Both the Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 and the Toyo Open Country MT are popular choices among those who enjoy off-road driving and need tires, that can handle “difficult” terrains and provide consistent traction. It’s worth noting, however, that these tires may not be the best option for use on paved roads due to their potential for increased noise and a less smooth ride compared to other tire types.
In my professional opinion as a tire engineer, the Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 provides excellent tread life, a better grip on dry roads, and superior wet/snow traction. Whereas, the Toyo M/T is taking the lead in dry handling, and sand traction. Moreover, its hard to tell which tire is better on muddy and rocky terrains, but I’ve explained things noteworthy about them there.
Table of Contents
Tire Sizes
The Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 comes in limited total number of sizes of 15 to 22 inches (wheel diameter). They have following specs:
- All have speed ratings of Q.
- Load Ratings of C to F.
- Weight Range: 40 to 80 lbs.
- Tread Depth Range: 18 to 24/32″ (mostly sizes have 20/32″).
- 40k miles warranty.
Coming to other beast of a mud tire, the Toyo Open Country MT it comes with 83 total sizes in 15 to 26 inches with following specifications:
- Similar speed ratings of Q.
- Similar Load range of C to F.
- Weight range: 50 to 110 lbs (so this tire is heavier comparatively).
- Tread depth range: 17 to 21/32″.
Tread Pattern
The Toyo Open Country M/T is a tire that although looks like an average mud-terrain, stands out upon closer inspection.
Its shoulder blocks are wrapped by central lugs, creating curves that provide stability on highway roads and a strong bite on tougher tracks.
And with these features covering the dry performance of this tire, the sipes, and grooves allow for great (wet) traction with water evacuation/wiping.
Where the longitudinal water/dirt removal is done with 3 circumferential grooves, the lugs make in the middle.
And as for the sideways removal, the wider shoulder voids, with stone ejectors come in to action.
With such open shoulder pattern, the tire efficiently digs in, where it’s staggered edges, and N shaped sidewall lugs create the necessary scooping, throwing stuff backwards to create a powerful forward momentum on thick mud, dirt and gravel.
(But those sidewall lugs come in real handy with lowered air pressure).
Moving towards other mud-terrain beast, the Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 looks very similar to its competitor.
However, it does have some key differences that should be considered.
One of these is the wider gaps on the shoulders, which can evacuate more volume of mud out.
And the second has to do with central lugs. They create a more streamlined design with slightly more closed up arrangement, so you get an enhanced directional grip on smooth pavements as well.
Moreover, although the tire features staggered shoulders just like the M/T, it’s sides are more decorative.
These edges have “X” markings on them, and on sidewalls, lugs are pasted on a larger surface area (compared to Toyo M/T).
Now both these features have their good and bad, and I’ll discuss them in the upcoming topics.
Sidewalls Toughness
The sidewalls of an off-road tire play a significant role in its overall durability, as they are the primary area of protection for the tire.
So with both tires reaching the standards of mud-terrain, and giving 3 ply polyester casing, there isn’t too much of a difference between them here.
Though still as the Toyo Open Country MT offers one extra cap ply in comparison, if you have to pick one, you can say this tire is slightly tougher, though it’s weigh also gets increased with it (which impacts some key areas, as you’ll find out ahead).
Off Road Traction
Off roads there are a lot of terrains to consider, and since I can’t cover them all here, I’ve mentioned the significant ones (see below).
Mud
Mud is a obvious one for both tires, and here you can’t really put one tire over the other.
But I do like different traits, or you can say capabilities on both tires.
Like the Pro Comp M/T2 offers better mud evacuation with it’s wider lateral grooves, as they get to have more tread depth and space available for the thick mud to easily flow out, while the sharp central lugs break down the mud particles, so they can leave without hurdles.
The Toyo Open Country M/T on the other although does not provide as good a mud flow-rate, its by no means inept, as it gives you the same traction by its thicker mud scoops on staggered shoulders and chunkier sidewall lugs throwing mud backwards and creating equally as impressive of a forward momentum.
Rocky Tracks
On rocks you need biters, bigger groove mouths, and durability.
And being mud-terrain, both tires offers all of the these features, as they both get to have 3 ply sidewalls and their bald design offer a lot of chewing during a climb.
Still out of both, I like the directional climbing better on Pro Comp Xtreme, whereas the Toyo M/T offers superior lateral traction comparatively.
With lighter weight and central allied biters, slope traction is a piece of cake for Pro Comp M/T2. Those biters hug the rocky surface while the bigger groove mouths of the shoulder voids ensure that it’s grip stay intact at all times.
On the other side, with thicker N shaped lugs, and traction scoops on shoulders, the Toyo M/T offers a better sideways grip, especially with lowered air pressure.
For Your Info: I’ve rated Cooper STT Pro (review), one of the top performing tire in the M/T category, for rock climbing.
