- A short note here: As a former Bridgestone engineer, I strongly recommend checking Discount Tire - Treadwell out. Now, you can effortlessly get recommendations based on value, performance, and local favorites without going to the Discount Tire store.
TRIED & TRUSTED!
General Grabber ATX, AT2, and AT3 are all-terrain tires that can perform every month of the year. While Grabber ATX is mostly built for heavy-duty usage, AT2 has a wide product range and can be used on almost any application. On the other hand, AT3 offers satisfying on-road manners but has some issues in severe conditions.
At a Glance
| General Grabber AT3 | General Grabber ATX | General Grabber AT2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better for | Mostly highway driving Aggressive appearance for SUV | Off-road lovers, 3/4 ton or above light-truck owners, working trucks, hauling and towing | Discontinued |
| Pros | Insane wet and snow traction, mild off-road traction, responsiveness | Insane wet and snow traction, mild & severe off-road traction, responsiveness | Discontinued |
| Cons | Can’t handle severe off-road | A bit noisy | Discontinued |
| Available on | TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price | DiscountTire: Check Price TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price | Discontinued |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, General decided to discontinue AT2 (still available for a couple of sizes here) due to their marketing strategy. It was an all-around tire that could perform equally well on and off-road conditions. Instead of General Grabber AT2, they’ve released two different tires. While General Grabber AT3 is a more smooth and quiet tire that primarily focuses on satisfying on-road manners, General Grabber ATX is a more durable and tough tire that offers extreme and mild off-road performance. Hence, it might feel a bit stiff if you’re not an overlander.
All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet
Finding the most suitable one for you among thousands of tires is very difficult.
My team & I have analyzed 100 different tires and generated this ‘Quick Answer Sheet‘ for those who don’t wanna spend too much time during tire selection.
Before we start, here are the incredibly helpful articles I highly recommend to take a look at;
- How to keep tire noise down?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise - What is the 3PMSF symbol?
https://tireterrain.com/what-is-3pmsf-symbol/ - Off-Road Tire Buyer’s Guide
https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-buyers-guide/ - Tire rating charts & reviews
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/rating-chart&reviews - Are all-terrain tires good for daily driving?
https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/ - Most aggressive all-terrain tires
https://tireterrain.com/most-aggressive-all-terrain-tires/
Below the table, you can find my favorite tires that I have classified according to your needs.
If you’re in a hurry, here are the tires worth every penny;
- Toyo Open Country AT3 – Best All-Round & Longevity
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W – Best All-Round & Squishy Regions
- BF Goodrich KO2 – Best All-Round & Off-Road Adventure
- Falken Wildpeak AT Trail – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Severe Off-Road
- Nitto Recon Grappler – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
- General Grabber ATX – Best All-Round for 3/4-ton or above trucks
- Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac – Best On/Off Road tire for 3/4-ton or above trucks
- Cooper Discoverer 4S XLT – Best Commercial All-Terrain Tire & Hauling and Towing
If you’re looking for something at a bargain price;
- Vredestein Pinza AT – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
- Kenda Klever A/T2 – Best All-Round for Medium & Light Duty Usage
- Kenda Klever R/T – Best All-Round for Heavy-Duty Usage
Depending on your needs, also the below articles might help;
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-mud-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:
- DiscountTire Deals:
https://www.discounttire.com/promotions - TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers - SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals
Table of Contents
On-Road Comparison
Evaluating on-road performance due to traction is kinda pointless. These tires have the ability to grip loose grounds. For sure, they will grip smooth surfaces. In that case; cornering, stopping, and starting performance is more valuable.
Ranking
- General Grabber AT3
- General Grabber AT2
- General Grabber ATX
Starting
The void area ratio is the main decision-maker on starting.
General Grabber ATX’s void area ratio is higher than AT2 and AT3. So, AT3 might spin on harsh starting movements. Though worth remembering, it is a chance in a million scenario.
Between AT3 and AT2 battle is tight. They have almost even void areas. In that case, our second indicator sipe density is steps ahead. AT3 has a bit more sipes through to the pattern. So, AT3 is the best for on-road starting.
Cornering
Cornering is the combination of steering response and cornering stability.
In that case, all three are trustworthy and perform very well.
AT3 steps ahead again with a tire bar between the center block and shoulder lugs. It stays more stable than others.
Stopping
Softer compounds stop at lower distances.
Well, the winner is AT3 again. ATX and AT2 have stiffer compounds.
