Toyo Open Country AT3 Review [2023 Updated]

By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen
By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen

Are you looking for your next set of tires? Can’t seem to find unbiased reviews from someone just trying to push products?

Look no further! I have seen and heard it all with over nine-plus years in the tire industry. All of my reviews come from personal experience and my experience with customers just like yourself!

Today I will review one of the most popular off-road options on the market, the Toyo Open Country AT3; this tire is offered in multiple load ranges, not only in standard metric sizes but also in high-flotation sizes.

The Toyo Open Country AT3 is an all-terrain tire that is so popular because of its durability in off-road conditions and ability to rip through snow and dirt. This tire is perfect for Jeep Wranglers, Toyota Tacomas/Tundras, and full-size trucks/SUVs.

Let’s get to it, so you can see if this is the right tire for your needs.

Feel free to jump to any sections below if you want a specific aspect review of this tire.

Pros
Cons
Ratings
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.5
3.0
3.5
2.5
4.5
3.5
Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Dry Traction:
3.5/5
Snow Traction:
4.5/5
Ride Comfort:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
3.5/5
Ride Noise:
2.5/5
Hydroplaning:
3.0/5
Tread Life:
3.5/5
Value For $$$:
3.0/5

Traction - Toyo Open Country A/T III

While the Toyo Open Country ATIII offers more seasonal traction capability than an all-season tire, you will lose some performance in wet and dry road conditions regarding stopping ability. Due to the larger tread blocks and big lug tread design, which is something you sacrifice going with an all-terrain tire over an all-season.

I gave this tire a high snow traction rating because when it hits the snow, you won’t be sliding all over the place like it’s your first time at an ice rink; instead, you will feel the lateral grooves and 3d multi-wave sipes griping that snow beneath your tires.

This Toyo tire is not a winter tire, but it does have a three-peak mountain snowflake rating, and man, if I told you this wasn’t a winter tire, you would be shocked. My uncle has these tires on his Ford F-350, and he took me up to the mountains when it was snowing; I couldn’t believe how determined these tires were to go straight.

Dry traction overall is on par with the market; its more open tread design allows each tread block to grab the road and maximize road grip. It gives you confidence whether you use them for daily driving or weekend off-roading.

I am slightly disappointed with how these tires held up in the wet weather. I thought they would be as good as they were in the snow. The siping in the tread blocks do not go down to 4/32nds of tread; instead, it only goes down to about 9/32nds into the tread.

With that being said, these Toyo Tires will continue to get slippier as they wear down; I do not recommend them to anyone driving in consistent wet weather conditions.

Traction Rating: 3.0/5
3.0/5

Ride Comfort - Toyo Open Country A/T III

This Toyo tire comes in different ply ratings, most commonly either light truck, best suited for heavy-duty trucks like a Ram 2500, or the P-metric tire which would be better suited for a more lightweight vehicle such as a Toyota Tacoma.

Depending on which load range tire you need, this will significantly change the ride comfort aspect; a light truck tire will be heavier and more challenging to balance out for tire installers, resulting in vibrations while you drive down the road.

I have seen countless light truck tires not get balanced out properly, simply because it keeps asking for more weight in different locations on the wheel.

Due to their construction, having more sidewall plies, and the fact that light truck tires come with significantly more tread depth than your standard p-metric, making these tires much heavier.

If your vehicle only requires P-metric, you will enjoy how this tire rides. They’re smooth with minimal ride vibrations because they can be more easily balanced.

These tires have identical ride quality to the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, so if you have had the Falkens and were happy with them, the Toyo is a good option.

Most consumers who purchase all-terrain tires understand they will not have the most  comfortable ride, and you shouldn’t expect anything different from the Toyo Open Country A/T III tires.

Ride Comfort Rating: 3.0/5
3.0/5

Ride Handling - Toyo Open Country A/T III

Unfortunately, it is incorrect if you think this newly redesigned all-terrain tire from Toyo will handle like a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

These tires may have a new tread compound, but they don’t handle any better than their predecessor, the Toyo Open Country AT II. Not to say that the AT II had bad handling characteristics, but you will only get so much from an all-terrain tire in this category.

If you like to hit the trails, this tire is for you; when it comes to off-road handling, I would have to say this tire takes the cake. Using big shoulder lugs and a new tread design that helps provide cut-and-chip resistance, having all this makes these highly durable off-road tires.

Just don’t try and go mudding, or you will get stuck in the deep mud, as these aren’t mud tires, but they hold their own in light mud situations.

If you were looking for a solid mud-terrain tire, I would recommend the Nitto Ridge Grappler, as they offer better mud ripping capability.

Overall handling in steering, maneuvering, and cornering will feel heavy and cause a decent amount of body roll when flying around corners.

Ride Handling Rating: 3.5/5
3.5/5

Ride Noise - Toyo Open Country A/T III

I have to give these tires a somewhat lower ride noise rating simply because the moment you drive on them, you will hear the humming they create. To some unfamiliar with all-terrain tires, it could sound like there’s a hummingbird in your ear.

Most consumers looking at this tire might be familiar with that sweet tune all-terrain tires generate, but for those of you driving CUVs and SUVS, do you want to be going down the road hearing a constant whirring noise in the background?

Do you mainly do highway and city road driving and want a quiet aggressive tread pattern? Look at the Nitto Terra Grappler G2.

