General Grabber AT2 vs Toyo AT3: Both the General Grabber AT2 and Toyo AT3 tires are all-terrain tires. Even though they were built keeping in mind the off-road and on-road performance, AT3 performs better when it comes to on-road traction.
However, General Grabber AT2 has an edge over Toyo Open Country AT3 on muddy terrains.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Additionally, it is also more affordable than its competitor.
FYI: Did you know that BFG KO2 looks just like the General Grabber AT2?
Table of Contents
Comparing Toyo Open Country AT3 with General Grabber AT2
Toyo AT3
General Grabber A/T2
Vs
General Grabber AT2 is an all-season and all-terrain tire. It performs quite well in both on-road and off-road competence.
However, its on-road wet traction in unmatchable.
The main reason behind it is a larger number of sipes on the tread.
This is what makes it efficient at draining water from the grooves and avoid hydroplaning as well.
Since the tire is equipped with wider grooves and extra sipes, you get excellent traction on mud as well.
Scoring a three-peak rating in mountain snowflakes, the performance of the tire on soft snow is also outstanding.
The tread compound is made in such a way that it reduces cuts and chips.
This increases the durability of the tires and sets them apart from the leading competitors in all-terrain brands.
Talking about the comfort of the tires, they are not as comfortable as AT3 due to their wide grooves.
That’s because the wide grooves trap more air inside the tire which then produces a lot of noise when you drive the vehicle at a high speed on road.
Just like General Grabber AT2, the Toyo Open Contry AT3 is also an all-season and all-terrain tire.
Featuring narrower grooves as compared to Grabber AT2, it offers more contact between the tread and the road.
As a result, the drivers get a stronger traction on dry roads. Also, the higher contact patch of the tire makes it an excellent choice on icy terrains.
The bold stone ejectors present on AT3 emit pebbles and stones from getting stuck inside the grooves.
As a result, these tires become one of the top choices of the drivers on rocky terrains.
Due to the narrower grooves present on the tire, it traps less air inside it.
So, you also get minimum noise while driving on the road which is one of the best things about the Toyo AT3.
On-Road Traction Comparison
When we talk about the on-road traction, the General Grabber AT2 has extremely wide grooves in its shoulders and tread.
As a result, it features a high void ratio and low traction on a dry road.
That’s because there would be more gaps between the tread blocks resulting in less contact with the road. However, the number of sipes on the tire is more.
This is what makes it more efficient at collecting and draining water from the grooves.
So, the drivers can efficiently avoid hydroplaning on wet roads with them.
On the other hand, the Toyo AT3 comes with narrower grooves as compared to AT2.
For this reason, there is more contact between the road and tread resulting in stronger traction on dry roads.
When we talk about the number of sipes on the tire, it is, unfortunately, lower than its competitor.
So, the tire would not wipe away the water as efficiently as the AT2.
All in all, the General Grabber AT2 shines brightly in the world of wet road traction and the Toyo AT3 is the winner in dry road traction.
Off-Road Traction Comparison
Mud Terrain
Since the General Grabber AT2 has extra sipes and wide grooves, you get fine traction on mud as the tire continuously throws the mud backward.
In addition to this, it also grabs the muddy ground efficiently.
Not only this, but the tire also gets the self-cleaning abilities on the muddy terrain.
In contrast, the Toyo AT3 has a lower void ratio due to its narrower grooves.
So, even though it is capable enough of throwing away the mud efficiently and navigating easily, its performance is not as good as the AT2.
There is also a high chance that the grooves get fully packed with mud and might turn the tire into a slick.
Snow Terrain
It is extremely important to know the snow rating of the tire to determine its performance on the snow.
Well, the good news is that the General Grabber AT2 scored three-peak ratings in mountain snowflakes.
It has quite wide grooves which makes it efficient to grab and throw soft snow with much force.
However, when it comes to icy terrains, the performance of the tire is a bit poor.
The main reason is that it has a lower contact patch resulting in low traction.
Even though the Toyo AT3 also scored three-peak mountain snowflake ratings and features, its grooves are narrower as compared to the AT2.
In addition to this, the number of sipes on the tire is also lesser.
As a result, its performance is not as good as the AT2 on soft snow terrains.
But, when it comes to icy roads, the traction of these tires is excellent on icy terrains due to the higher contact patch.
Rock Terrain
When it comes to rocky terrain, having bold stone ejectors and wide grooves is extremely important.
Unfortunately, the General Grabber AT2 lags a bit behind its competition as it does not have bold stone ejectors.
However, it has wider grooves as compared to AT3 which provide a greater grip on rocky terrain from any angle.
Coming to the Toyo AT3, the bold stone ejectors and a strong shoulder are built to make it one of the top choices of the users to deal with rocky terrain.
That’s because the stone ejectors prevent the pebbles and the stones from getting stuck inside the grooves.
But, you should also be aware of the fact that due to the lack of wide grooves, it does not offer good grip on uneven roads.
Comfort of Driving?
Talking about the comfort level of General Grabber AT2, it is not as comfortable as compared to Toyo AT3.
That’s because it has wider grooves than AT3, that traps more air inside them when you drive at a higher speed on road.
When the air is trapped inside the grooves, it strikes back and forth resulting in an extremely loud noise.
However, when it comes to off-roading, the wider grooves now play the role of a shock absorber.
As a result, the users get a smooth drive even on rough and uneven surfaces.
In contrast, the Toyo AT3 has narrower grooves and as a result, a lesser amount of air gets trapped inside it.
The main reason behind its quiet nature is its acoustic tread pattern and multi-tread block sizes.
When you combine these features, you get minimum road noise on the road which is an area that many drivers even praised in their review of the tire.
Coming to off-roading comfort, the narrow grooves are not sufficient enough to absorb shocks while driving on rough terrain.
Durability & Treadwear
Due to the lower contact patch of the General Grabber AT2, it gets a lower rolling resistance which is the force required to keep the tire rolling.
As a result, it also decreases the treadwear of the tires.
The tread of the tire is constructed using high-quality material which improves its chip resistance.
When the higher build is combined with lower treadwear, it results in higher durability.
Thus, you can easily use these tires for a higher number of miles.
When it comes to the contact patch of the Toyo AT3, it is significantly higher as compared to the General Grabber AT2.
This is what contributes more to the higher rolling resistance leading to higher treadwear. Even though its built quality is good, it is not as good as compared to the AT2.
So, when we combine the higher treadwear with a lower built strength, it hinders the tire’s mileage and influences its durability as well.
Price Differences
When it comes to the price of both tires, the Toyo AT3 is on a higher side as compared to the General Grabber AT2.
However, General Grabber is a brand known for its high-quality tires at affordable rates. In the end, it all depends upon the features that you are seeking in a tire.
Quick Summary
- Both General Grabber AT2 and Toyo AT3 are All Terrains (A/T) tires.
- On-road dry traction of AT3 is good and on-road wet traction of AT2 is better.
- General Grabber performs well in mud and soft snow terrain.
- Toyo AT3 performs well in rocky and icy terrains.
- Toyo is more comfortable on-road than General Grabber.
- AT2 is more durable than AT3.
- Toyo AT3 is more expensive than General Grabber AT3.