Comfort and Road Noise
Most people think that comfort and road noise is related. Totally, wrong.
Road noise is all about the center block void area. If the distance is more, it is louder.
Comfort is a bit more complicated. It is related to compound stiffness as well as tire construction. Moreover, bigger lugs mean more vibration most of the time.
The battle is between AT2 and AT3. I think the low road noise and comfort are not what you have to expect from ATXs.
AT2 and AT3 have equally low road noise. They are both quiet as church mice.
In the case of comfort, AT3 is a slightly more smooth tire due to the softer compound selection.
That one is my favorite tire for this section.
Ranking
- General Grabber AT3
- General Grabber AT2
- General Grabber ATX
A side note here: Even though some tires tend to make noise because of their tread patterns, it’s still possible to keep your tire noise down.
I’m leaving a perfect explanation below from DiscountTire for those who need it;
How to Keep Tire Noise Down? –>
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise
Durability and Tread Life
Well, the table turned in that section as expected.
Let’s start with durability.
ATX is the more durable tire due to stronger sidewalls and construction. AT2 follows it up closely. Sidewall durability is slightly less than ATX. Yet, it is reliable. AT3 is taking the last place but it is all about design intention. I believe that these tires serve different ranges of applications.
About tread life,
This part is cheeky. Depending on your application, rankings might change. Therefore, I want to give the first-place seat to AT2. It has an elegant tread life no matter what application.
Note: I do not recommend any of these tires for hauling or heavy diesel trucks like RAM 2500 or F250.
Getting maximum wear life from a tire is related to you as well as your tire,
If you’d like to learn how to get maximum tread life:
Warranty
General Grabber ATX has 60000 miles treadwear warranty.
General Grabber AT2 has 60000 miles treadwear warranty. It is not shown on any retailer websites. Yet, the manufacturer’s customer services say that it is available. AT2 is discontinued. The company might use it as a marketing strategy. Be careful, anyway.
Unfortunately, General Grabber AT3 does not have a treadwear warranty.
Wet Performance
All-terrain tires generally fail on wet grounds. Surprisingly, none of these tires has a traction problem on wet.
General focused on siping really well and made a great job. It is expected for AT2 and AT3 but ATX. This kind of pattern design is a hard one to reach good wet performance. I can just say well done.
All of them are trustworthy options. I personally prefer AT3 on wet. It got A-grade on EU labeling.
Note: Hydroplaning is vital for a safe ride under the pouring rain. However, it might occur even with the best tire. Maybe you can’t prevent it but if you know what it is and how to deal with it, you can easily stay on the safe side.
Here is an extremely efficient guide about ‘How to Deal with Hydroplaning?‘ –> https://www.discounttire.com/learn/hydroplaning
Winter Performance
M+S grade is easy to get. But 3 severe snow-rated tires on the same segment… General engineers deserve respect.
Again all three options are dependable. I individually prefer ATX. Bigger lugs are working better on deep snow.
Note: If you are living in icy conditions, you should go with AT2. AT2 is the only studdable one among these three.
You can also check this article out for a solid winter tire!
Off-Road Comparison
I prefer to separate the off-road section into 3 different dimensions. Dirt and gravel, rock and mud. Sand is all about your tire’s footprint. A filled footprint always works better on sand which is AT3 in this comparison.
- A side note here: If you’d like to see the best all-terrain tires by vehicle or usage, this article is GOOOOLD –> https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
Dirt and Gravel Traction
General Grapper AT3 has one of the best traction on gravel. Due to South African magazine, it is leading this category with Continental CrossContact AT(Discontinued).
In fact, AT2 can perform as well as AT3 on gravel. The only difference is AT3 is able to grip smaller gravels a bit better. On the other hand, ATX is good on gravel but wider grooves can’t grip small stones from time to time.
About dirt, none of them will let you down. They have great traction. They are like magnets to the road. Yet, due to less aggressive tread design and more siping, AT3 is leading this section too.
Ranking
- General Grabber AT3
- General Grabber AT2
- General Grabber ATX
Rock Traction
Air-down performance is mainly about durability and sidewall design. Well, I am sorry to say that but I don’t recommend cheap brands for rock crawling. These brands have weak construction. They have to decrease prices. The easiest way to do it is by using slim construction elements.