I ran the Nitto’s on my wife’s Jeep Wrangler unlimited, and to be quite honest, they were quieter than the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A that came with the original equipment.

Also, I have seen the Toyo Open Country AT III tires suffer from bad cupping, which is typical for Toyo tires, especially on heavy-duty trucks; the biggest reason I have seen this happen is the tires not being rotated as frequently as recommended.

Typical tire rotations are recommended every five to eight thousand miles. However, I would rotate them more frequently than that to avoid cupping.

Cupping can generate so much noise I have heard it described as sounding like a helicopter is in the car.

If you are not good at maintaining tire maintenance and can’t stand road-noise, stay away from these tires because they will make you wish you never bought them.

Ride Noise Rating: 2.5/5
2.5/5

Hydroplaning - Toyo Open Country A/T III

When brand new, these tires can rip through any terrain, even standing water. What matters more than how they handle brand new, is how they hold up once you have some miles on them.

Looking at this tire, you will notice it has vast open tread voids, an aggressive sidewall design, and siping throughout the tread.

Don’t let these sipes fool you; siping is the thin little grooves you see throughout the tire. Typically they will be in tread blocks, and siping is designed to help take in water and evacuate it from the tire.

However, taking a closer look at the Toyo Open Country A/T III, you can see that the siping in the tread blocks will disappear when this tire is less than half worn. Siping that doesn’t reach down to at least 4/32nds of tread will severely diminish your hydroplaning resistance when worn down.

So if driving through wet road conditions is a concern for you, these tires will do an excellent job brand new, but after some wear on them, you could be sliding sideways in heavy rain.

I would recommend the Michelin LTX A/T2 for a much safer hydroplaning resistance.

Hydroplaning Rating: 3.0/5
3.0/5

Tread Life - Toyo Open Country A/T III

Let’s talk about how long you can expect to get out of these tires. With multiple-ply options for this tire, you can expect a range of life expectancy.

The light truck option will come with a treadwear warranty of fifty thousand miles.

Can we expect that out of this tire?

Yes, with proper tire maintenance, you can, and not driving like a madman will help your treadwear. I have seen consumers who have this tire and frequently tow heavy capacity loads see less than fifty-thousand miles; if you’re a tower, forty-thousand miles is very achievable.

Now the P-metric option gets much better tread life, especially compared to the competition, such as the Falken WildPeak AT3W or Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S.

With a sixty-five-thousand-mile treadwear warranty, you can expect to receive between fifty and seventy-thousand miles with proper tire maintenance.

If you are reading this and think you can put a P-metric tire on your heavy-duty pick-up for longer treadwear, please don’t do that; installing a P-metric tire on a truck that requires LT, increases the chance for blowouts and defects.

Since the P-metric cannot carry as much weight as its light truck counterpart, in the end, it will lead you to get fewer miles out of the tire.

Tread Life Rating: 3.5/5
3.5/5

Value For Money - Toyo Open Country A/T III

Now it’s time we go over the part that matters to most of you. Is this tire a good value?

In all honesty, this tire has seen such a huge price jump that it’s tough to say you will get your money’s worth, life expectancy-wise. When the value is about performance and miles per dollar, performance is there, but the price compared to the miles you’ll receive is not great.

I have seen the Toyo Open Country AT III tire price increase within the last year by over a hundred dollars per tire in some sizes. Toyo is not the only one who have had to increase its prices, but you will find them now priced very closely to the BF-Goodrich KO2, which has a higher construction rating.

I can say that for the money you will be spending on these tires, you would think they could last you eighty-thousand miles; however, for those looking for excellent off-road capability, you won’t be disappointed.

For these reasons, I gave it a slightly above-average value.

Value For Money Rating: 3.0/5
3.0/5

Final Verdict - Toyo Open Country A/T III

Adding up all the points I reviewed, my final thoughts are that this tire is best suited for someone who finds themself off-road more than on-road daily driving.

Providing best-in-class off-road capability, it will not disappoint. It has built-in stone ejecting blocks, staggered shoulder blocks to grab rocks and dirt, and an open-biting tread design.

The drawbacks are loud road-noise, high price, and needing to over-maintain your tires. If you want an aggressive tread all-terrain that would be less expensive and better ride quality, l recommend the Pathfinder A/T.

I hope this review gave you clarity and better insight into the Toyo Open Country AT III on what it offers.

Still unsure whether this tire is right for you? Check out some of my other trusted reviews!

Meet Your Tire Expert

Toyo Open Country A/T III
OVERALL rating:
80%
3.5/5
Updated March 22, 2024
Quick Facts
  • Warranty 65000 Miles
  • Typical Price $162.00 - $625.00
  • Treadwear Rating 600

Tire Recall Information

Recall information for the Toyo Open Country AT3 is coming soon!

Warranty & Tire Sizes

Frequently Asked Questions

The most significant differences are the redesigned tread pattern, updated sidewall design, and new rubber silica compound. The AT 3 will perform better in snow and off-road conditions while offering a smoother ride and longer tread life than its predecessor.

While both the Falken and Toyo excel in snow traction, I say the Falken is the better tire for the daily driver having a quieter and smoother ride quality. The Toyo is superior when it comes to off-road traction and capability.

No, the Toyo Open Country AT 3 is offered in a P-metric 4-ply, LT-C 6-ply, LT-D 8-ply, And LT-E 10-ply.

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