All-Weather All-Terrain
TOYO OPEN COUNTRY C/T
MOM ALWAYS TOLD US “GOOD THINGS ARE WORTH WAITING FOR”. Needless to say, it’s really starting to bug us how often she was right. We have been waiting eons for Toyo to bring something new to the table, and not because we didn’t like what they currently produce, quite the opposite; we want to see how much better it could get.
Toyo’s previous generation of the Open Country group included the beloved AT II and MT offerings, which proved that a mud tire or aggressive all-terrain doesn’t have to be loud, oblong, or wear out faster the a pair of tighty-whities at a chili eating contest. What we were jonesing for was a tire we could run all year with the ruggedness of the MT, the long life of the AT II, the round carcass Toyo is know for, plus that little snowflake symbol. Toyo must have heard our whining.
The Open Country C/T was meant for Canadians who actually use their truck for work and play 12-months of the year. All C/T tires come equipped with a tough three-ply sidewall and new tread compounds able to not only grip onto icy surfaces but also live with hot summer temperatures that would normally melt a typical snow tire.
Some of the same characteristics we love about the other Open Country specimens are here in the C/T too; rock and mud ejectors, deep lugs with wide spacing, wrap around sidewall tread among others. They are pinned for studs if you feel they are required as well.
We strapped a set of LT275/65R18’s to a well-used 2012 Toyota Tundra for testing. The truck gets used for highway miles to and from work as well as hauling and towing duties around the farm. Days off are spent in the truck finding new fishing holes or just exploring the outback. Mounting and balancing didn’t show anything out of the ordinary and after a few break-in miles, highway drives proved smooth and controlled. The old “P” series passenger car tires that were on the truck could not offer the stable feel or
firm handling the C/T’s “LT” (light truck) 1,550 kg load rating tire provides. There was a slight increase in road noise but we attribute that to the old tires being as soft and bald as a race slick.
We all know the dirt is where it’s at for us and the Toyo did not disappoint. The large voids ate up the soft soils and sand while the sidewalls rejected any foreign intrusions. On hard pack FSR’s (forest service roads) with a light coating of mud, the tires did well to dig deep and gave us the traction we needed. The deep muck will require a stern lashing of the skinny petal to keep the voids clean; this is not an M/T tire, but it will get you through.
Snow and icy conditions is where Toyo said they did their homework. We picked this set up in the middle of summer so we had to sit on our hands a bit before we could test them out. The Toyo’s felt on par with other AT tires on hard ice, but snowy and compact conditions are its shining point. They could get a good bite in the snow and gave us confidence the old snow radial did not. During winter storms, the truck trudged on without question and earned its stripes.
Multiple driving conditions and terrains is part of what makes Canada so diverse, and having a tire that can cope with changing conditions are what we look for. Longevity and durability are on the radar for summer camping trips and long hauls. Winter months require the ability get to work and play in the hills once temperatures drop and the snow flies. We feel Toyo’s do-all direction with the Open Country C/T tire fits very will with what we need for a year-round performer when it matters most.
Toyo Tire www.toyotires.ca