Suddenly, I had a new-to-me truck, some impending trips, and a desperate need for some new tires. Now, five months and 7,500 miles later, I’m happy to report the truck is working out, and I couldn’t be happier with the Yokohama Geolandar A/T XDs.
When I found my Tundra, everything worked out right. It was the truck I had been looking for; the condition was good, but it was in severe need of new tires before going much further than the grocery store. I wanted an aggressive all-terrain in the stock size, and Geolandar in 285/70R17 fit the bill. Since mounting these, I’ve covered long days on the interstate, plenty of gravel and two-track forest roads, and even a bit of rougher trails. No serious mud or snow just yet, but that season will be here soon, and I’m confident these tires will continue to perform. Once I get some miles in other conditions, I’ll update this review.
What drew me to the Geolandar A/T, and specifically the XD version, was the positive reviews across major retailers, endorsements from knowledgeable friends, and the tire’s heavy-duty construction paired with all-weather capabilities. Admittedly, I feel like tire choices and impressions are a bit like boots. A lot of it comes down to personal preference; after a half dozen sets of all-terrains and a couple of experiments with mud-terrain tires, I’ve found that I prefer an aggressive AT tire that still maintains road manners on long drives, but something more capable than the tamer end of the all-terrain spectrum.
Yokohama Geoland A/T XDs on and off-road
On pavement, I’ve been duly impressed with the Geolandar A/T XDs across the spectrum of tarmac. With several 500-mile interstate trips across all weather conditions, these tires have performed great. During a particularly heavy downpour, I was cautious of standing water at highway speeds, but happily I didn’t experience any hydroplaning or drift. On curvy mountain roads, I’ve been equally impressed with cornering through switchbacks even when the truck is loaded down with a tent, awning, fridge, and everything else the family needs for a long weekend in the mountains.
Off-road, most of my time with the Geolandar A/T XDs has been comprised of varying states of gravel roads, dirt two-tracks, and a couple of rocky entry points into fishing and camping spots. Some of these sites require careful steering, especially if you’re in a full-sized truck and you don’t trust your sidewalls. However, I had zero worries with the 3-ply sidewall construction.
Even when I end up on some rockier trails, I feel good about sidewall damage being highly unlikely thanks to the Yokohama’s GEO-SHIELD construction. Essentially, it’s a three-point system that makes for an overall stronger and more durable sidewall.
- 3-Ply Sidewall Construction – Self-explanatory, but three full layers of reinforcement protect the side of the tires.
- High Turn-Up Carcass – The internal plies, or layers, wrap higher up the sidewall.
- Full Nylon Cap – A heavy-duty nylon layer sits over the steel belts beneath the tread to help keep the tire’s shape at highway speeds and to shield the belts from sharp objects that might pierce through between the tread blocks.
Aired down to approximately 28-30 PSI to take the edge off of washboard roads, these tires flexed over the sharper rocks. When aired up to road pressure at 42 PSI, the tires still have a bit of flex on uneven terrain, but roll right over obstacles. Unless I’m planning on putting down a lot of miles on rough roads, I don’t bother changing air pressure.
On gravel roads, I’ve noticed the Geolander A/T XDs don’t seem to pick up and then violently eject rocks the way previous tires have been prone to. The tread blocks are spaced relatively far apart on the outer edge, and closer together on the center section, providing a great balance between ride quality and grip across many different conditions and surfaces. They also corner and remain solid even on loose gravel curves and descents. I’ve had zero moments when I lost traction on loose surfaces with these tires.
One complaint I noticed when perusing reviews of this tire was the road noise. However, I don’t think it’s any louder than similar tires that I’ve run. It’s worth noting that the Yokohama Geolandar A/T XDs seem to have more of a hum than the roar associated with aggressive tread patterns. After having these mounted at the tire shop, I dropped them a couple of PSI, and this seemed to lessen the hum right out of the gate. Now that I’ve “knocked the new” off of the tires, the noise is even quieter. This is nowhere near the roar of MT tires at road pressure that I’ve experienced.
As I head into winter, I feel confident that I have thousands of miles of adventure ahead of me with the Yokohama Geolandar A/T XDs. I’m sure I’ll finally get the chance to try them out in mud and snow, and as I add bumpers, a winch, and a few more pieces of gear to the Tundra, I have no doubt they’ll hold up great with the extra weight.
