Falken WildPeak A/T3W vs Toyo Open Country A/T III: The last time we looked into the all terrain segment, we showed how Goodyear’s Wrangler AT Adventure showed clear competency in off-road & dry performances over the highly popular BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO. We would like to take this chance to introduce 2 mid-tier products in the form of Falken’s WildPeak A/T3W & Toyo’s Open Country A/T III. WildPeak A/T3W which was launched way back in 2015 which is already 7 years old while on the other side we have Open Country A/T III which was launched in 2020. Without further ado, let’s bring these 2 tires head to head and see who comes out on top!
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from Tire Rack’s Testing On/-Off-Road All-Terrain Tires 2022 test. A total of 3 tires were tested on Tire Rack’s proving ground. The graph below shows the comparison between Falken WildPeak A/T3W vs Toyo Open Country A/T III based on the relevant performance category. The WildPeak A/T3W was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
As both tires are classified as an all season tire, Tire Rack will include snow & ice in its testing portfolio. A detailed testing on snow including acceleration, braking & handling will be available after the 2022/23 winter season. The tire size of interest is a 265/60R18 which is a common tire size for Toyota Hilux 1500 & Ford Ranger. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a powerful 2022 Ford Explorer ST.
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. In regards to wet braking, WildPeak A/T3W had a clear advantage by out braking Open Country A/T III by 22.7 feet (6.9m). This was the largest deficit among the other head to head performance criteria.
With the advantage gained in wet braking, WildPeak A/T3W was also in the lead in wet handling as WildPeak A/T3W had a 2.4 seconds in lap time advantage. For the subjective wet handling rating, WildPeak A/T3W once again is in the lead with a smaller margin yielding a subjective score of 6.47/10 compared to 6.03/10 of Open Country A/T III. Below is some of the feedback from the test driver.
WildPeak A/T3W:
Subjectively, our test drivers liked the precise, direct steering and front-to-rear balance that felt very stable while also engaging the rear axle just enough to be useful and fun.
Test driver feedback on Open Country A/T III
Open Country A/T III:
Around the track, the front end was initially responsive, but if the driver tried to ask too much, it would quickly wash out and lead to understeer. When driven within its limits, however, the highly responsive steering allowed for quick changes of direction. Surprisingly, the handling balance leaned strongly to oversteer, particularly under power, which required a lot of driver concentration and quick counter steer to keep the rear end of the vehicle in check.
Test driver feedback on Open Country A/T III
Open Country A/T III:
- -15.1% in wet braking
- -2.2% in wet handling (subj)
- -6.1%in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
As for dry, safety is usually not an issue as the braking distance is much longer than wet. However this is the default daily usage and the tires have to perform at a very consistent level. WildPeak A/T3W managed to brake 3.9 feet (1.2m) earlier compared to Open Country A/T III from a speed of 50mph (80km/h) down to 0.
While in dry handling, both tires were really close as WildPeak A/T3W managed to edge in front of Open Country A/T III by being 0.13 seconds quicker in lap time. However from a subjective point of view, WildPeak A/T3W had a tiny edge with a subjective rating of 6.5/10 vs 6.44/10 against Open Country A/T III. All in all, WildPeak A/T3W had a better dry braking while both of them are equally matched in dry handling.
Open Country A/T III:
- -4.3% in dry braking
- +0.3% in dry handling (subj)
- -0.4% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and WildPeak A/T3W came out only slightly ahead at 6.84/10 rating compared to the 6.75/10 rating of Open Country A/T III with noise being the main difference.
Open Country A/T III:
- -0.4% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality
Snow
Both the Falken WildPeak A/T3W and Toyo Open Country A/T III tires are equipped with the prestigious 3 Peak Mountain certification, indicating their high performance in snowy conditions. When comparing their snow performances, several key aspects stand out.
In terms of snow braking, the Falken WildPeak A/T3W has a slight edge. It stops at 82.20 feet from 25 mph, which is 1.6 feet shorter than the Toyo Open Country A/T III’s stopping distance of 80.60 feet. This difference, while modest, can be crucial in emergency braking scenarios on snowy roads. Looking at snow acceleration, from 0 to 12 mph, the Falken tire demonstrates marginally better performance again. It achieves this acceleration in 19.10 seconds, just 0.3 seconds faster than the Toyo tire, which takes 19.40 seconds. This difference indicates a slightly superior grip and traction in the Falken tire during initial acceleration on snow.
For snow handling, which is a subjective measure, the Toyo Open Country A/T III scores higher with a 4.67 out of 10, compared to the Falken WildPeak A/T3W’s 3.83. This suggests that drivers might feel more confident and find the Toyo tire more responsive or easier to control during maneuvers on snowy roads. Overall, while both tires exhibit commendable snow performance capabilities, the Falken WildPeak A/T3W shows a minor advantage in braking and acceleration, whereas the Toyo Open Country A/T III is perceived to offer better handling.
Open Country A/T III:
- +2% in snow braking
- -1.5% in snow acceleration
- +4.2% in snow handling (subj)
Ice
On ice, both the Falken WildPeak A/T3W and Toyo Open Country A/T III perform well, particularly in ice braking. The Toyo tire slightly outperforms the Falken, stopping at 54.80 feet compared to Falken’s 55.80 feet from 12 mph. This small difference suggests the Toyo has better grip on ice, enhancing safety and control. Overall, the Toyo tire holds a slight edge in ice braking over the Falken.
Open Country A/T III:
- +1.8% in ice braking
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falken | WildPeak A/T3W | All | 660 | A | B |
| Toyo | Open Country A/T III | All | 600 | A | B |
The mileage warranty for WildPeak A/T3W is at 60,000 miles while WildPeak A/T3W had 5,000 miles less. This is oddly not inline with the UTQG tread wear values as WildPeak A/T3W has a higher UTQG tread wear rating of 660 compared to the 600 of Open Country A/T III. Taking into consideration the small difference in mileage warranty offered and also the UTQG tread wear values, it can be expected that both tires have the same mileage performance.
For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
Falken & Toyo being a mid tier tire manufacturer, we expect their prices to be highly close to each other. Open Country A/T III was found to cost 5 dollars more than WildPeak A/T3W for the size 265/60R18.
Tire size: 265/60R18
- WildPeak A/T3W: $272
- Open Country A/T III: $277
Difference: +1.8% more expensive for Open Country A/T III.
Summary
The Falken WildPeak A/T3W truly shines in its summer performances, demonstrating remarkable strength in wet and dry conditions, as well as excelling in noise reduction. Its all-around proficiency in these categories sets it apart. Additionally, its slightly more affordable price tag adds to its appeal. Despite trailing just slightly behind in snow performances, the WildPeak A/T3W‘s dominant summer capabilities firmly establish it as the superior choice overall. The excellence of this tire in various conditions makes it a clear winner in this comparison.