Both the Toyo Open Country MT and the Nexen Roadian MTX RM7 are powerful mud terrain tires suitable for drivers who demand the top-notch performance on rugged terrains, especially mud. Let’s see which one is for you!
In my professional opinion as a tire engineer, the Nexen MTX offers better wet and winter performance, and supplies greater on-road comfort (in terms of settling the imperfections of the surface). The Toyo M/T on the other side, features better dry grip, and supplies better mud performance as well. Both tires have similar gripping values on rocks and sand though.
Table of Contents
Tire Dimensions
The Nexen Roadian MTX RM7 comes in 35 total sizes in 15 to 22 inches rims, and they have the following specs.
- Speed Ratings: Only Q.
- Load Range: C to F.
- Weight Range: 55 to 99 lbs.
- Tread depth: 18/32″ to 21/32″.
- Warranty: None.
The Toyo M/T on the other side has following specs.
- Sizes: 83 in 15 to 26 inches rims.
- Similar speed ratings of Q.
- Similar Load range of C to F.
- Weight range: 50 to 110 lbs.
- Tread depth range: 17 to 21/32″.
Review this tire here: https://tiredriver.com/toyo-mt-review/
Tread Construction
The Toyo Open Country M/T is a tire, that although looks like an average mud-terrain, but stands out uniquely, upon closer look.
The symmetric tread on this tire is seen with 4 ribs in total, and together they make 3 circumferential channels.
The central (most) ribs, have lugs with sharp edges and curves, combined with full depth sipes.
They make an interlocking structure with the shoulders with their hook shape designs; they wrap around those lugs, providing necessary bite, especially with their chamfered edges.
Moreover, the shoulder lugs on their own give out a less aggressive pattern, as they are only seen with mere siping pattern, without any kind of notches.
Though towards outer edges, they have mud scoops (staggered structure) and form thicker lugs on each side of the tire, which give ample traction on rugged terrains.
Now lets compare this tire to Nexen Roadian MTX.
Nexen although features dual sidewalls, its lugs on each side aren’t thick enough (compared to Toyo MT).
Though the staggered shoulder edges provide ample off-road grip, nonetheless. They have similar mud scoops in them, and their tread voids are also as wide as its counterpart, providing self cleaning capabilities to the tread.
In the middle the tire makes hook shaped lugs featuring notches, interlocking full depth sipes and sharp edges.
They are more closed up, compared to outer area, and so provide this tire with most of the directional grip on highways.
Dry Performance
Three key factors are evaluated while evaluating the dry performance of mud-terrain tires; grip on straight paths, sideways grip, and steering feedback.
Let’s get into further depth about them.
Straight Grip
Mud tires although lack a lot when it comes to this grip, the Toyo M/T still shows better results with it’s shorter braking distance (seen during testing).
So what makes it a better tire here?
Well this is because of two things, one it’s lugs are more streamlined towards moving in a straight line, and two, it’s reinforced foundations underneath those lugs keep the braking and acceleration efficacy much more stable, relatively.
The Nexen Roadian MTX is missing with both of these features.
Cornering Traction
Although, sideways grip is greatly influenced by the shoulder’s contact with the ground, tread flexibility also has a significant impact.
That’s why the Toyo M/T has the upper hand here as well.
As the tire corners, all of it’s weight gets emphasized towards the edges/shoulders, and in case of Toyo M/T, its lugs aren’t as susceptible to bending as its counterpart, even though its weighs more.
In comparison, the softer compound of Nexen Roadian MTX faces a lot more under and over steering, causing slower steering response, and handling times.
Wet Traction
Where the Toyo M/T is so great with dry asphalts, its wet and slick pavement traction won’t wow you at all, as the tire slips a lot more in comparison.
So what’s causing that, despite both tires having similar siping. Well to understand that, lets take a look at how sipes work.
So these are just tiny slits on the tread, and simply put, they suck water particles in them, by expanding, and then contacting back again, spraying the water out again as the tire rolls over the watery road.
Now the thing is out of both tires, the Nexen Roadian MTX features a more supple tread, so its sipes create a stronger suction when meeting the water particles.
Whereas the stiffer rubber on Toyo M/T does not allows its sipes to be as effective.
Though the tire does offer almost similar resistance to hydroplaning as its counterpart, I can give you that.
