superfluid
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TLDR: The Toyo Open Country A/T III EVs are pricy but are the best-engineered tires I've driven. If your requirements are similar to mine, put them on your shortlist.
The OEM Pirelli Scorpions that came on my Gen 1 R1S Quad were at 15k miles. They got noisy and then the rear passenger rubber split. The noise was reason enough to swap them but the split forced the issue. I started the hunt for a new set.
My requirements:
I decided on the Nokian Outpost nATs, bought Nitto Ridge Grapplers, and ended up with the Toyos. Here's the short story.
I wanted the Nokian Outpost nATs because they seemed the most appropriate for EVs, but my local @Discount Tire might not have gotten them in time for a camping trip I had upcoming. Since my Pirellis weren't safe to drive, I had Discount install the Nitto Ridge Grapplers they had in stock. I drove them for a few days. I tried to like them—they looked great—but I disliked them for all 150 miles. They made a zipper noise that I felt in my feet when accelerating. They buzzed loudly between 45-60 MPH. The tread was soft and grippy but turning was grindy and laggy like the vehicle was shifting around on balloons. Even under normal driving conditions, I could not keep tight, predictable lines with them at 40, 50, or 60 PSI. I didn't feel confident driving them, a feeling that bordered on unsafe. I decided to replace them. Fortunately, Discount gives us 30 days to change our minds.
As I prepared to order Nokian Outpost nATs, I read about the newly released Toyo Open Country A/T III EVs. They were so new that only SimpleTire.com listed them for sale. Toyo markets the A/T III EVs as having a new rubber compound and design for heavy EVs with high torque, for decreased rolling resistance, and for reduced noise. Few detailed reviews were available, but I gambled on the 10-ply LT Toyos because I learned that the Nokians weren't designed for EVs; they were merely "EV FIT". Discount didn't have a part number for the A/T III EVs in their system but they called Toyo directly and ordered a set for me. I planned to camp with the Ridge Grapplers and put on the A/T III EVs when I got back. To my surprise, Discount received the tires before my trip and mounted them the next day. Excellent service just in time. Thanks, @Discount Tire off of Ben White Blvd!
Toyo Open Country A/T III EV LT275/65R20 Review
Though I bought the A/T III EVs to be capable both on- and off-road, I haven't driven them off-road and don't know when I will next. Instead of waiting until I do, I thought I'd provide my impressions of their on-road performance now and update this review later.
On-Road Performance
A note about PSI: I drove them at 48, 55, and 60 PSI during our 300-mile road/camping trip to see how they performed. I found them to perform best at 48 PSI.
Updated 4/28/25
Off-Road Performance
I ran the Toyos on low and moderately technical trails (levels 2 and 3) at Hidden Falls Adventure Park yesterday, so I can provide a partial assessment of their off-road performance.
I aired down to 28 PSI warm before heading out.
Conditions
The trails were mostly dry, but mud puddles from past rains large enough to get all four wheels in remained in some sections. This being Texas hill country, we climbed, descended, and rolled over moderately sized rocks at slow speed. We hit nothing particularly technical because I was guiding a friend and his wife on their first off-road outing. These clips give you an idea of what we tackled that day.
Here are my impressions.
After putting 5,000 miles on these Open Country A/T III EV LTs both on road, in rain, and off road, I maintain they're the best tires I've owned and the tires to beat on a Rivian, IMHO.
Happy trails!
If this review helped you make a better tire purchase decision, please consider buying me a cup of sake. Kanpai!
The OEM Pirelli Scorpions that came on my Gen 1 R1S Quad were at 15k miles. They got noisy and then the rear passenger rubber split. The noise was reason enough to swap them but the split forced the issue. I started the hunt for a new set.
My requirements:
- Noise: Quiet on the road. I find noise and vibration distracting.
- Durability: Tough enough for off-roading. I don't off-road often, but I go fairly hard when I do. A side-wall tear at the bottom of a canyon would put a big gash in my weekend.
- Traction: Grippy, safe, and fun. I like technical ascents and never want to slide on windy Hill Country backgrounds in wet weather with the family in tow. I also like to drive my R1S like it should be driven: with joy =)
- Efficiency: Not terrible. Within -10% of the OEM Scorpions would be worth the trade-off for my priorities above.
I decided on the Nokian Outpost nATs, bought Nitto Ridge Grapplers, and ended up with the Toyos. Here's the short story.
I wanted the Nokian Outpost nATs because they seemed the most appropriate for EVs, but my local @Discount Tire might not have gotten them in time for a camping trip I had upcoming. Since my Pirellis weren't safe to drive, I had Discount install the Nitto Ridge Grapplers they had in stock. I drove them for a few days. I tried to like them—they looked great—but I disliked them for all 150 miles. They made a zipper noise that I felt in my feet when accelerating. They buzzed loudly between 45-60 MPH. The tread was soft and grippy but turning was grindy and laggy like the vehicle was shifting around on balloons. Even under normal driving conditions, I could not keep tight, predictable lines with them at 40, 50, or 60 PSI. I didn't feel confident driving them, a feeling that bordered on unsafe. I decided to replace them. Fortunately, Discount gives us 30 days to change our minds.
As I prepared to order Nokian Outpost nATs, I read about the newly released Toyo Open Country A/T III EVs. They were so new that only SimpleTire.com listed them for sale. Toyo markets the A/T III EVs as having a new rubber compound and design for heavy EVs with high torque, for decreased rolling resistance, and for reduced noise. Few detailed reviews were available, but I gambled on the 10-ply LT Toyos because I learned that the Nokians weren't designed for EVs; they were merely "EV FIT". Discount didn't have a part number for the A/T III EVs in their system but they called Toyo directly and ordered a set for me. I planned to camp with the Ridge Grapplers and put on the A/T III EVs when I got back. To my surprise, Discount received the tires before my trip and mounted them the next day. Excellent service just in time. Thanks, @Discount Tire off of Ben White Blvd!
