The Patriot R/T+ is an enhanced variant of the R/T. These tires are marketed to provide a mix of well-rounded all-season offroad and on-road capabilities. The R/T stands for rugged terrain, and according to Patriot, the R/T+ can take you anywhere a pure M/T (muddy terrain) tire can. They claim to have coupled “on-road comfort and sophistication” with the tire’s powerful off-road performance.
We’ll see how well that holds up in real-world testing. Let’s begin!
On-Road Performance
Since the tread pattern is primarily designed for off-road usage, the car doesn’t perform extraordinarily in the corners. But while the tire feels truck-ish, it’s still pretty responsive and maneuverable. There’s enough traction to accelerate, and braking distances are also pretty short. Overall, the drive feels stable and in control at all times at safe city speeds.
Wet Performance
You can’t expect too much from a rugged terrain tire in a downpour. They’re known to struggle in slippery conditions due to a smaller contact patch and hence decreased traction.
With that said, the Patriot R/T+ manages to offer a sufficiently grippy and stable drive in the rain. Its deep circumferential grooves help a lot with hydroplaning resistance in wet conditions, keeping the car in control as you go over puddles. Highway truck tires will certainly be safer in the rain, but the R/T+ does well for a rugged terrain tire.
Winter Performance
The Patriot R/T+ is an all-season rugged terrain tire with an M + S rating (mud and snow). It can handle light snow and slush, partly due to its aggressive tread pattern and biting edges. However, the tread compound isn’t as soft as a winter tire, and it doesn’t have those shallow grooves to handle icy roads or thick snow.
It should stay pliable enough on light snow to provide you with ample traction and stability, but you’re much better off with winter tires for anything more extreme than that.
Off-Road Capabilities
Here’s the department where the Patriot R/T+ excels. The company has proudly advertised the tire’s skull and piston design featuring a dual sidewall and dagger-shaped lugs for mud penetration.
You’ll get lots of off-road traction with the Patriot R/T+ — regardless of the type of track you’re on. The aggressive tread pattern ensures ample grip in the slipperiest offroad scenarios, such as wet rocks and muddy pockets. The tread compound is also sturdy enough to resist most of the damage from chips and gravel.
Overall, you won’t be asking for much more in the off-road realm if you’ve got the Patriot R/T+ tires under your truck or SUV.
Ride Quality
Muddy and rugged terrain tires have historically been a pain in terms of comfort and ride quality on the road. They used to be associated with a noisy and bumpy ride, but that’s not the case with the Patriot R/T+. The website says that it offers on-road sophistication and comfort, and that’s mostly true. There’s some tread growl at high speeds, but it’s nothing deal-breaking.
With that said, ride quality probably isn’t high up on your priority list if you’re in the market for a rugged-terrain tire for your truck or SUV. Still, a smooth ride is nice to have, and the Patriot R/T+ is certainly good enough.
Conclusion
The Patriot R/T+ packs tons of off-road power, and it also doubles as a practical everyday tire for city driving. Some of its downsides are insufficient winter traction in extreme cold conditions and some tread growl at highway speeds. If those aren’t deal-breakers for you, I’d suggest shortlisting the R/T+!