Nitto Ridge Grappler vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Your car’s tire affects how the vehicle will behave in different terrains and is related to their performance as well. It is best to choose the tire that fits with your application the most such as Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W for those who are going to drive both on and off the road. These tires are rated good by most of their users so before deciding on one, do check what they can offer below and pick the model that seems more interesting to you.

In this article, we are going to give you information about:

  • How Tire Affects Car’s Performance
  • What are Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W
  • What are the Features of Nitto Ridge Grappler 
  • What are the Features of Falken Wildpeak AT3W
  • How Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W on the Road
  • How are Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W for Off-Road
  • Nitto Ridge Grappler Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Tire and Car’s Performance 

Having your own vehicle is convenient because we can transport both people and goods anytime you want. But, we are also responsible for their longevity because they are not going to last long without being maintained properly and in a few years, we will also need to change the tire for they will wear out. While they look not very much affecting your car’s performance, it is necessary to consider what you will install so we can achieve the best experience.

There are various factors in your tire that will improve or reduce the car’s reliability in which one of them is wheel diameter. Wheel diameter is always printed on the tire’s sidewall such as the 205/75-R15 where the last number is meant for this specification. The reason why is the larger wheel diameter will give you more traction and more options when it comes to brakes. In addition the larger sizes also look attractive in case you want to custom the look.

On the other hand, it is not always a good thing because a larger wheel means you will need more control during cornering and if your road is not very smooth then chances are they will feel bumpier as well as the higher risk of bending. 

Nest is wheel width which is often stated in millimeters or the width of the tire you will be able to fit on the car; mostly depending on whether the car’s suspension has been adjusted to handle it or not. In general, the wider tires may improve the traction of the vehicle itself when everything is in ideal condition but when it is not properly modified, chances are the tire will react badly for the drive.

Car’s tire is made of rubber or a special compound which is filled with air, depending on how the manufacturer designed the product. The air inside decides tire’s pressure and this will affect your driving performance as well because when not inflated properly they will be prone to serious issues or even fail completely. The example is over inflation will result  in a much bumpier ride, faster wear or even blowout while underinflation will make it harder for your car to move forward.

Another important part of the tire that will affect your driving experience is tread depth. We all know that tread is needed to put certain qualities and decide how the tire behaves for certain conditions but it is also necessary to see whether they are still reliable to use or not. When new they are at the best performance but both aggressive and no tread have their own benefits. The traction off-road/gravel will be much more reliable with a proper, typically large chunk of tread pattern while dry road benefits more with less tread.

About Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W

It is always best to look for the tire that will match with your typical application because not all of us will drive the same vehicle and not all of us will drive on the same condition or terrain. If you are here then it means this tire needs to be reliable both on and off the road because you will be driving them for some adventure as well. This application calls for all-terrain tires as they are designed for the condition and when it comes to AT models, options are almost endless out there.

You can stick to your stock tire whether it is the same model or another similar variant from the brand but we can check other manufacturers too if you have time because there will be plenty of nice options from various companies. We do however, prefer to stick with named brands or those we are more familiar with like Nitto and Falken for these brands tend to offer more reliable options and have good reputation about their products.

The confusing part is they will also carry various models in the catalog that match with your application and if so, it is convenient to decide which one will fit best in your budget range. For people who are looking for a more extreme off-road drive, the Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W will be two ideal options you may want to consider. These models are highly rated for their performance on the rougher terrain where you want more traction and confidence but also slightly different.

Starting with Ridge Grappler, this model is somehow similar to the Terra Grappler that you can check in our Nitto Terra Grappler G2 Vs Ridge Grappler here but is more aggressive in terms of design and type as it is a mix of AT and MT tire. On the other hand, AT3W is designed based on true AT which is also all-season to let you have a great experience both daily and during the weekend adventure. In comparison, the two tires have similar qualities and similar types of application.

Nitto Ridge Grappler Features

Now let’s see what Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W can offer and start with the tread pattern feature to guess what you can achieve from the set. With Ridge Grappler, as a mix of AT and MT, this tire is equipped with high-void tread pattern in order to provide better grip when you are going off-road and this area is also featured with variable pitch with alternating shoulder grooves to create zig-zag pattern which means the road noise should be reduced.

To make sure the tire will last long despite being brought to difficult terrain, there are stone ejectors located between the tread voids so they can remove the small stones picked up from the trails. In addition, to improve stiffness the tread block in this tire is reinforced hence it is more rigid and is also available at F-loading rate.

Falken Wildpeak AT3W Features

As for Falken AT3W, this is quite a new tire and has been redesigned for adventure. In the catalog, the higher performing off-road will be Falken MT which is more exclusive in comparison but this tire combined both worlds properly to make the vehicle more versatile. The new upgrades include two-ply sidewall with both plies have high ply turn ups wrapping around the bead and rising back up, stopping near the upper sidewall tread.

It is now featured with hat diffuser technology which is located in the lower sidewall to help dissipate the heat and protect the tire’s longevity as it also increases the vehicle’s stability especially when you are towing or mounting a heavy load. Additionally, it has 3-D canyon sipe technology that interlocks the shoulder to resist wear from high torque while at the same time increasing the handling stability. Looking closely, there is a step down feature on the tread blocks meant to provide more rigidity.

Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W On the Road

Now for the most important part or the performance, both Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W are very impressive. If you wonder whether they will behave like an MT on the road, it is not the case and in our opinion, the two are very much the same to typical AT tires out there with a more subtle tread design. Road noise is kept minimal and the journey on regular roads itself is as comfortable. There is no issue with wet traction, neither with hydroplaning.

In comparison, it is actually difficult to pinpoint the difference between the two because they are very much the same to each other and even if there is slight difference, it is nothing to be concern about yet side by side, Ridge Grappler perform just slightly above AT3W in both dry and wet traction but also produce just a little bit more noise.

Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W for Off-Road

What makes Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W more attractive is their off-road performance where the two are at their own home. In this area they are very reliable and capable of tackling typical dusty roads, gravels, rocky roads, and even climbing. Of course the extent may vary depending on the vehicle as well but there is no issue for typical weekend adventure with these tires and even for towing, we do think they are also reliable.

For winter application however, only AT3W that comes with 3PMSF rating but surprisingly, in terms of performance the Ridge Grappler is more well-designed for this condition. Both the tire’s ability to work on light and deep snow is better with Nitto but when it comes to icy surfaces, none of them are the best.

Nitto Ridge Grappler vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Both of them are good tires for your daily application and for the weekend or leisure time. None are the best in both worlds but Nitto Ridge Grappler and Falken Wildpeak AT3W are combining what you need for comfortable ride on the road and reliable traction off-the-road. In comparison, we do think they are equally good for the road and off-road areas but on the snow Ridge Grappler seems to be more dependable despite not coming with three peak mountain snowflake rating.

Nitto Ridge GrapplerFalken Wildpeak AT3W
- Producing more road noise- Slightly less noise
- Better at handling wet road- Slightly less on wet road
- Better for snow- Available with 3PMSF rating
- Not rated for heavy snow- Not as good for snow

Conclusion

All in all it is best to shop based on what you will need but both of these tires are equally good that you will like any of them. Personally however, we will recommend Ridge Grappler if you need a more aggressive and more balanced performance across different conditions.