Sandy Hills
Digging is the worst enemy of sand traction, so with larger weight the Toyo M/T although suffers a little bit here as well, but with larger sidewalll lugs, it gets to distribute its weight on a larger surface area.
Pro Comp M/T on the other hand, has smaller section width, and it’s sidewall lugs are also not helping, even with extremely lowered air pressure.
But with the tires lighter weight, it only provides as much digging as the Toyo M/T.
So I am going to rate both these tires equally here.
For your info: Out of all the mud terrain tires, I’ve rated BF Goodrich KM3 best for sandy terrain.
Tread and Fuel Consumption
When it comes to both tread life and fuel consumption, mostly rolling resistance is looked at, and yes, its a contributing factor, sure, but there are others too like the weight, tread depth, and composition of the tread, to name a few important ones.
Now out of the two tires, the Pro Comp Xtreme M/T2 is not only better, but it gives one of the longest lasting tread life in the mud-terrain category.
That’s because its tread has a good Kevlar composition and with smaller weight it produces less rolling resistance as well, so it’s lugs don’t get burned off that quickly.
Moreover, the tire offers tread depth reaching up to 24/32″, and that’s takes a lot more time to wear off comparatively.
The Toyo M/T on the other side, weighs more and it’s tread depth is not helping it either.
Though it’s fuel economy is almost on par with Pro Comp MT2, as it’s stiffer rubber does not waste “rolling energy” in to flexing the lugs, and contributing to that is its smaller tread depth.
(Yes, tread depth is directly proportional to fuel consumption).
Wet Traction
In order to achieve optimal wet traction, effective water removal is crucial. This enables better grip and hydroplaning resistance, which are both key components of wet performance.
Wet Grip
In order to achieve wet traction, you need fast enough water removing tread, and that is done by sipes and grooves, given that they are flexible enough.
That’s why with stiffer composition the Toyo M/T is not able to keep up here, despite both tires providing similar siping (number and design).
Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 on the other hand features a flexible top, and gives sipes better suction abilities, rendering it better in overall wet traction.
Hydroplaning
Tires with good hydroplaning resistance have wider grooves that are specifically designed to direct water away from the tire and maintain contact with the road surface. So the balder the tire the better.
You can get any more balder than the mud-terrain tires.
And so both tires are not going to disappoint you in this section.
But still out of the two, the Pro Comp provides better negative pressure, allowing slightly better water evacuation, especially on curved aquaplaning.
Dry Highways
When it comes to performing on roads, mud tires aren’t so famous but given their rugged performance, these I am discussing here are still considerable.
I am going to analyze their steering response, traction and handling abilities one after another.
Steering Response
The steering response is a pretty important metric that basically defines how vocal a tire is to your steering inputs.
Here the Toyo Open Country M/T lags in communication with it’s under-steering and this is contributed by has to do with stiffer cap plies and a softer rubber
The Pro Comp M/T2 on the other side is also not so great with it’s much larger tread depth reaching up 24/32″, as with it, the tire’s lugs gets less supportive and they flex more during turns.
But subjectively, this tire better satisfactory response.
Directional Grip
Directional grip is mostly needed when you brake and accelerate (that’s why its measured with stopping distances). And it mostly depends on the middle section of the tread, where most of the tire’s pressure is emphasized on.
So it makes sense why Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 provides better results here, with its closed up ribs there, making a straight (more streamlined longitudinal groove in the very middle).
The Toyo Open Country M/T on the other side, does not make as much contact from the middle so overall directional grip is more compromised. Though the opposite happens in the handling department.
Dry Handling
Handling basically depends on the tires structural weight and how much contact it can make with its shoulder lugs.
And here, the overall handling times on Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 is seen a lot more comparatively.
Basically this tire gets to have very wider lateral gaps there, and it’s shoulder lugs aren’t to make as much of a consistent connection with the road as the Toyo M/T.
Whereas the Toyo Open Country M/T provides better overall efficacy with its stiffer slanted shoulder lugs.
Snow Traction
And let me tell you this first, for mud tires, ice and hard packed snow is a big NO. But sure you can work with these tires on deeper terrains, which you may also call “off-road snow”.
That’s why both tires are just M+S and not 3 peak mountain snowflake rated.
But still out of both tires you are better off with Pro Comp M/T2. That’s because with thermal adaptive rubber, its gets to put it’s biters to test, whereas the Toyo M/T freezes up more quickly with extreme winter temperatures.
Take Home Points
Out of both tires, the Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 takes the lead in traction on wet roads with its’ flexible tread, which also gets to provide ample snow traction.
Moreover, the tire also does great when it comes to fuel efficiency and for tread life, its one of the top performers (in M/T tires).
The Toyo M/T on the other side, provides better rock climbing, a more durable structure, and superior mud clearing and hydroplaning resistance.
