Nitto Exo Grappler AWT Review & Rating for 2024: All-Weather Toughness for Heavy-Duty Light Trucks

The Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is a special tire. It’s the only HD tire in Nitto’s portfolio, and it happens to be a good one. In this review, we found out it’s more than just an aggressive looker. Nitto tires are known for their unconventional tread designs, but the real beauty in Exo Grappler AWT goes beyond skin deep.

In truth, Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is a hybrid tire. It combines the all-conquering attributes of a mud tire with the on-road refinement of highway-terrain (H/T) tires. The result is an all-terrain (A/T) tire that won’t make you deaf or give you a sore back when driven on paved roads.

Nitto Exo Grappler AWT: Test Drive

For this review, we got our hands on a 2006 Ram 2500 with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. With 345-horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque to play with, we plan on making the most of your truck’s standard AWD system. However, bad weather prevented us from exploring the wild unknown.

In return, we were able to experience the on-road manners of Exo Grappler AWT, particularly over the wet and smooth tarmac. Of course, we also got to play with muddy dirt roads.

Dry Traction

Fully aware of the Exo Grappler AWT’s Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, it’s best to give you a brief outline of what it takes to have this symbol. It started in 1999 when the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association established a benchmark or traction index. Tires with the 3PMSF symbol obtain a traction index of 110 or higher over packed snow, with 100 being the standard reference for traction.

However, most tires with the 3PMSF symbol are dedicated snow tires. But as it turns out, Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has a traction index of 120 higher. The fact this tire performs so well over dry pavement despite having stellar winter characteristics is simply astonishing. In essence, our truck came with winter tires, but it didn’t feel compromised when pushed hard over smooth tarmac roads.

But then again, Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is not sporty in terms of handling and response. It just so happens to feel stable and secure despite the aggressive demeanor.

Wet Traction

It’s the same story in the wet. Over soaking wet highways, the Nitto Exo Grappler AWT tires never skipped a beat, despite not carrying any weight on the bed. The tire offers excellent traction over deep water puddles and grip remains steady without upsetting the steering and overall balance of our rig.

Snow Traction

We have no way of figuring out how this tire behaves over snow, but the owner of the truck is all praises for the winter performance of Nitto Exo Grappler. In fact, the tires on our test rig are more than a year old and will encounter their second winter season in as many years. The owner told us he never found a need to replace the tires as the weather transitions from hot to cold and anything in between. Nitto claims Exo Grappler AWT is an all-weather and all-terrain tire for both hot and cold weather, and we believe it. The owner went as far as saying it’s the best tires he’s ever used in his trusty rig.

Comfort

The comfort levels of Nitto Exo Grappler mainly depend on tire pressure. Since the E load rating means a stiffer construction, comfort is a relative term. This is the type of tire that is sensitive to tire pressure. If the tire is too hard, you’ll get a bouncy ride. The trick is to get the tire pressure right. What we did is reduce the tire pressure by letting some air out as we sped over the smooth tarmac. In that way, we got a more comfortable ride.

Truth be told, Nitto Exo Grappler is a bit firm for our refined tastes. But this means nothing when talking about a large and heavy truck. Ram trucks are known for having a comfy ride but installing Nitto Exo Grappler AWT tires will reduce that ride comfort in exchange for solid all-weather traction.

Noise

We were expecting a lot of road noise, but we only got a few. True to form, the Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is not the most refined HD tire out there, but it’s not too bad to merit a low score. And besides, the tire roar is relative to how fast you’re going. In our Ram test vehicle, road noise became intrusive at higher speeds. But in the city, you won’t even know the tires are there.

Treadwear

We mentioned earlier the tires in our test vehicle were more than a year old. This serves as a testament to the long-wearing capabilities of Nitto Exo Grappler AWT. The owner told us he already racked up around 49,000 miles but the tires only showed minimal signs of wear.