Most drivers shopping for all terrain tires for a lifted truck want the same thing: a tire that can claw through mud and gravel on weekends and track straight and quiet on the highway on Monday. The Toyo Open Country A/T III is built for that split. It is Toyo’s off-road all-terrain tire for pickups and Jeeps, and the size in this review is the big one — a 37×12.50R17LT tire, load range E, rated 128S. It carries the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, and Toyo backs LT sizes with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty.
In this review of the Toyo Open Country A/T III, we cover the tread and compound, the warranty, wet, dry and snow performance, and the practical side of buying 37-inch tires on Amazon, where lift and installation matter as much as the tire. We also compare it with the BFGoodrich KO3, the benchmark rival, the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W, the value pick, and the Nitto Ridge Grappler, the aggressive hybrid. The Quick Pick table below has the short version.
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| Pick | Product | Why it stands out | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Winner | Toyo Open Country A/T III (37×12.50R17LT Load E, 128S) | Big-truck all-terrain: severe-snow rated, 50,000-mile LT warranty, strong off-road tread with on-road manners | |
| Best Budget | Falken Wildpeak A/T4W (LT285/70R17 126/123S E) | Value all-terrain rival: severe-snow rated, with a longer listed treadwear warranty | |
| Premium Pick | Nitto Ridge Grappler (LT285/70R17 121/118Q E) | Aggressive hybrid all-terrain/mud-terrain: deep lugs and a bold look for the trail-first truck |
Table of Contents
What the Open Country A/T III Is: Big-Truck All Terrain Tires Explained
All terrain tires are the compromise tire of the truck world. They are built for drivers who need grip on gravel, mud and loose dirt, but who also drive the same truck to work on the highway. A mud-terrain tire would grip harder off-road and drone on the pavement; a highway tire would ride quietly and give up the moment the road ends.
The Toyo Open Country A/T III is Toyo’s off-road all-terrain tire for pickup and SUV drivers who want capable off-road traction with responsive, predictable on-road handling, as Tire Rack describes it. The range runs to 103 sizes, for 15- to 22-inch wheels — but this review is about the lifted-truck end: the 37-inch size, for a lifted truck, not a stock one.
What the Open Country A/T III is not matters too. It is not a mud-terrain tire, so deep-mud and rock drivers need something more extreme. It is not a highway tire, so pavement-only drivers pay for toughness they will never use. And it is not a dedicated snow tire: a dedicated set of snow tires still wins in deep snow and on ice.
The 37-Inch Size: What 37×12.50R17LT Load E Actually Means
Every part of the size code matters. The 37 is the nominal overall diameter in inches. The 12.50 is the section width in inches, so this is a wide tire. The 17 is the wheel diameter in inches. The LT marks it as a light-truck flotation size, built for heavier loads than a passenger-car tire.
Load range E is the heavy-duty part: the 10-ply rating, built for heavy trucks on rough ground. The service description is 128S — load index 128 with an S speed rating, which caps sustained speed at 112 mph. More than any truck on 37-inch tires needs: this tire is built for load and traction first, not speed.
Two warnings. First, 37 inches is nominal — the mounted diameter varies by maker, so do not plan a lift around it. Second, a 37-inch tire does not fit a stock truck: it needs a lift, plus trimming or wheels with the right offset, to clear the fenders at full lock and full travel. If your truck is stock and staying stock, buy a smaller size instead — the same tire is sold down to 15-inch wheels.
Tread Design, Compound, and Tread Life: The 50,000-Mile Cover
The tread is where the Open Country A/T III earns its keep. Toyo moulds a cut-and-chip resistant all-season compound into a symmetric tread pattern with an evenly distributed void area. The pattern is engineered for off-road traction and dry-road stability, while keeping the ride comfortable and quiet, per Tire Rack. The wet-traction compound works with 3D Multi-Wave Sipes, zigzag cuts that bite into wet and snowy surfaces, and generous lateral grooves clear water and resist hydroplaning.
Under the tread, the construction is heavy-duty: a durable two-ply polyester casing gives the foundation for twin high-strength steel belts. That matters on a 37-inch tire, which takes more punishment than a passenger-car tire. Toyo also builds two distinct sidewall designs into every size: one side has wraparound shoulder elements in a solid design, and the other, with outlined white letters, breaks the blocks up with accent lines.
