Last updated on July 13th, 2024 at 02:28 pm
Table of Contents
Quick highlights
| Tire type | All-Terrain Tire |
| Price range | $122-$859 |
| Run-flat | No |
| Vehicles type | SUVs, Jeep, Pickup, and Light trucks |
| Driving conditions | Dry, Wet, Mud, and Snow |
Nitto Ridge Grappler is an all-terrain tire and one of the most popular tires in this category in 2024. It performs far better off-road than other all-terrain tires, which is why it competes with other top-tier tires.
Although Nitto is not as good a brand as Falken, Toyo, or BFGoodrich, this Ridge Grappler challenges these brands’ in the all-terrain tires category.
We recently reviewed Falken Wildpeak AT4W and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires and mentioned how a recent launch of these new tires had shifted buyers’ preferences and how they are moving toward new tires.
Nitto was a popular and high-performing tire until 2023. After these new tires launch, will Ridge Grappler still be compatible? Should you go with Ridge Grappler in 2024? We will discuss that later in this review.
First, let’s discuss what this tire is made of and how it performs in different city and off-road conditions.
Tread, Compound, and Internal Structure
The Ridge Grappler features an off-road tread compound and is ruggedly built to deal with aggressive off-road conditions. The symmetrical pattern with stone ejectors on grooves and open shoulder and tread blocks passes water, mud, and snow to avoid loose responses and ensure a reliable driving experience.
The tire features individual tread blocks with tapered edges and multiple sipes that improve handling response in dry and off-road conditions. Tread sipes, open shoulders, and zigzag lateral grooves also help in sow and wet conditions by achieving proper grip.
Staggered shoulder lugs and alternating shoulder grooves are enough to handle extreme off-road corners and achieve high-quality rides in any weather and terrain conditions. With all that, a rugged build and advanced construct make it a durable tire to drive for many miles.
Wet Road Performance
Hydroplaning Resistance: As mentioned above, Ridge Grappler features everything needed to achieve proper results in wet road conditions. Zigzag grooves, shoulder grooves, and an open design help this tire perform properly in standing water without hydroplaning at all. However, at a fast pace, this tire struggles in wet conditions.
Rain Traction and Grip: Similarly, in heavy or normal rainfall, the tire performs well. Proper traction and grip on rainy days make it a reliable tire for driving in wet conditions. Just make sure to avoid speeding in wet or slippery conditions, as it sometimes loses grip at a faster pace.
Brakes and Drive: Overall, the drive in wet conditions is not as good as that of other all-terrain tires, but it is not as bad as that of cheap all-terrain tires. You can achieve proper drive in wet conditions with this tire; the brakes, response, and grip will all be fine in wet conditions.
Response on highways: With new tires, this won’t be noticeable, as the tire will deliver excellent drive on highways in wet conditions. But as the tread wears off, it won’t perform as well as it did at the start. You will lose grip and response on highways in wet conditions, so it won’t be a great tire for highway rides.
Dry Road Performance
Fast Track Cornerings: This tire shines the best in dry conditions. It is adequately designed to tackle dry road conditions. So whether you drive on the fast track or normal city streets, the tire grips well and delivers safe cornering on turns. Although it may not be as good as performance tires, it is far better than other top all-terrain tires.
Highway Traction and Grip: Similarly, on dry highways, this tire is a great performer; with or without weights, it does not matter. You will achieve a high-quality ride with proper traction and grip on highways.
Drive with Heavy Loads: This Nitto Ridge Grappler has high load ratings and supports weights for commuting on highways. Some tires do not do well with weights, but this is not the case with this tire. Weights do not impact this tire performer, and you can achieve high-quality driving in dry conditions with heavy loads.
Response and brakes: The Ridge Grappler’s handling response is excellent. Nitto is known for its high-performance tires, and this all-terrain tire also reflects its specialty. The tire has excellent brakes and a steering response, which makes it safe to drive all year round.
Winter Terrain Performance
Light snow drive: As we mentioned, this tire struggles with slippery conditions in wet conditions, and the same goes for snow conditions. The performance in light snow conditions is still better; you can achieve proper driving in these conditions; however, when it comes to deep snow, the tire is not a good option.
Deep snow reliability: As it is not a 3PMSF-certified tire, it is not driven in deep snow conditions. You will also get poor results in heavy snowfall. The grip, response, and brakes will be hard to control, and you will experience unsafe driving. So, it is better not to take a risk with this tire.
Brakes and response: Overall, the response and brakes in slippery conditions are moderate. It is just a driveable tire in these conditions. However, the results are poor in extremely snowy terrain, and you should rather go with specific winter terrain tires for a safe and responsive drive.
