(Yet another) Tire Recommendation - Light Offroad/Highway (1 Viewer)

[jronpaul]

Hi,

I know there are a ton of tire recommendation threads here, and I've spent the last two days reading most of them. But there are so many tire options out there I wanted to ask the forum specifically. I have a 2017 LC200 that I mainly drive in the mountains and on highway, with some light off-roading (occasional jeep trail, usually to a camping spot). The car is stock except for 1.5" spacers all around and I will be using the stock rims. I am looking for a tire that has a more rugged look than the Dunlops, good highway behavior (noise handling) and are suitable for light off-road. I really spend most of my time on the highway but do care about the look of the tire for this car.

- It seems that the sizes to look at are 275/70 and 285/65
- I would probably be fine with a P-metric (vs LT) but these likely won't have the look/off-road performance (correct me if wrong)
- I don't do much towing, so D-rated would be better than E
- I have Blizzak's that I run in winter so snow performance is not important
- I'm not too concerned with price...I would rather have the best tires than save money

What do you all recommend? I am looking at:
- General Grabber A/Tx or APT. APT comes in a P-rated 275/70
- Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx or AT3 XLT. The other AT3 models don't seem to come in the right size
- Toyo Open Country A/T III
- Goodyear Wrangler AT Ultraterrain
- Nitto Terra Grappler G2 (reviews mention poor wet traction?)

Thanks!!

 

[JohnPW]

It sounds like you don’t need a LT rated tire for what you do, whether C,D, or E rated. In an 18 inch wheel almost all choices are LT-E in 285/65 or 275/70. It seems silly to me to degrade your ride quality, braking, and mpg with an LT-E tire for looks alone. As such, I would suggest the General Grabber APT in 275/70r18...or look at (smaller) 275/65r18 where you may have more P rated choices. Or go to a 17” wheel, where you can get a larger AT tire in a P rating.

 

[grinchy]

Defender is the choice is you are looking for the best H/T type.
In A/t look for a recently released model like the Toyo at3.

 

[jronpaul]

It sounds like you don’t need a LT rated tire for what you do, whether C,D, or E rated. In an 18 inch wheel almost all choices are LT-E in 285/65 or 275/70. It seems silly to me to degrade your ride quality, braking, and mpg with an LT-E tire for looks alone. As such, I would suggest the General Grabber APT in 275/70r18...or look at (smaller) 275/65r18 where you may have more P rated choices. Or go to a 17” wheel, where you can get a larger AT tire in a P rating.

Thanks! Yes I agree with your assessment. The Grabber APT looks like a great option - has the rugged blocks and larger 70 sidewall without being an LT tire.

 

[JohnPW]

Thanks! Yes I agree with your assessment. The Grabber APT looks like a great option - has the rugged blocks and larger 70 sidewall without being an LT tire.

Do a search. There is at least one 200LC owner who is running, and pleased with, the General Grabber APT in P metric 275/70r18 on stock suspension, and he reported no rubbing issues.

I am using Michelin Defender LTX in P metric 275/65r18 for uses similar to yours, plus a fair amount of towing. It is a great tire. But it doesn’t have the off road look you’re after.

 

[jronpaul]

Do a search. There is at least one 200LC owner who is running, and pleased with, the General Grabber APT in P metric 275/70r18 on stock suspension, and he reported no rubbing issues.

I am using Michelin Defender LTX in P metric 275/65r18 for uses similar to yours, plus a fair amount of towing. It is a great tire. But it doesn’t have the off road look you’re after.

Thanks, I read the reviews in the forum, seems to be exactly what I am looking for. I will have them put on this week and report back with a review. Appreciate the help!

 

[luke27617]

Michelin Defenders what I have put on and recommend.

 

[RyanR]

Big thumbs down from me on the TerraGrappler G2, bought used 2013 LX that came with a brand new set of stock size TerraGrappler G2's and they are significantly louder than the 34" Falken WildPeak AT3W's I had on my previous LX seem terrible in the wet, not good in the snow... so far probably the worst all around tire I have tried. Don't let the aggressive appearance of some of the newer All Terrains fool you, they can still deliver a quiet comfortable ride.

