Nitto Ridge Grappler Tire Reviews Mar 2025

Even with all the recent advancements in air-bag and seatbelt technology, I would still say that your vehicle’s tires are the most important line of safety when it comes to roadside accidents.

Although a lot of companies today invest a lot of R&D in their tire designs, not many create models that are versatile enough to tread safely over multiple terrains.

Hence, it can get rather complicated to pick a pair of tires that would not just fit your vehicle, but user needs as well.

However, today I would like to talk about a tire company and one of their models which I believe to be the perfect jack of all trades.

Nitto Ridge Grappler is specifically designed to be an all-season, all-terrain tread to fit both urban and off-road tracks.

So, in my review today, I will be taking you through some of its unique aspects along with why it has taken over the current automobile market by storm.

Last updated on 2020-12-23 at 16:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Ridge Grappler Review Mar 2025: A Bit About Nitto Tires

When I see that a tire company is backed by over 50 years of manufacturing history, I know that quality is definitely something that they don’t compromise on.

Founded all the way back in 1949, the Nitto Tires have ever since become one of the leaders in the automobile market. Driven by passion as well as innovation, Nitto provides tire models for both professional and amateur vehicle owners who are enthusiastic about driving their cars.

They have an incredible marketing system which “seeks to anticipate and drive consumer trends” so that they are capable of catering to a variety of consumer needs and demands.

In terms of their overall model design, Nitto seeks to incorporate a lot of the traditional styles with more advanced tire technology and compounds. This ensures much of their product’s versatility along with making them look radically different than most of their competitors.

Now, when I mentioned earlier that Nitto doesn’t compromise on quality, I meant it.

It is this very technology of theirs that not only makes the tires memorable but also allows them to possess amazing performance and durability. They put each of their models through rigorous testing procedures, making them an incredibly reliable tire brand.

Road noise is also something that Nitto tackles in their tire models. Their technology aids in improving dynamic contact points in the tires while driving by successfully identifying and counteracting undesirable tire responses in different terrains.

In terms of tread life, the Nitto tires possess one of the highest in the market. As they are constructed out of an advanced high polymer tread compound, it doesn’t wear out as easily and offers improved traction on both wet and dry roads.

These are some of the reasons why I highly recommend this manufacturer to most of my customers in the auto repair shop.

Why should you go for the Nitto Ridge Grappler?

The Ridge Grappler series from Nitto is what forms their latest generation of all-terrain and all-season tires.

Coming with an amazingly attractive design, these tires have a very rugged yet hybrid appeal about them along with the performance to boast.

The tires might not seem like it at first glance, but they do come with an F load rating on certain sizes; hence, its modes of use are not restricted to passenger vehicles alone. It can comfortably fit larger vehicles with towing abilities and pull along with its heavy trailers on the highway quite easily.

Reliable Build and Design

In terms of the basic build, the Ridge Grappler is particularly manufactured with a combination of tougher-than-average tread compounds and very aggressive tread design.

These tires are made to have wider staggered shoulder lugs along with some alternating shoulder grooves and stone ejectors.

For some reliable off-road performance, the sides are provided with step block edges to improve traction in rocky and uneven terrain. Treading over larger rocks, gravel, sand, mud, dirt or any other form of off-road obstacles is not at all difficult with the Ridge Grappler.

Now I, for one, love to take off-road trails and set up camp on the sides of the highway and spend a night just relaxing and stargazing. And this is precisely where these tires come in handy for me.

Not only am I getting amazing stability on-road, but with this level of off-road performance, I can seamlessly go on any hiking trip that I want.

Neighborhood Friendly

As I have mentioned before, each Nitto tire model comes with fantastic road noise reduction capabilities, and the Ridge Grappler is designed to be one of the best in that category as well.

So, if you don’t travel the off-road tracks all that much, then these tires will get you sorted there as well.

Most of my customers tend to be urban dwellers and drive around town where the roads are mostly smooth, but the neighborhood is extremely noise sensitive.

And who in their right mind would want a pair of ATs that make a lot of road noise?

Hence, thinking of this aspect of the customer base as well, Nitto provides the Ridge Grappler with a variable tread pitch pattern that significantly lowers the road noise while absorbing much of the unwanted vibrations at the same time.

This unique designing factor is what will provide you with an incredibly comfortable ride.

Last updated on 2020-12-23 at 16:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Traction and Stability

The tread pitch consists of ridges that support lateral zig-zag grooves with tapered edge blocks along with a reinforced block foundation. Now, this little detail of alternating widths and lengths is what will improve the tire traction further.

With more biting edge and hydroplaning, the Ridge Grappler will help you get the optimal grip and stability on wet surfaces.

As they are primarily made to be all-season tires, their performance will not falter at all as the seasons keep changing. From maintaining the right amount of tread balance on light snow tracks and slushy puddles to not wearing down on extremely dry tracks, these tires can indeed come in handy all throughout the year.

The sizes and vehicular compatibility

Now, as the Ridge Grappler series is comparatively new to the market, it doesn’t have all that many sizes and models as some of the other Nitto tires.

It started out with a very limited number of 17 and 20-inch sizes but has released more ever since, especially throughout 2016 and 2017.

And even though they have more sizes being added to their categories, the list is still rather short and there are just a few vehicles that are completely compatible with them.

So, I am going to list out some of the more popular ones (this is not a complete list of all vehicles that this tire will fit):

• Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado 2500, 3500, Express 2500, 3500, Avalanche
• Dodge Nitro, Ram 1500, 2500, Durango
• Ford F-150, F-250, Ranger, Excursion, Expedition, Explorer
• GMC Sierra, Suburban, Yukon
• Honda Passport
• Isuzu Trooper
• Jeep Cherokee, Wrangler, Liberty, Commander
• Land Rover Discovery
• Nissan Titan, Pathfinder, Frontier, Xterra
• Ram 2500, 3500
• Toyota Land Cruiser, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner, Tundra

By this list, you can confirm that apart from the off-road traction, one of the biggest advantages of this tire series is the F load rating that it comes with. As it has the ability to hold 80 psi, it can be a very serious heavy-duty hauler and can fit the needs of a variety of pick-up and tow vehicles.

Where does the Nitto Ridge Grappler disappoint?

I have been using these tires for some time now, and the only time that it disappoints me is when treading over deep muddy patches. Going on off-road trails during the monsoon is not going to be a wise decision at all with the Ridge Grappler.

Though it has great treading potentials over wet roads and snow patches; going through extremely muddy terrain is going to be a very difficult task. It will get stuck in the mud more often than not and will slow you down and make things very uncomfortable for the driver.

Final Thoughts

With the Nitto Ridge Grappler, tackling any off-road terrain will be as effortless as possible. It’s incredibly comfortable to handle on open highway roads and comes with one of the best noise cancellation features of all the tires of its class.

In addition, the tread life is incredibly good, to say the least, and I believe that Nitto has created one of the better hybrid designs on the market today.

Last updated on 2020-12-23 at 16:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

You should also check out our reviews of other Nitto tires:

• Nitto Crosstek 2 Tire Review Mar 2025
• Nitto Motivo Tire Reviews Mar 2025
• Nitto Terra Grappler Reviews Mar 2025