Best Hybrid Truck Tires

Best Hybrid Truck Tires

For decades off-road tires have ben split into two categories, All-Terrain tires and Mud-Terrain tires. But as the needs of consumers evolve, that’s changing and now we have a new segment called Hybrid Tires or Hybrid Terrain Tires.

First up, this has nothing to do with a hybrid powertrain. If you’re looking for tires for your Prius, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Hybrid Terrain tires are a crossover of all-terrain and mud-terrain tires. Generally speaking they offer grip thats closer in performance to an MT tire, while also delivering some slightly better on-road manners – sometimes including an actual milage guarantee. (That’s something you’ll never see on MT tires).

A few years ago there were only one or two of these options, but the market has exploded recently and now there are plenty of picks. Our top choices are below.

Firestone Destination XT

Firestone Destination XT review

This Firestone Destination XT actually bucks the trend for tread design. The layout is actually more like an all-terrain tire, although an aggressive one. In fact, the pattern looks a lot like the one on the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 – a tire that’s generally more aggressive than most AT tires.

As a result, it’s impressively capable off-road, but not up to the standards of an MT tire in the mud.

It is, however, extremely durable and comes with a 50,000 mile tread life warranty as proof.

The more densely packed tread and excellent tread distribution means it drives very nicely on-road and is nearly silent too. It’s one real drawback is that the tread pattern isn’t ideal for on-road driving in the wet, with a limited ability to clear standing water. As a result, it’s performance on wet roads isn’t great.

It’s certified for true winter use as well – yet another unique benefit you won’t find on most hybrid truck tires.

Firestone also boasts that this tire’s tread makeup and internal construction are also designed for extremely hard work, including heavy payloads and towing, and as a result, it’s the ideal option for 3/4- and one-tone trucks.

On top of all this, it’s priced affordably.

   

Toyo Open Country RT

Our runner-up in this category has some advantage and disadvantages against our top pick and it may still be the best choice for you. So read on.

The tread is notably aggressive and designed more like a true MT tire with plenty of void space for digging into and tossing away loose earth and mud. It also comes with large stone-ejectors between the outside tread blocks to help clear rocks or packed-in mud to help maintain a steady amount of grip.

On-road it has surprisingly low noise levels. It’s much quieter than an MT tire, and about the same as an all-terrain option. Handling is just ok. The larger tread blocks mean there’s more flex in the tread and you certainly won’t get any sporty driving dynamics out of it.

Off-road we do love that it comes with a 3-ply sidewall, meaning it’s excellently protected against side punctures out on the trail. This does impact ride quality somewhat, which isn’t as comfortable as some of the other tires on this list.

Overall, it’s a more extreme option and closer to what you’d expect in an MT tire, but with lower noise and an actual tread life warranty – 45,000 miles to be exact!

   

Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx

Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx Review

While numerous tires on this list have been around only a short while, Cooper’s Discoverer ST Maxx has made a name for itself for many years.

One of the more capable options on this list, Cooper’s engineers really took the hybrid idea to heart. If you examine the internal tread section you’ll see that it uses both a two block and a three-block design, alternating between what you might find on an all-terrain and a mud-terrain tire. This gives it decent road manners, plenty of biting edges, while also offering significantly increased void space for loose earth and mud.

In terms of off-road features it comes with a long list of highlights, including stone ejectors on the outside treads, additional traction edges on the interior tread blocks, a sidewall that features added texture for grip in deep earth, plus the ability to be fitted with studs.

It also features Cooper’s Armor-Tek3 3-ply sidewall. This means it’s not just better equipped to protect against side punctures, but it’s also better built to handle being aired up and down, without impacting overall tire structure.

Wet grip on-road is also decent here.

About the only real drawback is the lack of any tread life warranty.

   

Nitto Ridge Grappler

Nitto Ridge Grappler Mileage Life

The Nitto Ridge Grappler might be the best known tire in this segment and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Top marks here go for design. We know you don’t really need that, or care about it, when it matters, but these really are some awesome looking truck tires.

Designed closer to an MT tire with excellent mud traction we particularly appreciate the sculpted tread blocks on the shoulders, with an alternating pattern that really helps churn in mud.

For more conventional off-roading, the interior tread blocks feature a stepped design on the sides, providing more gripping edges.

It’s surprising just how liveable they are on-road with such an aggressive design, but they aren’t just quiet and comfortable, but offer surprising grip on asphalt too.

As for the drawbacks, there’s no 3-ply sidewall offered here and no mileage warranty either.

   

Additional Hybrid Terrain Tires to Consider

Atturo Trail Blade XT

Fury Country Hunter RT

AMP Terrain Attack AT A

What Are Hybrid Tires?

Hybrid tires are, simply put, a hybrid between an all-terrain and a mud-terrain tire. They can feature varying levels of qualities from each category, but generally they offer grip levels and capability closer to a mud-terrain tire, with better on-road livability and, sometimes, even a tread life warranty.

What Are Rugged Terrain Tires?

The term “Rugged Terrain” is used interchangeably with Hybrid or Hybrid Terrain Tires. Some brands, like Toyo, market their tires exclusively as Rugged Terrain tires and use “RT” in the name or on the sidewall.

What Are HT Tires?

So you don’t end up buying the wrong tires for your truck or SUV, note that HT tires are Highway Terrain tires. Why Hybrid tires are a mix between an all-terrain and a mud-terrain tire, an HT is a mix between an all-terrain and an all-season tire. HT tires are essentially high-tread-life all-season tires with some capability for occasional off-roading.

The Best Hybrid Tires for Snow

Our top pick in this segment is also our number one pick for snow. If you want seriously capable off-road tires that can also handle the cold and snow, check out the Firestone Destination XT.

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