EuroDriver
New member
I was chosen by Nitto to review their new line of tires for SUVs & crossovers - the Nitto NT421Q.
I have installed them on my 4th Gen T4R and so far I am quite impressed with the ride quality and handling. Initially, I did not have much hopes of liking them, because I have always used all-terrain tires on my truck and although I had been considering a touring tire (since nowadays we use our T4R for family trips and the rest of the time my wife uses it as her mall-terrain vehicle), I feared I would not adjust to the difference in firmness. However, the NT421Q has definitely left nothing wanting. It handles great, feels solidly firm and is very quiet. Even when getting them installed at the tire shop, the techs offered me compliments and commented on the high quality of tires I was installing. Apparently, Nitto has been gathering a reputation and the shop told me they are among the higher-end tires they offer.
The first welcome change is how quiet these tires are on the highway. Gone is the hypnotizing, droning hum of the all-terrains that have always kept us from cruising with the windows down!
Next, these tires command a firm grip on the road that makes the truck much easier to handle on winding roads and quick turns. Just to know that I wasn't convincing myself falsely, I decided not to tell my wife the truck had new tires (she asked if I had done something to it because it looked different, but she didn't have a clue). First time she drove it, she commented on how much better it was handling turns, and I finally told her it had new tires. She was quite impressed. Next I rolled the windows down and she immediately noticed how quiet they were. She has been driving it daily for a couple of weeks and is very happy with the change.
The company describes the tires as follows: "The 421Q is Nitto’s premier all-season tire built specifically for your crossovers (CUV) and SUVs. From style to function, the 421Q has been created with the foremost purpose of getting you safely to your destination throughout the seasons. The unique and stylish asymmetric tread design provides quiet and comfortable ride while delivering all-season traction. Backed by a class-leading mileage warranty (75,000-mile for H, V speed rated sizes, and 60,000-mile for W speed rated sizes), you can be confident in replacing your original factory equipped tire with the 421Q."
Based on their technical description of this line, Nitto attributes enhanced handling on the built-in sipes that are more common in winter tires, and the inclusion of this technology improves handling in all weather conditions, along with an asymmetric tread pattern.
Another performance enhancer they describe is the inclusion of rubber inserts in the shoulders of the tires that serve to add sidewall strength, while at the same time improving smoothness. Also improving smoothness and quietness is the serration technology embedded in the grooves, which aid in breaking up repetitive and reverberating noise.
A final highlight of this line is built-in wear indicators that unlike the traditional wear bars, the tread has microperforations from top to bottom that allow for easy assessment of progressive wear, as well as facilitating the identification of unusual wear patterns.
Here's a couple more close-ups of the NT421Q's on my T4R:
Overall, I feel that the NT421Q lives up to its claims. I have only been using them for about 100 miles. However, I am liking them quite a bit. The only issue is that these were not available in stock size for my 4th gen T4R (265/65/17) but I went with a 245/65/17, which the size difference is very small, they are rated 111H, have a UTQG rating of 640AA, a 75,000 warranty and personally, I like the way they fit my truck.
If any of you are ready for new rubber, I'd highly recommend you give these a try.
I have installed them on my 4th Gen T4R and so far I am quite impressed with the ride quality and handling. Initially, I did not have much hopes of liking them, because I have always used all-terrain tires on my truck and although I had been considering a touring tire (since nowadays we use our T4R for family trips and the rest of the time my wife uses it as her mall-terrain vehicle), I feared I would not adjust to the difference in firmness. However, the NT421Q has definitely left nothing wanting. It handles great, feels solidly firm and is very quiet. Even when getting them installed at the tire shop, the techs offered me compliments and commented on the high quality of tires I was installing. Apparently, Nitto has been gathering a reputation and the shop told me they are among the higher-end tires they offer.
The first welcome change is how quiet these tires are on the highway. Gone is the hypnotizing, droning hum of the all-terrains that have always kept us from cruising with the windows down!
Next, these tires command a firm grip on the road that makes the truck much easier to handle on winding roads and quick turns. Just to know that I wasn't convincing myself falsely, I decided not to tell my wife the truck had new tires (she asked if I had done something to it because it looked different, but she didn't have a clue). First time she drove it, she commented on how much better it was handling turns, and I finally told her it had new tires. She was quite impressed. Next I rolled the windows down and she immediately noticed how quiet they were. She has been driving it daily for a couple of weeks and is very happy with the change.
The company describes the tires as follows: "The 421Q is Nitto’s premier all-season tire built specifically for your crossovers (CUV) and SUVs. From style to function, the 421Q has been created with the foremost purpose of getting you safely to your destination throughout the seasons. The unique and stylish asymmetric tread design provides quiet and comfortable ride while delivering all-season traction. Backed by a class-leading mileage warranty (75,000-mile for H, V speed rated sizes, and 60,000-mile for W speed rated sizes), you can be confident in replacing your original factory equipped tire with the 421Q."
Based on their technical description of this line, Nitto attributes enhanced handling on the built-in sipes that are more common in winter tires, and the inclusion of this technology improves handling in all weather conditions, along with an asymmetric tread pattern.
Another performance enhancer they describe is the inclusion of rubber inserts in the shoulders of the tires that serve to add sidewall strength, while at the same time improving smoothness. Also improving smoothness and quietness is the serration technology embedded in the grooves, which aid in breaking up repetitive and reverberating noise.
A final highlight of this line is built-in wear indicators that unlike the traditional wear bars, the tread has microperforations from top to bottom that allow for easy assessment of progressive wear, as well as facilitating the identification of unusual wear patterns.
Here's a couple more close-ups of the NT421Q's on my T4R:
Overall, I feel that the NT421Q lives up to its claims. I have only been using them for about 100 miles. However, I am liking them quite a bit. The only issue is that these were not available in stock size for my 4th gen T4R (265/65/17) but I went with a 245/65/17, which the size difference is very small, they are rated 111H, have a UTQG rating of 640AA, a 75,000 warranty and personally, I like the way they fit my truck.
If any of you are ready for new rubber, I'd highly recommend you give these a try.
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