The warranty for this size is 50,000 miles. Toyo backs the tire with a 65,000-mile warranty on P-metric and Euro-metric sizes, and 50,000 miles on LT-metric and flotation sizes. This size is a flotation LT size, so the 50,000-mile figure applies, not the 65,000-mile one. A warranty is a promise, not a test result: one roundup notes a fifth-of-18 finish for tested tread life in Consumer Reports’ 2022 all-terrain truck tire test. In Tire Rack’s owner-survey scores, hydroplaning resistance is 8.8, wet traction 8.8 and ride quality 8.8, with noise at 8.3 — survey averages, not lab measurements, and some owners note an occasional hum. Mileage still depends on pressures, alignment and rotation.
Wet, Dry, and Snow Performance — and the 3PMSF Rating
Wet grip is where it earns its keep on the road. The wet-traction compound and the 3D Multi-Wave Sipes keep grip up in the rain, and the lateral grooves clear water in heavy rain. Owners rate its wet traction highly. On dry roads the same block rigidity keeps the tread stable, so steering stays settled on the highway.
Snow is where this tire stands out from most all terrain tires. It carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, for passing the standard snow test, and this 37-inch size carries the 3PMSF certification. One set for all four seasons, no seasonal swap. The honest limit is that the symbol means extra snow traction beyond an ordinary M+S tire, not a dedicated snow tire in all adverse weather. In deep snow and on ice, a dedicated set of snow tires still wins.
One database lists 3PMSF on 63 of the tire’s 152 sizes, while Toyo’s page carries no size exceptions — so check the sidewall of the exact tire you receive for the snowflake mark. This size is listed as 3PMSF-certified, but the sidewall is the final word.
Buying on Amazon: Size, Fitment, Lift, and Installation
With tires, the exact size is not a detail — it is the whole purchase. Before you order, check the size, load rating and speed rating on your door jamb placard, and match them exactly. On a lifted truck the placard size is the factory size, so it will not match a 37-inch tire. Confirm with your installer that it fits your truck, lift, wheels and offset, at full lock and full travel.
That matters double on Amazon: the button here goes to one size listing, the 37×12.50R17LT Load E. Other sizes are separate listings, so pick YOUR size before you buy. Use the size selector if your truck takes a different size. Check the DOT date code when they arrive, and prefer tires under 12 to 18 months old.
Then there is installation, which is extra — more so on a 37-inch tire. Tires arrive unmounted, and mounting, balancing and disposal are charged on top, so budget for installation separately. A 37-inch tire needs a shop equipped for big light-truck tires, and not every tyre shop is. Amazon offers ship-to-shop delivery to a local installer. Confirm your shop will mount tires bought elsewhere and can handle a 37-inch tire.
Finally, the trap: Toyo also sells an EV-specific version of the Open Country A/T III. It is a different tire for a different job. Before you pay, check the listing reads “Open Country A/T III” with no EV wording. This review, its warranty figures and its buttons are for the standard Open Country A/T III only.
Open Country A/T III vs the Alternatives (KO3, Wildpeak A/T4W, Ridge Grappler)
The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 is the benchmark rival, and it wins on sidewall toughness. Our BFGoodrich KO3 review covers it: the 2024 successor to the KO2, with CoreGard sidewalls from BFGoodrich’s Baja racing tire, a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty and the same 3PMSF severe-snow rating as the Toyo. If you have cut a sidewall on rocks, the KO3 is the pick. The Toyo’s case is road manners: the same 50,000-mile LT cover and a quieter wet-traction brief.
The Falken Wildpeak A/T4W is the value alternative. It is Falken’s all-terrain flagship, replacing the discontinued Wildpeak A/T3W. The A/T4W is severe-snow rated like the Toyo and the KO3, and its Amazon listing puts its treadwear warranty at 60,000 miles for the LT285/70R17 size — longer than the Toyo’s and the KO3’s 50,000 miles. If maximum warranty cover is your priority, the Falken is the pick — but note the size: its button here is a 33-inch tire, not a 37-inch one, so check your fitment first.
The Nitto Ridge Grappler is the aggressive alternative. It is Nitto’s rugged all-terrain tire, built on a dynamic hybrid tread pattern: deep sidewall lugs for off-road bite, with a quieter highway ride than a full mud-terrain. In Tire Rack’s published scores it rates 9.2 for dirt traction, 8.8 for sand, 8.5 for mud and 8.9 for rock. For a trail-first truck with the boldest look, it is the pick. Nitto publishes no mileage figure for its tread warranty — nothing to compare against the Toyo’s 50,000 miles.
