Tires Review

Nitto is a tiremaker that has a very deep portfolio of off-road-capable tires; it’s actually one of the few brands that offer all-terrain, hybrid, and mud-terrain tires, and sometimes it offers two tires in the same class. However, Nitto’s range of off-road-capable tires starts with the Terra Grappler G2; it’s an all-terrain tire with a mildly-aggressive tread pattern, aiming to deliver increased off-road traction without sacrificing on-road comfort and safety.

But is this tire any good? To answer that question, I’ve put the Nitto Terra Grappler G2 on a rigorous test and prepared an in-depth review where I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the tire.

I’ll also talk about where it stands relative to its competitors; the Terra Grappler G2 contends in a highly-contested class, with excellent on-road tires like the Continental TerrainContact A/T, Michelin LTX A/T2, and Bridgestone Dueler A/T RH-S, and excellent off-roaders like the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 and Toyo Open Country A/T III.
Let’s dig in!

Perhaps the most interesting for overlanders and campers is the Nitto Ridge Grappler; it’s a hybrid all-terrain/mud-terrain tire, meaning it focuses more on the off-road rather than the on-road part. However, it still offers better drivability and comfort than a full-on mud-terrain tire on paved roads, a quality that the general public rates highly. Of course, it might not be the best choice for off-road enthusiasts, but Nitto’s answer to that is the Mud Grappler and Trail Grappler off-road tires.

Okay, the Ridge Grappler promises to be an excellent tire for overlanders and campers, but does it deliver? For starters, it competes in a very crowded segment, with fan favorites such as the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2, Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, and General Grabber A/TX. So, to even be considered, the tire needs to work excellently on off-road surfaces, but it also needs to be usable on paved roads.

Well, that’s exactly what I’ll be covering in my Nitto Ridge Grappler review, so put your seatbelts on and follow me while putting the tire through its paces.

The Nitto NT555 G2 is the Japanese brand’s ultra-high-performance summer tire for drivers that want to upgrade from regular touring tires when tuning their cars, but also for owners of faster performance sedans and coupes that don’t want to spend a fortune on tires. The NT555 G2 is a significant upgrade over the previous-gen NT555, promising improved traction and grip on dry and wet roads.

But is the NT555 G2 cheap enough? In my years of experience, I learned that cheaper tires are mostly not worth it, as they cut too many corners to cut the price. Still, Nitto is very well-regarded in the enthusiast community, especially among drivers that change tires frequently, i.e., use them on the track.

So, the tire might be the cheap performance tire to beat them all, right? That’s exactly what I’ll try to cover in my Nitto NT555 G2 review, where I’ll focus mostly on how the tire performs during performance driving but also tell you about the durability and comfort. Let’s dig in!

Nitto launched the Motivo almost a decade ago. That’s a very long time in the tire industry, enough for almost every other tiremaker to launch a new product with a more advanced tread compound and better-designed pattern. This is especially important since the Motivo wasn’t competitive with the best even when it launched in 2011 – it was just good enough to compete with other budget offerings.

So, does that mean that you shouldn’t buy this tire? Well, Nitto is still selling the tire, and quite successfully. The main reason is probably the price – the Motivo is way cheaper than the premium competition, and it’s even cheaper than other budget offerings. Still, if people buy some product, it doesn’t mean it’s good, so let’s dig into my Nitto Motivo review and see what it has to offer.

Nitto isn’t a very popular company when it comes to highway all-season tires. However, it promises that it will use the know-how collected from the years of experience designing and producing high-performance tires. Besides, the company operates under Toyo Tires, which already has a strong presence in the North American market.

But enough of that – is the Nitto Crosstek 2 a good tire? I tested the tire in various conditions to give you the answer, and I also read the experiences of drivers already owning this tire. Here is my in-depth Nitto Crosstek 2 review!

In this review, I’ll cover the Yokohama YK740 GTX, which is a fairly popular all-season grand-touring tire among North American buyers. You can purchase it only through Discount Tire, which limits availability, but it’s also reasonably priced for a premium tire.

But what makes it stand out from the competition? Well, Yokohama markets the YK740 GTX as a performance all-season touring tire, meaning it should be more fun to drive. The problem is, “performance” is an overused word in the touring category and is only there to make you feel that you get more for your money. For real gains in grip and traction, you’d still need to go for a set of high-performance tires – that’s unavoidable.

So, does this tire meet its “performance” credentials? This is a question I don’t have a short answer to, since like every tire you can buy, it comes with its pros and cons. Fortunately, my Yokohama YK740 GTX review covers everything you need to know about the tire, including performance on dry, wet, and snowy roads, comfort and quietness, and durability. Let’s dig in!

Going off the beaten track has become almost a necessity during lockdowns; instead of staying locked at home, you can spend the night under the night sky. However, you’d need some things to do that, like a truck or SUV, a high-quality tent, and off-road capable tires.

We are here to help with the tires, particularly by reviewing the Yokohama Geolandar X-AT. It’s an all-terrain tire designed precisely for people that want to explore the wilderness, with an aggressive tread pattern and tough and durable casing. Is it any good, though? Let’s have a look at our Yokohama Geolandar X-AT review!

The tire buyers usually value the price and durability more than safety. To give you outstanding treadlife, tiremakers usually sacrifice dry and wet grip and traction.

Fortunately, the modern rubber compounds can give you both (to a degree), and that’s a mantra that the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX follows. It’s a touring all-season tire that comes with an 85,000-mile treadwear warranty while costing less than the premium competition.

Yokohama also promises safe traction on dry, wet, and snowy roads and a comfortable and quiet ride. So, does the tire deliver on its promises? That’s exactly what you are going to find out in my in-depth Yokohama AVID Ascend LX review!

Exploring the wilderness has become very popular lately, increasing the demand for rugged SUVs and trucks, but also for off-road-capable tires. When it comes to tires, you can choose between two broad categories – all-terrain and mud-terrain (off-road). The former offers a balance between on-road and off-road traction, while the latter is more geared toward uneven terrains.

The Toyo Open Country M/T is a very popular mud-terrain tire, especially in the off-road community. Is it any good, though? That’s exactly what we are going to find out in my in-depth Toyo Open Country MT review, where I’ll focus mostly on off-roading but cover all other categories as well. Let’s dig in!

Although safety should always be the number one priority when purchasing new tires, buyers are still mostly attracted by value. And when it comes to tires, value is the ratio between the price and treadlife. In other words, the longer a tire lasts, the less frequently you’d need to replace it; hence you’d get higher value from it.

The Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus isn’t a particularly cheap tire, but that’s understandable since it comes from a premium manufacturer. It does promise exceptional longevity, though – Pirelli provides a 90,000-mile treadwear warranty on every size.

Still, should you buy it? To answer that question, I covered every aspect of the tire in my in-depth Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus review; make sure you don’t miss the specifics, as they are crucial here. Let’s dig in!