Let’s be honest - replacing a bestseller is a gutsy move. And when that bestseller is a true-blue legend like Toyo’s Open Country A/T II, you’ve got your work cut out for you. For about a decade, it’s been Toyo Australia’s top-selling 4WD tyre. I recommended it to thousands of clients, ran it on my own fleet, and never once had someone come back and say I got it wrong.
So when I heard the A/T II was being phased out for the Open Country A/T III, I was skeptical. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? Turns out, Toyo didn’t fix it - they evolved it.
And credit where it’s due – they’ve done a solid job.
More traction and low noise
The most obvious change is in the 2-groove centre tread design. It’s more aggressive, and usually that means more noise. But the Toyo engineers, those clever folk behind the Open Country R/T and M/T, have worked some sort of black magic again. Despite the tougher look, the Open Country A/T III runs quiet. You won’t need earmuffs or a raised stereo volume on the highway.
And that new tread pattern isn’t just for show - it digs in when conditions get sticky. Now, I’m not saying it’s a full-blown mud-plugger (let’s not kid ourselves), but in greasy, boggy stuff, the Open Country A/T III holds its own better than any all-terrain I’ve tested. Aired down, grip is surprisingly good, and wheel spin is minimal.
Balanced on-road performance
Let’s be real, most of us spend more time on bitumen than bush tracks. Whether we’re heading to the Flinders or just crossing town, we need tyres that perform reliably in day-to-day driving.
The Open Country A/T III delivers confident road manners for a light-truck all-terrain. My two D-MAXs are running Open Country A/T IIIs, and through years of training work involving sudden braking and lane-change manoeuvres, they’ve proven predictable and stable. In simulated emergency stops and direction changes, typical of what you might face avoiding wildlife or stray traffic, the tyres respond consistently without feeling unsettled or vague.
You’re not buying a sports tyre, but for a long-life A/T with off-road pedigree, it’s composed on sealed roads for the daily drive. Like any tyre though, performance and safety rely heavily on maintaining correct inflation pressures for your vehicle and load, especially when transitioning between on-road and off-road use, and driving to the grip of the road conditions.
Add in a high-wear tread compound for long life, and the Open Country A/T III builds on the solid durability credentials of its predecessor.
Dirt roads and daily driving
When the tarmac ends, the Open Country A/T III hits its stride. My go-to for unsealed roads is the 20% Rule: drop your highway pressure and speed by 20%. The result? A tyre that’s flexible, grippy, and tough on sharp rocks. With a supple sidewall and stone ejectors, it breezes through 800km days on corrugated dirt tracks.
Even when you’re pushing it through loose corners, the A/T III stays composed. No wandering or vagueness - just stable, locked-in handling, thanks to block stabilizers.
And for old-school 4WD types like me, that LT build matters. I want a big load index, tall sidewalls, and a tyre that’s as happy under a heavy rig as it is chasing fish along the beach.
Sand-friendly and tech-ready
Speaking of beaches, I split my downtime between the Murray Mouth and Coffin Bay, both notorious tyre-testers. The Open Country A/T III floats beautifully when aired down, and there’s a real difference when it comes to modern electronics. A mate’s D-MAX on standard highway rubber lit up like a Christmas tree with traction warnings; mine just drove on through. That’s the kind of real-world difference you notice.
Towing with confidence
I’ve recently taken the leap from a 3.7m tinny to a 7.0m Yellowfin Southerner with a 225hp outboard—serious towing weight at around 2.7T fully loaded. That sort of load exposes weaknesses in tyres and suspension. Not with the A/T III. Paired with upgraded springs and dialled-in pressures, I get no float, no vague steering, and no porpoising across the chassis. Just controlled, confident towing.
Fit for nearly any rig
If you’re still not convinced the Open Country A/T III is one of the best all-rounders on the market, here’s one more tick in the box: it comes in a massive range of sizes to suit almost every modern 4WD or SUV in Australia. From 15” through to 20”, chances are there’s one to fit your vehicle.
Discovery Sessions may change how you think about the rubber beneath your rig.
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