Winter Traction
The capacity of a tire to accelerate, halt, and corner on various sorts of snowy terrains is what to look out for here.
Now both tires are simply put, straight up dangerous on packed up snow and ice, they are okay with deeper snowy tracks, as there they can scoop the snow out of their way.
Their voided architecture, combined with staggered shoulder blocks allows for paddling abilities.
Though if you still have to pick one tire here over the other go with Roadian MTX as the tire’s pulpier tread offers superior thermal flexibility.
This means its biters would still stay more malleable with freezing winter temperatures.
Fuel Consumption
Fuel is highly dependent on the tire’s rolling resistance, which gets generated with the tread’s friction with the surface.
As I already discussed that the Nexen Roadian MTX features a softer compound, it pushes its lugs a lot more to bend with the ground.
This causes the extra energy expenditure. And as it comes form the fuel, the overall efficiency gets compromised.
That’s why with a firmer contact with the road, the Toyo Open Country M/T supplies a relatively better fuel economy.
Comfort and Smoothness
Ride quality is 3 parts, noise, bumps impact, and stability of the tire during maneuvering.
Now although out of the two tires, the Toyo M/T offers a more stable ride due to its superior steering response, it’s stiffer compound can’t soak up the bumps as efficiently as the Nexen.
This Nexen Roadian basically comes with a spongier compound, in addition to a softer interior design of its internal plies (where it intentionally only provides a single layer) for bumps absorption.
Though the tire gets to be noisier relatively.
Its tread basically produces greater groove resonance (which is technically speaking, echoing of the noise waves).
The Toyo M/T on the other side, comes with precise computer generated pitch sequencing technology, which is essentially a means of decreasing tread noise by varying the geometry of every tread block./
This tweaking of lugs causes them to produce different tones at different areas, when air particles hit them, and they try to cancel or balance out each other, dampening down the noise levels.
Conquering Rough Terrain
To determine how well tires function on various sorts of terrain, I tested them in the following.
Navigating Muddy Surfaces
Mud-terrain tires, typically have no issues at all in this area, because of their roomy tread construction. Nonetheless, after extensive testing, you’d still observe somewhat superior outcomes on Toyo M/T.
The tire’s better/wider layout of longitudinal and lateral tread gaps, makes it easier for the thick clay particles to escape, and its biters and sharp edges cut through the mud to break them down.
Furthermore, the tire also features thicker mud scoops and sidewall lugs, which allow it to get out of difficult scenarios better, like when its knee deep in mud.
On the other hand, although having adequate mud scoops as well, the center-section of the Nexen Roadian MTX RM7 is relatively more compacted up. As a result, its mud evacuation capabilities aren’t that great.
On Rocks
On rocks, its a win for both tires.
The Nexen Roadian MTX RM7 features a stronger climbing performance as it sticks better, due to its comparatively spongier lugs, and lighter weight.
Whereas the Toyo M/T supplies with slightly greater durability and traction from its superior sidewall lugs.
Basically its lugs get to expand out in a better way, when you reduce the air pressure. And that adds to overall traction.
All in all, where this tire offers superior lateral grip with those lugs on rocks, the Nexen gives out a better directional traction.
On Sand
On sandy terrains, although both tires offer great capabilities, and here considering all, its again a tie between both boys.
This soft terrain is where you need to stay afloat. And that is done better when you lower the tire’s air pressure, use a tire with a softer tread, and smoother edges, and thicker sidewall lugs.
The Nexen Roadian features a lighter structure, with softer tread compound molding against the sand to bring great traction.
Whereas the Toyo M/T although has stiffer sides, and a heavier composition, which pushed its tread to sink, it’s N shaped sidewall lugs paste out more effectively and supply the tire with a more enhanced contact patch with the ground, bringing its sand traction on par to its counterpart.
Verdict?
Although its not recommended that you miss out on any of the abvoe, as a lot of research went in to this, for the folks who are in a hurry, let me break down all of the above I discussed.
The Toyo Open Country M/T does better in the following departments.
- Dry traction.
- Mud traction
- Quietness of ride.
- Fuel economy
Whereas the Nexen Roadian is superior in following key performance areas.
- Wet traction.
- Winter performance
- Absorption to bumps.
Both tires have similar sandy and rocky terrain performance.
