Adam Sibley knows a thing or two about 4x4 and off-road tyres. As well as stocking a range of premium brands through his Tyrepower Currumbin store, he’s a 4x4 enthusiast himself and has spent tens of thousands of kilometers atop offerings from many household names, and when he heads off-road with his mates he gets to see how the rugged rubber compares when the tracks get tough.
“Knowing that I was an enthusiast, Neil Hartley from Toyo Tyres Australia asked me to test the new Japanese-made Open Country R/T 2-ply variant. They’ve got about 20,000km on them so far,” begins Adam, who’s fitted them up in 285/70R17 to his lifted and locked 79 Series dual cab.
“These are a bigger tyre than I had previously so I should have lost a little bit of power, but we’ve managed to retain it because the Japanese-made Open Country R/T is a lighter tyre,” explains Adam enthusiastically.
The other huge benefit of the lighter Open Country R/T is the fuel economy benefits over the heavier American-made version. “You’re not turning huge heavy tyres like the American-made 3-ply Open Country R/T, so there’s a measurable fuel economy benefit for urban 4x4ers,” says Adam confidently.
But it’s off-road where Adam’s affinity for the Open Country R/T really blossomed. “I really gave them a hard time and they out-performed popular patterns from several competitors,” smiles Adam, reliving his off-road exploits and driving circles around his mates!
“We were banging them off rocks and had them filled with mud and they had no problems. Because they’re a lighter tyre they’re easier to spin, which helps evacuate the mud from the tread to regain traction,” explains Adam of the Open Country R/T’s performance in some challenging terrain.
“A lot of our customers are urban 4x4ers and I’ll have no trouble recommending the Open Country R/T. One of my next trips will be out on the sand and I already know the Open Country R/T will be a great tyre for this - the softer side wall will allow them to bellow out on the sand beautifully,” he says in closing, cementing the Open Country R/T 2-ply as a fantastic option for enthusiasts seeking the Open Country R/T’s distinctive, aggressive tread pattern combined with the Open Country A/T IIIs unbeatable on-road manners.
