon
We convoyed out to the Burns Canyon trailhead by way of Forest Road 2N01 where I made last-minute vehicle preparations and aired down to 16 PSI. Leading the group of approximately twenty rigs was a mixed band of experienced local 4×4 enthusiasts that know the Big Bear area well. Trails 411, Bear Valley Overland, and the folks from Trailchasers Podcast were on point to guide us along all day.
The OnX OffRoad App rates the Burns Canyon routes as Level 6 difficulty on a scale of 10. The areas we were traversing seemed like an easy Level 4. That being said, our group encountered several boulder-strewn trails, off-camber obstacles, and a few rock ledges. The most challenging conquest was down Sidewinder Canyon, or Forest Road 2N70Y, which led us to a Black Diamond trail full of steep terrain and technical loose gravel and rocky trails.
The ORXtreme JL was more than capable of running it all and we had a great time doing it. There were zero issues all day with the tires and thankfully all of the rigs. Of course, the green rookies were having a blast having never experienced any off-road wheeling. And you know yours truly was soaking it all up! I thoroughly enjoyed being outdoors and covering new to me ground.
Fully Tested: Open Country R/T Trail Tire Review
Testing the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail and experiencing their off-road performance firsthand lived up to the hype. My favorite aspect is the incredible grip. The tread design seems to enhance traction in one way or another. Never once did I encounter any slippage over the rough and rocky 4×4 obstacles we encountered. Even in the loose terrain such as gravel and sand, these tires pulled us right through it without hesitation.
To say these tires are rugged is an understatement. The extra thick sidewalls and deep shoulder lugs might seem like overkill. But the added puncture resistance ensures durability and provides peace of mind. Having that fat lip rim protector is another benefit to help prevent wheel damage.
At the end of the day, the tires were still in like new condition. With no chunking, no rips, and no cuts, they fared impressively. They are just solid and ready for thousands of more miles. My thoughts on the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail is that it is a great do-it-all hybrid tire. They work great off-road and are very comfortable on-road. I would not hesitate putting these tires on a daily driven part-time trail rig. I would absolutely choose these for a full-time overlanding setup.
Overall, I give Toyo a nod of approval for adding the R/T Trail to their Open Country lineup. This tire fills the void offering similar on-road performance to the Open Country A/TIII and nearly the off-road capability of the R/T and M/T.