Overall traction and grip: The same goes for grip and traction on snowy terrains. You will get driveable results if it is expected to be low snow. However, in extreme snow terrains, you will get inferior results and might also damage the treadwear of this tire, so you better keep winter terrain tires if that’s the case in your town.
Mud Terrains drive
Gravel and construction sites: The best place to drive this tire is in off-road conditions. This tire is designed to tackle muddy and sandy conditions, so it is perfect for driving on gravel. The tire response, grip, and smoothness are best at gravel and construction compared to any other conditions and any other tire.
Mud terrains: In wet mud conditions, most all-terrain tires deliver a standard drive; some even struggle in low mud conditions. However, this Ridge Grappler is perfect for driving in mud conditions. The primary reason for this tire’s purchase is its performance in muddy conditions.
Dry sand and off-roads: This tire is out of this world in any off-road conditions or sandy roads. It sometimes performs better than some mud terrain tires in muddy conditions. It might not be comfortable or quiet in off-road conditions, but the grip, response, and control of this tire in the sand are perfect, which makes it so enjoyable to drive in off-road situations.
Grip and reliability: Unlike snow terrains, the grip is perfect and safe to drive in these conditions. The proper traction, cornering, and response make it an enjoyable tire for off-road conditions, and proper brakes, grip, and control make it safe to drive in off-road muddy conditions as well.
Comfort and Noise
Just like all the other all-terrain and off-road tires, this tire is not so good in this department. It is uncomfortable to drive with, and the car vibrates mostly on highways and in slippery conditions, ruining a comfortable driving experience.
Similarly, the noise is not relatively low. The tire makes high noise even when driving slowly on city streets or in off-road conditions. So, from a drive quality standpoint, this tire is not recommended if you are looking for peaceful and quieter rides. But that is the case with almost every other off-road tire.
The durability of the Tire
There has been some concern about this tire’s durability; it wears off far earlier than its competitive tires. Also, this Nitto Ridge Grappler has no treadwear warranty, so you won’t get anything in return even if it wears off earlier than expected miles.
So for treadwear, you might not be satisfied in this regard either. you can expect 30-40K miles of drive with this tire at most; however, if you only drive in off-road conditions, this estimate will go further down. So, where this tire is so good in off-road conditions, it is equally bad in terms of comfort, noise, and durability.
Comparison with competitive tires
Nitto Ridge Grappler V.S. Nitto Recon Grappler
Both of these Nitto tires are excellent all-terrain tires and are made for different types of drivers. The Nito Ridge Grappler, as we mentioned, is more for off-road conditions, and it is a perfect tire if you want off-road traction and grip.
Although the Nitto Recon Grappler is also good for off-road driving, it is not as good as the Ridge Grappler. So, if you are looking to go off-road, then the Ridge Grappler is by far a better option.
However, as you know, the Ridge Grappler is less quiet and less durable than other all-terrain tires. The Recon Grappler is better in both of these ways. It comes with a 65K miles treadwear warranty and is far more comfortable than the Ridge Grappler. The price of both of these tires is quite the same, so based on your driving preferences, choose the tire for your vehicle.
Nitto Ridge Grappler V.S. Toyo Open Country AT3
Toyo Open Country AT3 is one of the most popular tires in this category. The reason for that is its durability, off and on-road performance, and driving quality in different conditions. Compared to Nitto Ridge Grappler, the Toyo Open Country is slightly behind in off-road drive.
Other than that, Open Country AT3 is a more valuable tire, as both tires have a similar price range. You will get more comfortable and smoother highway drives, the tire will last longer, and driving in wet and snowy winter conditions will be far safer.
So, if you can compromise a little in muddy conditions, then Toyo Open Country will be a better option; otherwise, you should stick with Nitto Ridge Grappler for more aggressive off-road drives.
Nitto Ridge Grappler V.S. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3
The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 was launched in 2024. It is a better performer than KO2 and also more durable than its predecessor. When it comes to comparing this with Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, the Ridge Grappler is again a slightly better off-road performer than this BFGoodrich tire.
Other than that, KO3 is almost better in every other aspect. You will get better winter terrain rides, smoother and more comfortable highway and city rides, and more durable and reliable rides as well.
Although this new BFGoodrich tire is far more expensive than Ridge Grappler’s, you can still choose Nitto tires if you want a proper off-road drive and are willing to compromise on reduced MPGs.
Final Feedback
Overall, the Nitto Ridge Grappler is still relevant and can be used in 2024. It might not have as good treadwear as other all-terrain tires, but no other all-terrain tire can perform as well as this Nitto tire in off-road conditions. So, if you are looking for aggressive mud terrain performance, then this Ridge Grappler will be the best option for you.