Toyo Open Country A/T III EV LT275/65R20 Review
Though I bought the A/T III EVs to be capable both on- and off-road, I haven't driven them off-road and don't know when I will next. Instead of waiting until I do, I thought I'd provide my impressions of their on-road performance now and update this review later.
On-Road Performance
- Noise: Remarkably quiet at all speeds. Toyo implemented different techniques to achieve this, but I believe the primary contributors are the rubber compound, strong construction, and tread pattern. The rubber feels like dense Vibram rubber used for performance shoe soles. The compound and the tire's thick construction ate up micro-vibrations (rough asphalt) and impacts (manhole covers, potholes) that create noise. To reduce noise at speed, Toyo implemented lugs with alternating sizes toward the tire's outer rim, which supposedly spreads noise across a wide frequency spectrum to lower its perceived volume. The audio engineer in me believes this makes sense in principle, but I can't test it. It seems to work.
- Durability: The side wall of the LT tire feels dense and tough when I flick it and hit it (yes, I did that). When I strike a pothole or manhole cover, they transfer only low-frequency vibration into my feet that attenuates rapidly. The lugs feel stiff, owing to the A/T III EV's excellent rubber compound. A 10-ply tire, I'm confident they will be more durable than the OEM Pirelli Scorpions on the trails.
- Traction: They grip like no other tire I've driven. My son's and my hearts leaped when I launched from full stop. Neither of us remembers the Pirelli Scorpions providing the immediacy of torque and sustained acceleration the A/T III EVs did. They gripped the asphalt without letting go up through 35 MPH or so when I let off the juice. What a thrill. I credit the tire's incredible rubber compound and strong construction for the torque performance. On the other side of F=ma, the A/T III EVs stopped much faster than the Scorpions or Ridge Grapplers. I don't know what it is about I-35, but huge sections of traffic have a habit of halting without warning, forcing me to slam on the big Brembo calipers on two separate occasions. The A/T III EVs refused to give an inch of road. I didn't feel the ABS activate. I don't remember the Scorpions stopping that well from high speed. The Toyos have given me a greater sense of safety than the Pirellis. As for wet traction performance, the weather has been either dry when I'm on the road or wet when I'm not. The jury is still out but I'm cautiously optimistic. CONS: The A/T III EVs aren't superior to the Scorpions along all dimensions. The A/T III EVs performed worse in lateral traction. As I hugged swerving corners on 2222 at speed to test the tire's cornering stability, I felt and heard them struggle to stay on the line, sliding cm by cm instead. I believe the stiffer compound, alternatingly-sized lugs along the outer rim, and sidewall construction were responsible. The Toyos performed sufficiently well to keep me confident at normal speeds and Gs, but I won't be testing their lateral limits in the rain.
- Efficiency: On the OEM Pirelli Scorpions, I averaged 2.14 miles/kWh over ~14,700 miles. On the Open Country A/T III EVs, I averaged 2.17 miles/kWh over ~600 miles. I couldn't be happier!
A note about PSI: I drove them at 48, 55, and 60 PSI during our 300-mile road/camping trip to see how they performed. I found them to perform best at 48 PSI.
Updated 4/28/25
Off-Road Performance
I ran the Toyos on low and moderately technical trails (levels 2 and 3) at Hidden Falls Adventure Park yesterday, so I can provide a partial assessment of their off-road performance.
I aired down to 28 PSI warm before heading out.
Conditions
The trails were mostly dry, but mud puddles from past rains large enough to get all four wheels in remained in some sections. This being Texas hill country, we climbed, descended, and rolled over moderately sized rocks at slow speed. We hit nothing particularly technical because I was guiding a friend and his wife on their first off-road outing. These clips give you an idea of what we tackled that day.
Here are my impressions.
- Traction: The Open Country A/T III EV LTs gripped very well, better than the stock Pirellis in my memory. On dry soil and loose rock, they slipped less than the Perellis, particularly when climbing. The tread pattern felt surer, giving up less spin and impulse time before the vehicle moved. More than the tread pattern, I'd say the softer rubber compound played the biggest role in providing increased traction, particularly when crawling over rocks. I felt the Toyos adhere to rocks smoothed over by years of wear more than the Perellis.
- Handling: The Toyos were more stable and sure-footed than the Scorpion AT Plus. I attribute that to the fact that the Toyos are LT tires with 10-ply load rated sidewalls. My understanding is that the Scorpions, a P-metric tire, has 4-ply load rated sidewalls. The Toyo LTs were certainly stronger, providing noticeably more lateral stability when off-camber. I'd say the only area in which the Scorpions were better than the Toyos was feedback—I felt more of what the Scorpions were rolling over than the Toyos whose thickness and durability absorbed some tactile information.
- Mud: We didn't do any real mudding but the mud we rode through caked enough to indicate of how the A/T IIIs discharges mud from its lugs. In short, the mud was largely gone from between the lugs after a hundred meters or so of driving 5-10 MPH on dry dirt. I never drove my Pirellis through mud so I can't compare them to the Toyos along this dimension.
After putting 5,000 miles on these Open Country A/T III EV LTs both on road, in rain, and off road, I maintain they're the best tires I've owned and the tires to beat on a Rivian, IMHO.
Happy trails!
If this review helped you make a better tire purchase decision, please consider buying me a cup of sake. Kanpai!
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