For drivers whose truck never leaves the pavement, one more name: the Michelin Defender2 — Consumer Reports’ best all-season tire for 2026, with an estimated tread life of around 100,000 miles and an 80,000-mile warranty. But it is a highway tire, not an all-terrain tire: no severe-snow rating, no off-road sidewall. For a pavement-only truck, the Defender2 is the better buy. There is no button for it here.
Who Should Buy It — and Who Should Skip It
Buy it if your truck is lifted and splits its time between highway and trail. Commuters who drive gravel to a job site or trailhead and want one set for all four seasons are the ideal buyers. Buy it if your winters bring real snow but not months of ice.
Skip it for a pavement-only truck — the Defender2 is quieter and longer-lasting. Skip it for dedicated mud use. Skip it if you face months of ice and deep snow. Skip it if your truck is stock with no lift planned — a 37-inch tire will not fit. Skip it if your placard calls for a different load range. It answers one question — which tire handles road and trail, all year, on a lifted truck.
Verdict
The Toyo Open Country A/T III is the easy recommendation for the driver it is built for. Among all terrain tires, it is the lifted-truck pick: a cut-and-chip resistant compound and 3D Multi-Wave Sipes for wet and snow grip, a two-ply casing with twin steel belts, the severe-snow rating, and a 50,000-mile LT warranty behind it all. Its limits are plain: more tire than a pavement-only truck needs, and a 37-inch tire needs a lift and a shop that can mount it. Get the size and the lift right, and it is a tire you can fit and forget about.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size Toyo Open Country A/T III should I buy?
Buy the size, load rating and speed rating shown on your driver’s door jamb placard, and match them exactly — then, on a lifted truck, confirm with your lift kit maker or installer that the size clears your fenders at full steering lock and full suspension travel. The button in this article goes to one size listing, the 37×12.50R17LT Load E, and other sizes exist on separate listings, so always pick your own size on the product page before ordering.
Is the Open Country A/T III good in snow?
Yes, for an all-terrain tire. The Open Country A/T III carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake severe-snow rating, which means it passed the standard test for acceleration traction on medium-packed snow, and the listing for the 37-inch size in this review carries the 3PMSF certification. It handles light to moderate snow well, but a dedicated set of snow tires still outperforms it in deep snow and on ice — so check the mountain-and-snowflake mark on the sidewall of the exact tire you receive.
How long does the Open Country A/T III last?
Toyo backs the Open Country A/T III with a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty on LT-metric and flotation sizes, which includes the 37×12.50R17LT size in this review. Smaller P-metric and Euro-metric sizes carry a longer 65,000-mile warranty, so do not plan around that number for this size. How long any set actually lasts depends on your driving, tyre pressures, alignment and rotation, so treat the warranty as a backstop rather than a guarantee of mileage.
Will 37-inch tires fit my stock truck?
No, not as a rule. A 37-inch tire needs a suspension lift, and usually trimming or aftermarket wheels with the right offset, to clear the fenders at full steering lock and full suspension travel. If your truck is stock and staying stock, buy the Open Country A/T III in a size that fits your truck instead — the same tire is sold in sizes down to 15-inch wheels. Confirm the fitment with your lift kit maker or installer before you order.
Does Amazon install the tires?
Amazon does not fit the tires itself, but it offers ship-to-shop options that send them to a local installer. Installation is extra — mounting, balancing and disposal are charged on top of the tire price — so budget for it separately, and confirm your chosen shop will mount tires bought elsewhere and can handle a 37-inch tire, because some shops refuse and some lack the equipment for big light-truck tires.
Open Country A/T III vs BFGoodrich KO3 — which should I choose?
Choose the KO3 if sidewall toughness is your top priority: it carries CoreGard sidewall technology derived from BFGoodrich’s Baja racing tire, with the same 50,000-mile treadwear warranty and the same 3PMSF severe-snow rating as the Toyo. Choose the Open Country A/T III if you want the wet-traction compound and the quieter on-road brief, with the same 50,000-mile cover on LT sizes. Both are strong all-terrain picks — the choice comes down to rocks versus road manners.
