Continental TerrainContact AT vs Toyo Open Country AT III
Expect the Continental to deliver class-leading wet and dry security, shorter braking, and the quietest, most composed ride of the group. The Toyo counters with stronger off-road feel and lower rolling resistance, plus a slight edge in snow traction/handling in tightly matched results, even if it trails in most road-focused metrics.
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been three tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Continental TerrainContact AT | two | |
| Toyo Open Country AT III | one |
While it might look like the Continental TerrainContact AT is better than the Toyo Open Country AT III purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Best-in-test wet grip: shortest wet braking and faster wet handling laps
- Consistently shorter dry braking and precise, confidence-inspiring steering
- Class-leading comfort and notably low noise (≈3-4 dB quieter in 2022 test)
- Strong aquaplaning resistance (straight and curved) and overall road refinement
- Better subjective off-road feel on gravel; confident and predictable beyond the limit
- Lower rolling resistance for improved efficiency
- Slight edge in snow traction/handling in very close results
- Solid dry capability with dependable emergency-lane-change behavior
Dry Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT stopped the vehicle in 4.17% less distance than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Dry Braking: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [s]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one dry handling [s] tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT was 0.04% faster around a lap than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Dry Handling [s]: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dry Handling
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two subj. dry handling tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT scored 5% more points than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Subj. Dry Handling: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Subj. Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two wet braking tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT stopped the vehicle in 6.3% less distance than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Wet Braking: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two wet handling [s] tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT was 3.31% faster around a wet lap than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Wet Handling [s]: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Wet Handling
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two subj. wet handling tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT scored 19.52% more points than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Subj. Wet Handling: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Subj. Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT was 2.76% faster around a wet circle than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Wet Circle: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT floated at a 2.01% higher speed than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Straight Aqua: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT slipped out at a 0.64% higher speed than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Snow Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two snow braking tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT stopped the vehicle in 5.44% less distance than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Snow Braking: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Snow Braking winner was calculated >>
Snow Traction
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Toyo Open Country AT III was better during two snow traction tests. On average the Toyo Open Country AT III accelerated 0.88% faster than the Continental TerrainContact AT.
Best In Snow Traction: Toyo Open Country AT III
See how the Snow Traction winner was calculated >>
Snow Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Toyo Open Country AT III was better during two snow handling [s] tests. On average the Toyo Open Country AT III was 0.11% faster around a lap than the Continental TerrainContact AT.
Best In Snow Handling [s]: Toyo Open Country AT III
See how the Snow Handling winner was calculated >>
Gravel Handling [s]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Toyo Open Country AT III was better during one gravel handling [s] tests. On average the Toyo Open Country AT III was 0.97% faster around a lap than the Continental TerrainContact AT.
Best In Gravel Handling [s]: Toyo Open Country AT III
See how the Gravel Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Gravel Handling
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Toyo Open Country AT III was better during one subj. gravel handling tests. On average the Toyo Open Country AT III scored 15% more points than the Continental TerrainContact AT.
Best In Subj. Gravel Handling: Toyo Open Country AT III
See how the Subj. Gravel Handling winner was calculated >>
Dirt Handling [s]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one dirt handling [s] tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT was 0.63% faster around a lap than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Dirt Handling [s]: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Dirt Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dirt Handling
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT and Toyo Open Country AT III performed equally well in subj. dirt handling tests.
Best In Subj. Dirt Handling: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Subj. Dirt Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two subj. comfort tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT scored 10.34% more points than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Subj. Noise
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during two subj. noise tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT scored 11.6% more points than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Subj. Noise: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Subj. Noise winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Continental TerrainContact AT was better during one noise tests. On average the Continental TerrainContact AT measured 4.52% quieter than the Toyo Open Country AT III.
Best In Noise: Continental TerrainContact AT
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Toyo Open Country AT III was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Toyo Open Country AT III had a 4.14% lower rolling resistance than the Continental TerrainContact AT.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Toyo Open Country AT III
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Continental TerrainContact AT Driver Reviews
Drivers largely praise the Continental TerrainContact AT for excellent wet traction and hydroplane resistance, a quiet and comfortable ride for an AT, confident handling/feedback, and solid treadwear with even wear patterns. Many also report reliable performance on gravel, dirt, and light-to-moderate trails. A minority noted concerns in winter mountain conditions, while others reported better-than-average snow/ice traction, so cold-weather performance appears mixed. Overall sentiment is strongly positive, especially for on-road manners in rain and everyday use.
Based on 8 reviews with an average rating of 76%
Toyo Open Country AT III Driver Reviews
Drivers largely praise the Toyo Open Country AT III for confident all-terrain performance, above-average snow traction, strong wet/hydroplane resistance, and a surprisingly quiet ride. Many high-scoring reviews report long life with even wear and robust durability, along with stable on-road handling. A minority note faster tread wear (especially on lighter vehicles) and occasional noise, but these are not common themes.
Based on 8 reviews with an average rating of 85%
Conclusion
The Toyo's case rests on its off-road composure and efficiency. It scores subjective wins off-road (gravel feel), posts lower rolling resistance, and edges the Continental in tightly grouped snow traction/handling runs, while proving predictable in emergency maneuvers. If your usage skews toward trails and you value a sturdier feel and better fuel economy over refinement, the Toyo remains appealing-just accept the stiffer ride and higher noise. Bottom line: choose Continental for road-first confidence, Toyo for off-road leaning and efficiency.
Key Differences
- On-road dominance: Continental leads wet braking by ~5-7% and dry braking by ~4-5% across tests
- Refinement: Continental is quieter and more comfortable; Toyo rides stiff and noisy
- Steering: Continental is more precise and responsive; Toyo feels rubbery at low speeds
- Aquaplaning: Continental resists both straight and curved aquaplaning better
- Efficiency: Toyo has lower rolling resistance; Continental is higher
- Off-road feel: Toyo scores higher subjectively on gravel; Continental can feel slower to react sub-limit
Overall Winner: Continental TerrainContact AT
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Continental TerrainContact AT has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tyre comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tyres:
Continental TerrainContact AT Top Comparisons
Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.