Among the General Grabber Tires, Grabber A/TX is the superior one regarding rock crawling. However, my favorite rock crawling tire is BF Goodrich KO2. If you would like to see how it stands against General Grabber A/TX –> https://tireterrain.com/general-grabber-atx-vs-ko2/
Mud Traction
This section is between ATX and AT2. AT3 has a satisfying performance on light mud. Its design promises a lot of evacuation I have to admit that. Yet, these narrow block gaps can not throw the mud out easily when faced with compact mud.
You can choose either AT2 or ATX for better mud performances.
Specs
| General Grabber ATX | General Grabber AT2 | General Grabber AT3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | All-Terrain Tire | All-Terrain Tire | All-Terrain Tire |
| Vehicle | Light Truck, SUV | Light Truck, SUV | Light Truck, SUV |
| Available Sizes (Rim) | 14”, 15”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 20” | 14”, 15”, 16”, 17” 18”, 20” | 15”,16”,17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22” |
| Weight | 28 – 75 lbs | 27 – 65 lbs | – |
| Made In | Mt. Vernon, Illinois, USA | Mt. Vernon, Illinois, USA | Mt. Vernon, Illinois, USA |
| Severe Snow Rated (3PMSF) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty (P-metric) | 50,000 Miles | 60,000 Miles | N/A |
| Warranty (LT Sizes) | 50,000 Miles | N/A | N/A |
| Prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices |
Price
The tire market has a dynamic price policy. Hence, in my point of view, sharing tire price is pointless.
Though, I’ve analyzed the top 10 brands of most popular tire brands.
Here are the dealers with a reasonable price range,
TireRack
- Fast and Free shipping
- Usually delivered in 1 day
- Joint venture with DiscountTire(their installers and dealers are on your service)
- Tons of installer options, they also help you to choose the best one
- Mobile installers in many areas, your tires will be replaced while you’re working in the office
- Tire test results and comparisons can be found on the most product page
- 4.6/5 points on Google rate
General Grabber ATX: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/general-grabber-a-tx
General Grabber AT2: Not available
General Grabber AT3: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/general-grabber-at3
DiscountTire
- Biggest dealer in the US. Founded in 1960
- 1000 stores in 35 states. You most probably find one on your parallel street
- Free rotation and balancing
- 5% off for DiscountTire cardholders on online purchase
- Highest rated online tire dealer in Consumer Affairs
- Almost all brands are available
- Delivery takes 2-4 days (30% shorter average waiting time when you book online)
- Frequent discounts and promotions
General Grabber ATX: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/general-grabber-atx
General Grabber AT2: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/general-grabber-at2
General Grabber AT3: Not available
SimpleTire
- Free shipping
- Delivered in 2 days
- Verified shops near you(for mount and balance)
- Mobile installation option
- 7 million customers since 2021
- 4.7/5 points on Google rate
- Top-notch customer service, you may even request a price match
General Grabber ATX: https://simpletire.com/brands/general-tires/grabber-a-tx
General Grabber AT2: Not available
General Grabber AT3: https://simpletire.com/brands/general-tires/grabber-at3
While choosing dealers, I especially pay attention to reliability. All of the dealers on this list have 15-20 years of experience in the online tire business. Therefore, I can guarantee a smooth and fast tire buying process.
Conclusion
I hope this article will help you to pick the best option due to your application range.
In summary, General Grabber AT2 has a wider application range in all aspects. Yet, it is discontinued. For better on-road manners, I recommend General Grabber AT3. For better off-road manners, I recommend General Grabber ATX.
| General Grabber AT3 | General Grabber ATX | General Grabber AT2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better for | Mostly highway driving Aggressive appearance for SUV | Off-road lovers, 3/4 ton or above light-truck owners, working trucks, hauling and towing | Discontinued |
| Pros | Insane wet and snow traction, mild off-road traction, responsiveness | Insane wet and snow traction, mild & severe off-road traction, responsiveness | Discontinued |
| Cons | Can’t handle severe off-road | A bit noisy | Discontinued |
| Available on | TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price | DiscountTire: Check Price TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price | Discontinued |
Take-Home Points,
- LT sizes have stronger sidewalls. That feature makes them more durable. Yet, these tires offer a rougher ride. (LT vs P-Metric tires)
- XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, if you’ll go with p-metric sizes, they might be a better pick for hauling and towing( XL vs SL tires)
- Please pay attention to the load range and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
- There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires
A side note here: If you’d like to get local advice and find the best fit for your driving habits, location, and road conditions DiscountTire – Treadwell Tire Guide can give you masterpiece recommendations.
If you have any further questions, please indicate your operation in the below section. I will do my best to choose the right one for you.
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