Quick highlights
| Tire type | All-Terrain Tire |
| Price range | $263-$773 |
| Run-flat | No |
| Vehicles type | SUVs, Jeep, Pickup, and Light trucks |
| Driving conditions | Dry, Wet, Mud, and Snow |
Nitto Tire is known for its all-terrain and off-road tires, and its advancement in this category makes it a trustworthy brand when looking for all-terrain tires. The Nitto Recon Grappler A/T is a perfect example of that.
Like the Ridge Grappler, the Recon Grappler is popular among Nitto’s top tires. Although it is not as well known as the Ridge Grappler, both tires are exemplary in terms of performance.
This Nitto Recon Grappler is an all-terrain tire with durable treadwear and performance versatility that few in this category can match. Not only is the tire stunning and aggressively looking, but it also performs aggressively in extreme conditions, making it a reliable tire for all-year-round driving.
It was launched in 2021, and even in 2024, the tire is selling hot, bringing good fortune to the company and a smoother ride to the buyers.
Well, after the recent launch of new tires by Falken and BFGoodrich, does this tire still make sense to purchase for all-terrain drives? Let’s find out in this Nitto Recon Grappler review. First, let’s start with this tire performance and mechanics.
Pros
- Proper drive in wet, dry, mud, and snow terrains
- Reliable grip and brakes in extremely muddy conditions
- Hydroplaning resistance and safe drive in wet conditions
- A durable treadwear with a 65K miles treadwear warranty
Cons
- Gets noisy after a little wear
- Not a great tire for fast drives
- Moderate cornering at a high pace
Tread, Compound, and Internal Structure
It is one of the most astonishing tires in the all-terrain tire category, and the reason for that is its tread design and aggressive shoulder blocks. Not only is it good-looking, but its internal structure makes it reliable and versatile for driving in any road condition.
The tire features an all-season tread compound with a symmetrical pattern to deal with dry-to-mud and wet-to-snow terrain conditions. The aggressive shoulder elements help resist damaging materials from off-road, and its grooves channel mud and water for smoother rides.
The reinforced block foundation allows the Nicco Recon Grappler to carry heavy weights without deforming the tire tread, making it a reliable tire to drive on highways with heavy weights.
With that, multiple sipes and grooves make it an organized tire to drive in wet and snowy conditions. The tire does not lose control and achieves a safer ride in slippery conditions all year round.
Wet Road Performance
Overall, the tire is an excellent performer in wet conditions. It features multiple grooves that channel water through the tire tread to shoulder blocks and then outside the tire. Proper water processing does not disturb the tire’s performance and delivers a safe and sound ride in wet and rainy conditions.
The grip and traction are great in wet conditions. The tire stops shortly and accelerates properly, which makes it a proper tire to drive in wet conditions. The hydroplaning resistance further enhances this tire; however, when driving at a faster pace, the results are different.
At higher paces, the tire sometimes loses control, making it unsteady in wet conditions. Although it is not totally unsupportive, it is not as smooth a tire at a fast pace as it is on normal-pace drives.
This is the case with a new tire. However, we heard some people complaining about its performance after a little wear of tread; the tire does not perform as well as it does with the new tread, so keep that in mind before purchasing this tire.
Dry Road Performance
Similar to the wet conditions, the tire delivers exceptional performance in dry and warm weather conditions. The tire features deep and soft tread blocks, which is not ideal for high-performance tires. Still, it does the job for everyday city road drivers.
Other than that, the tire provides excellent traction and grip on everyday roads and highways, even with heavy weights. The brakes and response on highways are also great, making it a proper tire for long commute drives.
The tire has one problem is that it does not perform as well as it does at low speed; if you go above 80MPH, the tire feels different and uncomfortable; that is why people do not enjoy this tire as much on highways as they do in off-road conditions.
Overall, the tire is great to drive in dry weather; the only thing that distorts its performance is its pace drive. So, if you don’t usually pace up your ride, this tire will deliver perfect results all year round.
Winter Terrain Performance
This is not a 3PMSF-certified tire, so it is not recommended to drive in extreme winter terrains; this is another negative point about this tire as other all-terrain tires like Toyo’s and Falken’s come with driveability in extreme winter terrains.
Even if you take this tire on harsh winter terrain and the tread wears off earlier, you will lose the warranty, so it is always better to avoid extreme winter weather to utilize this tire’s full potential.
The absence of sipes also makes it a less supportive tire for winter weather, so you can drive on low to after-effect winters. Still, on snow above 4 inches, this tire will not perform and deliver very unreliable rides.