For a more road oriented AT Tire the Michelin Defender LTX are excellent. I had them on the previous LX as well and while I wanted something more aggressive for my use, it was a very nice tire and I found them to be pretty solid in the winter, amazing in the wet.

 

[foolforthecity]

I am running 275/70/18 Toyo AT3 on stock HE wheels completley stock setup otherwise. They handle shockingly well on pavement in snow and wet so I think you could get away with running them year round but I have had blizzaks before and there are few tires better in snow than a blizzak. My use case is similar to yours and I could not be happier. These are E-rated and some might find this a harsher ride but to me it is firmer and a ride that I prefer. Bone stock, I ran this setup without wheel spacers and had zero rubbing or modification required.

I have since added 1.25 inch spidertrax spacers. Mostly for cosmetic reasons but I also feel that it helped reduce some harsh wobble I was getting when cornering on bumpy roads. The addition of spacers did require removal of the front air dam square as well as mud flap removal with some additional heat gun shaping and trimming on the inner fender liner but nothing too crazy. The truck with the spacers looks phenomenal and performs better than without with this particular tire size in my opinion.

 

[StormCruzr]

I am running 275/70/18 Toyo AT3 on stock HE wheels completley stock setup otherwise. They handle shockingly well on pavement in snow and wet so I think you could get away with running them year round but I have had blizzaks before and there are few tires better in snow than a blizzak. My use case is similar to yours and I could not be happier. These are E-rated and some might find this a harsher ride but to me it is firmer and a ride that I prefer. Bone stock, I ran this setup without wheel spacers and had zero rubbing or modification required.

I have since added 1.25 inch spidertrax spacers. Mostly for cosmetic reasons but I also feel that it helped reduce some harsh wobble I was getting when cornering on bumpy roads. The addition of spacers did require removal of the front air dam square as well as mud flap removal with some additional heat gun shaping and trimming on the inner fender liner but nothing too crazy. The truck with the spacers looks phenomenal and performs better than without with this particular tire size in my opinion.

@foolforthecity Any pics?

 

[bronc076]

I have a comment on the Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx. Not on a 200 though, I had a set on my Tacoma. They were great on dirt, they must have a softer sidewall as I immediately noticed how much nicer the ride was on dirt roads compared to the Nitto Terra Graplers I had just removed. However what I gained on the dirt i sacrificed on the street. The truck no longer cornered as well and I lost of lot of confidence changing lanes at speed and going up/down twisty mountain roads. I would not recommend them for your use case, or mine, which is similar to how you use your LC. The size I had was 265/75R16, I can't remember if they were P metric or LT tires as it was a few years ago and honestly didn't know as much about tires back then. If I lived in the dirt I'd buy a set but not for my LC which needs to be nice on road and off. I have other trucks with mud tires.

I'm running General Grabber A/Tx LT285/60R18E 122S tires on my 2015 LC and am happy with them on street and dirt. I'm not sure if they are loud or not as the LC is the quietest (best sound proofed) vehicle inside I've had in decades. And I tend to run off road tires on my other trucks as they spend time in the mud. The Generals have a nice firm ride and seem to provide great traction. They were on the truck when I bought it in Feb. Looking forward to hearing how you like the Grabber APT in P metric.

 

[JohnPW]

Thanks, I read the reviews in the forum, seems to be exactly what I am looking for. I will have them put on this week and report back with a review. Appreciate the help!

Please report back on the Grabber APT’s after installation. Not many reports on it, and I imagine a P rated, lightweight 33’ tire will have appeal to a lot of LC owners.

