Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires

Mickey Thompson Tire is known for its class-leading range of off-road tires that offer great value and performance without making a hole in your pocket. Established in 1963, Mickey Thompson is widely known in the off-road driving circuits for its capable tires, and among those, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ is loved for its spectacular braking and traction in challenging conditions.

Similarly, Nitto Tires, a subsidiary of Toyo Tire, rolls out solid on and off-road tires that offer superior grip, traction, stability, handling, durability, and tread life across seasons, including dry, wet, and light snow. Like Mickey Thompson, Nitto too is revered for its exceptional off-road tire range, which even gives a run for the money to the top brand off-road tires. Falling in its mud-terrain tire range, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T is a highly capable tire that offers enhanced braking, stability, and performance in rough road conditions of mud, dirt, gravel, sand, snow, and rocks.

While both tires promise enhanced off-road performance with decent on-road manners, which is the one that does it better? Let’s compare Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires based on our SimpleScore scoring mechanism to know the best option.

Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ tires

Designed for pickup trucks, SUVs, and 4x4s, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ is a reliable mud-terrain tire that offers a unique silica-reinforced rubber compound for improved wearability, cut and chip resistance, and improved wet performance. While the aggressive sidebiters and mud scoops enhance grip and traction, the Baja Legend MTZ PowerPly 3-ply sidewall construction improves puncture resistance and handling response.

The Mickey Thompson tire also incorporates stone ejectors and variable draft angles to reduce stone retention and protect the tire from damage. The aggressively designed mud-terrain tire features large tread elements on the sides and in the center portion for effective grip and traction in dirt, mud, sand, and rocks.

With an 8.3 SimpleScore, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ promises adequate traction, grip, and tread life in off-road conditions.

Get Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires

Coming from the famous Trail Grappler tire series, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T is a perfect match for individuals wanting class-leading off-road performance without spending much. Designed for SUVs and pickup trucks, the Nitto mud-terrain tire features a dual sidewall design to suit, giving options to the drivers to choose the one that resonates with their style. With an advanced rubber compound, the Trail Grappler M/T offers increased resistance to cuts, punctures, and chips.

Thanks to the balanced tread void ratio, it quickly removes dirt, water, mud, and snow from the tread for sure-footed traction and stability in tough conditions. Besides offering reduced noise and vibration levels, the Nitto tire features a 3-ply sidewall construction for extra durability and strength. Covering most of the truck sizes, the Trail Grappler M/T is available in a wide range of tire sizes, from 17 to 26 inches.

Boasting an 8.6, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T offers great grip, traction, and durability, along with a superb tread life.

Get Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on traction

Traction is highly sought after if you’re driving a mud-terrain tire, as you will be battling your way through slick and challenging terrains where regular paved road tires may go off for a wheel spin. Both the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ and Nitto Trail Grappler M/T promise adequate traction. Let’s check their ‘gripping’ scores.

Scoring an 8.2 in traction, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ offers effective grip and control throughout the year. Variable length and depth four-pitch Sidebiters not only provide great grip but also lend enhanced control and off-road performance. The balanced void ratio with zigzag tread blocks helps it return enhanced traction in mud, dirt, snow, and rocks.

With an 8.3 traction score, the Trail Grappler M/T assures decent grip and traction in mud, dirt, snow, and rocks. While solid sidewall design and large tread elements improve stability and grip in adverse conditions, the balanced void ratio allows quick outflow of water, mud, and dirt for consistent traction and grip in off-road conditions.

The Nitto Trail Grappler M/T wins the traction race with a marginally better score; however, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ is also not far behind and provides great traction.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto Trail Grappler M/T

Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on durability

Mud-terrain tires are subject to harsh driving conditions where they need to crush rocks, debris, and stones. Built with reinforced carcasses, both the mud-terrain tires claim to offer strong durability and stability performance on off-road trails. Let’s check their durability scores.

The Baja Legend MTZ scores an 8.2 in durability as well, thanks to its Powerply 3-ply construction that resists punctures and snags while providing great handling and stability in the wild. Meanwhile, the T4 silica-reinforced rubber compound improves braking and handling performance.

On the other hand, the Trail Grappler M/T continues its winning streak by scoring an 8.5 in durability, thanks to its solid construction and reinforced carcass. The thick rubber construction and 3-ply sidewall create additional biting edges for lateral stability and improved grip. Lastly, the reinforced shoulder grooves provide extra block stiffness for enhanced durability.

The Nitto Trail Grappler M/T grabs the durability section as well, and it turns out to be tougher than the Mickey Thompson. The scores now stand at 2-0.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto Trail Grappler M/T

Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on longevity

Mud-terrain tires usually do not last long as they battle tough roads during their lifetime. The Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ and Nitto Trail Grappler M/T surprisingly offer superb longevity scores.

Improving its scoring rate, the Baja Legend MTZ displays that it’s designed to last with a fantastic 8.6 longevity score. Thanks to the T4 silica-reinforced rubber compound, the Mickey Thompson tire not only improves wet performance but also increases resistance against cuts, chips, snags, and punctures for a longer tread life.

Similarly, the Trail Grappler M/T also ups its game and scores an 8.9 in longevity. The Nitto tire features an advanced rubber compound and 3-ply sidewall construction that offers high resistance to cuts, chips, and snags while limiting uneven wear and promoting uniform wearability throughout its lifespan.

The Mickey Thompson has no answer to Nitto Trail Grappler M/T’s longevity performance as it continues the winning streak beating the Mickey 3-0.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto Trail Grappler M/T

When to use each

Mud-terrain tires are designed to offer exceptional grip and traction in challenging conditions of mud, dirt, snow, gravel, and rocks. Thanks to their large tread blocks, reinforced sidewall designs, and multi-ply construction, mud-terrain tires survive harsh conditions while lending superb performance off the road.

The Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ is a great choice for you if you want an aggressive-looking mud-terrain tire that provides sufficient traction, durability, and tread life. However, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T is best for drivers wanting enhanced traction, handling, stability, durability, and tread life, along with dual sidewall design and improved on-road comfort. Do note that you cannot drive them in severe winter conditions as neither of the two is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified. You can choose all-terrain tires if you mostly drive on highways and occasionally go off the road.

Which one should you choose?

In a nutshell, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T wins the comparison 3-0 as it beats the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ in traction, durability, and longevity. However, you should consider the individual traits of both tires before you finalize anyone. Let’s check the prices of these tires to ascertain which one offers better value.

Comparing the prices for the LT265/75R16 tire size, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ costs around $284 per tire, while four such tires cost $1136. Similarly, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T costs about $290 per tire, with four costing $1160 (a difference of $24).

Based on SimpleScore, you can choose the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota RAV4, and Ford F-250
• Want a capable mud-terrain tire that’s slightly affordable
• Prefer a more aggressive-looking tire

You can go for the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Dodge RAM 2500
• Want a highly durable tire (8.5 vs. 8.2)
• Prefer a high-traction mud-terrain tire (8.3 vs 8.2)
• Want a long-lasting tire (8.9 vs 8.6)
• Want a dual sidewall design on your mud-terrain tire
• Prefer a mud-terrain tire that’s quieter on paved roads

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.