Toyo Open Country AT3 vs. Falken Wildpeak AT3W: Which Is Better?

Are you stuck at a crossroads between Toyo Open Country AT3 and Falken Wildpeak AT3W?

Not to worry!

This article will be your compass by providing you with an in-depth comparison of these two tires, steering you toward the perfect choice.

Toyo Open Country AT3 vs. Falken Wildpeak AT3W: Comparison Overview

Here’s a comparative overview of Toyo AT3 and Falken AT3W tires. You can determine which best suits your preferences and driving needs by assessing their performance across key categories:

Toyo Open Country AT3 vs. Falken Wildpeak AT3W: Detailed Comparison

Off-road Performance

In off-road adventures, the Falken Wildpeak AT3W stands out with its deeper tread depth and more aggressive shoulder blocks. These robust features provide the Falken AT3W with an impressive edge in off-road traction compared to the Toyo AT3.

Besides, their sturdy shoulder blocks protect against tears, sharp rocks, and other potential hazards while you go off-roading.

These Falken tires also boast self-cleaning grooves, quickly clearing mud, dirt, and sand from their treads. I found them to be very suited for frequent mountain off-road driving, handling a variety of challenging terrains with ease.

Meanwhile, the staggered shoulder lugs of the Toyo AT3 enhance off-road traction, providing those crucial biting edges needed to tackle diverse terrains. 

During my own experiences, the Toyo AT3 offered respectable performance on gravel, dirt, muddy, rocky, and steep roads, although less rugged than the Falken AT3W.

However, we don’t recommend too frequent, extreme off-road use with these Toyo Tires. One reason is the higher number of sipes in their tread blocks, which might cause the Toyo AT3 to be prone to tire chunking and wear in such conditions.

On-road Performance

The Toyo AT3 and Falken AT3W handle well on dry roads, and you can’t really spot a significant performance difference between these tires in such conditions. They deliver solid dry traction and hold their grip firmly, even during “spirited” acceleration. 

Although both of these tires perform admirably on wet roads, the difference between the two is slightly more obvious when you deal with these surfaces.

We’ve observed that the Toyo AT3 offers more confident braking and handling than the Falken AT3W. In contrast, the Falken tires are less grippy on wet roads than the Toyo Tires. This extra traction from the Toyo AT3 might be thanks to their 3D multi-wave sipes.

Snow Performance

The Toyo AT3 and the Falken AT3W come highly recommended for extreme snow conditions, as they are both certified with a 3-peak Mountain SnowFlake Rating. These tires stand out as top performers in snow, providing excellent traction on snowy and icy surfaces.

To compare, the Toyo AT3 has a slight edge in snow driving. It offers a bit better grip and traction. This superiority could be thanks to AT3’s greater number of sipes than the Falken AT3W. 

That said, the overall performance difference in how these tires handle winter weather conditions is insignificant. You can’t go wrong with either of them in the snow.

Road Noise & Comfort

Neither of these tires is as loud as mud tires, and the difference in noise is not very noticeable. 

The Toyo AT3 provides a comfortable ride on pavement and is surprisingly quiet for its aggressive tread design.

Similarly, the Wildpeak AT3W matches the Toyo AT3 in terms of noise and comfort. On the highway, the noise is more of a subtle “whooshing” sound, especially at higher speeds, and it’s not irritating at all. However, they do tend to generate a little more noise when accelerating due to their heavier weight than the AT3. 

Fuel Efficiency

In a comparison of weight between the Toyo Open Country A/T III and the Falken WildPeak AT3, the Falken WildPeak AT3 tends to be 5 to 10 pounds heavier than the Toyo AT3, with the specific variance depending on the tire size.

The lighter weight of the Toyo AT3 not only results in quicker acceleration but also has a beneficial impact on fuel economy. On the other hand, when using the Falken AT3W, I noticed a reduction in miles per gallon (mpg), leading to lower fuel efficiency.

Longevity

The Toyo AT3 has significantly better longevity in terms of tread life as they tend to wear longer. In contrast, while delivering strong performance on most surfaces, the Falken tires tend to wear down quite quickly.

Besides, you could find it more difficult to get a good balance with those Falken tires. They often have balance issues and even get a little cupped. On the other hand, the Toyo AT3 tires have no trouble when it comes to balancing. They are easily and correctly balanced.

Treadwear Warranty

The Toyo AT3 provides a more extended treadwear warranty than the Falken AT3W. 

It offers a treadwear warranty of 65,000 miles for P/Euro-Metric sizes and 50,000 miles for LT and Flotation sizes. Meanwhile, the Falken AT3W is backed by a 55,000-mile Limited Tread Life Warranty across all available sizes.

Price

Note that the Falken AT3W was initially a very budget-friendly option. However, over time, its price has been steadily increasing.

The Falken AT3W and the Toyo AT3 now offer competitive pricing, starting at around $163 per tire. However, the price range for the Toyo AT3 is slightly higher compared to the Falken AT3W. 

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires are available for around $163 to $490 per tire, depending on the chosen tire size. On the other hand, the price range of Toyo Open Country A/T III tires varies from approximately $163 to $631 per tire.

Final Recommendations

Both the Toyo AT3 and the Falken AT3W offer excellent all-terrain performance, and you can rest assured that choosing either of them will provide you with reliable and capable tires to suit your driving needs. 

Ultimately, the choice between these two tires should depend on your priorities:

• If you prioritize strong off-road performance and noticeable affordable tires, the Falken Wildpeak AT3W may be your choice. 

• If you seek better wet-road performance, fuel efficiency, and longer tread life, the Toyo Open Country AT3 might be the better option.

Read more: Toyo Open Country AT3 vs. BFG KO2: Which Is Better?
Read more: Toyo Open Country RT Trail vs. AT3: Which Is Better?