 

[kybackroads]

I am running 275/70/18 Toyo AT3 on stock HE wheels completley stock setup otherwise. They handle shockingly well on pavement in snow and wet so I think you could get away with running them year round but I have had blizzaks before and there are few tires better in snow than a blizzak. My use case is similar to yours and I could not be happier. These are E-rated and some might find this a harsher ride but to me it is firmer and a ride that I prefer. Bone stock, I ran this setup without wheel spacers and had zero rubbing or modification required.

I have since added 1.25 inch spidertrax spacers. Mostly for cosmetic reasons but I also feel that it helped reduce some harsh wobble I was getting when cornering on bumpy roads. The addition of spacers did require removal of the front air dam square as well as mud flap removal with some additional heat gun shaping and trimming on the inner fender liner but nothing too crazy. The truck with the spacers looks phenomenal and performs better than without with this particular tire size in my opinion.

I just picked up an ‘18 LC and I’m looking at a very similar setup for wheels and tires, minus the spacers at this point. Definitely would be interested in pics. Also, curious if you noticed much difference in you mpg changing?

 

[foolforthecity]

Photos as requested. Pic 1 is with no wheel spacers. Pic 2 with 1.25 inch spidertrax. These are Toyo AT3 275.70.18 at 41 psi. On mpg I can't really comment as it is not something I care about and I only ran the dunlops for 120 miles.

 

[AnyMal]

I would go cooper or toyo here. Probably easier to get coopers in stock somewhere right now though.

 

[kybackroads]

Photos as requested. Pic 1 is with no wheel spacers. Pic 2 with 1.25 inch spidertrax. These are Toyo AT3 275.70.18 at 41 psi. On mpg I can't really comment as it is not something I care about and I only ran the dunlops for 120 miles.
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Thanks a lot, appreciate it.

 

[RKTINC]

Bridgstone make several versions of the Dueller that has great on road characteristics and has a nice slightly more aggressive look to it.

 

[jronpaul]

As requested, here is my feedback on these General Grabber APT P275/70R-18 on a mostly stock 2017 LC200.

Ride: These seem to be very quiet, maybe slightly louder than the stock Dunlops or my Blizzak snows, but after 2 miles I don't notice the difference. Ride is slightly firmer, although not in a bad way. Cornering is better and the car seems to drive "tighter", although when hitting potholes/bumps the impact is a little harsher. Overall, very happy with the ride and I'm sure they are good off-road also for a p-rated tire.

Look/Fit: I've attached some pictures here. The 70 size definitely fills the wheel well, although I do miss the width of the 285s. The tread looks pretty aggressive, but not full off-road (there is a lot of smooth sidewall to look at before the tread starts).

I have 1.25in spidertrax spacers so rubbing issues are probably due to these. I got some rub at lock in the front but this went away after removing the mud guards, which I don't miss. The tires still rub at lock in reverse, but don't seem to be causing any damage, just an unpleasant noise

 

[JohnPW]

As requested, here is my feedback on these General Grabber APT P275/70R-18 on a mostly stock 2017 LC200.

Ride: These seem to be very quiet, maybe slightly louder than the stock Dunlops or my Blizzak snows, but after 2 miles I don't notice the difference. Ride is slightly firmer, although not in a bad way. Cornering is better and the car seems to drive "tighter", although when hitting potholes/bumps the impact is a little harsher. Overall, very happy with the ride and I'm sure they are good off-road also for a p-rated tire.

Look/Fit: I've attached some pictures here. The 70 size definitely fills the wheel well, although I do miss the width of the 285s. The tread looks pretty aggressive, but not full off-road (there is a lot of smooth sidewall to look at before the tread starts).

I have 1.25in spidertrax spacers so rubbing issues are probably due to these. I got some rub at lock in the front but this went away after removing the mud guards, which I don't miss. The tires still rub at lock in reverse, but don't seem to be causing any damage, just an unpleasant noise


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Your truck looks great. I’m surprised at the rubbing, but prior reports noted these are taller for the sme spec vs BF Goodrich and Michelin. Please keep us informed on how you like them as the miles pile up