The tires exceeded my expectations in almost every category and I ended
up buying a second set after putting 30,000 miles on the originals.
While they don’t offer the same tread-life of other tires (the BF
Goodrich KOs are known to last for 60k+ miles), you get amazing grip in
any conditions and a tough tire that will do whatever you ask of it on
or off road.
Off-road performance
I
only had the Terra Grapplers on my 4Runner for 24 hours before I
decided to go off-roading at Paragon Off-Road Park in 3 inches of snow.
The tires proved themselves to be very capable, climbing over sharp
rocks and pulling the truck through mud. Several people commented on
the tires’ ability to clean themselves of mud and debris and they
operated great when aired down to about 15psi.
I’d confidently say the Terra Grapplers are some of the most
confidence-inspiring tires for off-roading on the market outside of
dedicated MTs. I took my 4Runner anywhere I could and through mud,
sand, snow and rock, they tires never let me down. Even though I had
passenger-range tires, I never had a puncture, even after having limbs
stuffed between the rim and tire (they kept their bead too when this
happened!).
On-road traction
The Terra Grapplers provide more dry grip than any AT tire I have ever
used and made my 4Runner feel nearly sporty in day-to-day driving.
Before I had the Terra Grapplers on my 4Runner, the tires were the weak
point in cornering performance with my Icon coilovers up front and Old
Man Emu springs/shocks in the rear. The previous tires would scream and
howl on on-ramps and didn’t like being pushed hard. The Terra Grapplers
provided an amazing level of grip and allowed the truck to handle like
it was meant to with the suspension upgrades.
Wet weather performance
The factory siping in the Terra Grapplers helped them cut through wet
streets with no problems at all. Even after 25,000 miles, the tires had
no problems in the rain and the traction control on my V8-powered
4Runner would only kick in when I was a little too heavy with the gas
pedal.
Snow/ice performance
I’ll preface this part of the review by saying I had never driven in
snow until I purchased these tires. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas,
there weren’t many opportunities to drive in winter conditions. The
main reason I bought the 4Runner was due to the snow in Pennsylvania
and combined with the Terra Grapplers, I never felt unsafe. The tires
provided great traction in deep snow and over thick ice for the first
20,000 miles. Once the tires wore some, their snow traction decreased,
but I never felt unsafe. I did try some dedicated snow Nokians and felt
they were a step up from the Terra Grapplers. With that being said, if
you only had room for one set of tires for your truck and had to deal
with snow, the Nittos would definetly be a good choice.
Comfort and treadlife
The Terra Grapplers are a sportier AT tire, so my 4Runner didn’t get
smoother, but they don’t beat you up either. They are quiet for an AT
tire and didn’t get louder with age, so that was a plus. I will say
treadlife is the one point of angst for owners of these tires. Some
people just can’t it that these tires only last for 30k miles, but I
felt the tradeoff was worth it since they provided so much grip on and
off road. Sure there are tires that will last longer and there are
tires that provide just as much grip, but the Terra Grapplers offer a
lot of pluses for the money and are a good compromise for those who
need a tire that will take them anywhere.