So if you are planning to purchase this tire and expect it to do great in extreme weather, you should reconsider your choices, as this condition is not the best to drive it.
Mud Terrains drive
This tire is designed for mud and off-terrain conditions. It grips and corners well in these conditions, whether gravel, dry or wet mud, or construction sites, and delivers excellent performance.
Compared to the Ridge grappler, this tire is slightly behind in off-road conditions. However, the better quality ride and reliable treadwear make it a better tire, in my opinion.
Usually, off-road tires are not as great as this tire in extremely muddy terrains; due to Recon Grappler’s rugged shoulders and internal build, it does not take impact from damaging materials and delivers a smooth and durable ride throughout different off-road conditions.
Comfort and Noise
Compared to Grabber AT/X and Ridge Grappler, this Nitto Recon Grappler is far quieter—even quieter than OEM tires. So, if you are switching from OEM tires, then this Recon Grappler will massively improve the quality of your drive.
However, this tire is quieter and less comfortable than new tires like Wildpeak AT4W and T/A KO3. Both of these tires are not as supportive off-road as Recon Grappler.
Overall, compared to most all-terrain tires, this is a very comfortable and quieter tire, so you won’t be disappointed with its overall drive quality on any road or in any condition.
The durability of the Tire
The Recon Grappler comes with a 65K miles treadwear warranty, which is the maximum warranty in the all-terrain tires category. Compared to Ridge Grappler, which has a 0-mile warranty, this naturally makes it a more reliable and durable tire.
Other than the warranty, the tread performance after several miles has a bigger value than the treadwear warranty. If the tire doesn’t perform anywhere as well as it did with the new tread, then no warranty will be helpful in this case.
This tire dropped a little in performance after the tread wore off by half, especially in wet conditions. Even though there will be a warranty left, unless there is a manufacturing defect, the company won’t provide a rebate on new tires. So keep in mind that this tire will be hard to drive in wet conditions at a fast pace after the tread is worn off by half.
This is not unusual; every tire drops performance after the tread wears. However, compared to other tires, this Recon Grappler is far more steady and performs properly even after the worn tread.
Comparison with competitive tires
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T V.S. Toyo Open Country AT3
Toyo Open Country AT3 is one of the best tires in the all-terrain category, and the reason for that is its overall performance, reliability, and versatility in different conditions.
Compared to the Nitto Recon Grappler, the Toyo Open Country has better drive quality, which means comfortable and quieter rides, better on-road performance, proper traction and grip, and a winter terrain drive.
The price difference is also not that big. You will save $30-$40 off a set when purchasing Recon Grappler over AT3. Durability is also the same; both come with a 65K miles treadwear warranty. However, AT3 does not lose performance as badly after worn tread as Recon Grappler does.
The only superior quality of Recon Grappler is that it performs better in muddy conditions and looks good. Other than that, the Toyo Open Country AT3 is a better tire overall.
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T V.S. BFGoodrich All-terrain T/A KO3
The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 is a new tire that was launched a few months ago. Its previous model, KO2, was already among the best tires in the all-terrain category, and this advanced model has been doing some great things with all-terrain tire drivers.
Compared to Racon Grappler, Similar to Toyo Open Country, the KO3 is a better performer and more versatile as it comes with a 3PMSF certificate and a smoother tire to drive.
It achieves better grades on roads in wet and dry conditions and winter terrains, delivering quieter and more comfortable rides. Also, the durability of KO3 is better than Recon Grappler.
So, if you only plan to drive in off-road conditions, the Nitto Recon Grappler will make more sense; otherwise, for all-terrain rides, the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 will make more sense.
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T V.S. Falken wildpeak AT4W
Another top tire in the all-terrain category, Falken Wildpeak AT4W, was also recently launched. Since its launch, it has become the top tire to buy for all-terrain drives in 2024.
Compared to the Nitto Recon Grappler, the Falken Wildpeak is cheaper, which is the most important thing as it offers better performance on and off the road, with a more comfortable and responsive drive. The tire drives better on highways and even delivers great results at a high pace.
This Falken tire has a 3PMSF certificate, so you need not worry about driving on harsh winter terrain. The only downside of Falken Wildpeak AT4W compared to the Nitto Recon Grappler is that it is lighter.
So, you should only prefer Recon Grappler over Wildepak AT4W if you want to carry massive loads on your truck while compromising versatile, all-year-round performance.
Final Feedback
As you can see, there are better options available than Recon Grappler. However, there is no match for Recon Grappler’s off-road performance other than Ridge Grappler, which is less comfortable and durable than Recon Grappler. So, if you want extreme mud and off-terrain drive, then Nitto tires should still be your priority in 2024.
