General Grabber AT3 VS Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus

General Grabber AT3 VS Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus: Both General Grabber AT3 and Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus are All-Terrain (A/T) tires, made for people who want a combination of on and off-road capabilities in a single tire. AT3 due to its narrow-spaced tread design offers better on-road drive along with satisfactory off-road experience while AT Plus has a comparatively wide-spaced tread design which allows a greater void ratio, enhancing the tire’s off-road limits to a whole other level with surprising on-road civility.

Due to its intricate design AT Plus is severe mud-rated and branded Three Peak-Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) rating. If you want to find out how these tires compete with one another on different surfaces and conditions, along with an in-depth comparison of key performance factors, keep reading till the end.

Comparing Pirelli Scorpion AT+ with General Grabber AT3

AT3 features an aggressive symmetrical 5-pitch innovative pattern tread design where each of 5 tread block column is separated by a circumferential groove. The tread blocks in the column are independent of each other due to several lateral grooves running across them. The tire provides simple straight or curved sipes that further subdivide the tread blocks into smaller elements. It has TracGen Technology which provides biting edges around the tread blocks to provide extra grip with loose surfaces. Its shoulder design is open and wide which provides help in mud traction.

DuraGen Technology makes its tread strong by using robust compounds with reinforced blocks and high-strength steel belts that provide stability plus high load-bearing capacities. Furthermore, it has Comfort Balance Technology that enables highly optimized geometry and orientation of tread blocks for a more comfortable ride. The sidewall has large lugs on the upper corner to protect it from stone, pebbles, and other debris. There are protections ribs present beneath the sidewall lugs which provide extra protection to the sidewall. There is a rib present around the rim for protection of the wheel bead area, especially while off-roading.

AT Plus on other hand, features a more aggressive symmetrical 5 -pitch pattern tread design with 4 circumferential grooves running between them. The longitudinal grooves separate the tread column into large blocks in an irregular manner. This allows blunt shapes of tread blocks for good traction during off-roading. Its shoulders studs are installed in an alternating pattern with one slightly larger than the other for enhanced mud traction.

The large tread blocks are provided with sharp edges around the corner for extra grip. It has fewer deep sipes which are optimized for contact pressure distribution. Special cones are fitted inside the grooves as stone ejectors, improving its rock traction. The robust material used in shoulders and reinforced wider sidewall layout make it resistant against trail damages. Its tread design pitch sequence is also optimized to provide a lower noise level. (Still higher compared to AT3)

On-Road Traction Comparison

AT3 has a compact design with not so much widely placed tread blocks which allow a comparatively higher contact patch since more tread area is in contact with the ground. This increases the grip of the tire due to which braking distance is shortened. It ensures a reliable ride on-road under dry conditions. It’s well equipped to handle wet surfaces, although, its grooves may be narrower than its counterpart but are wide enough to withstand hydroplaning as they are aided by numerous sipes running through its tread. This allows good wet traction but not as good as the other one.

AT plus has an open design of tread blocks allowing decent but not large contact patch with the ground since the amount of tread connecting with the ground is lessened by the wide grooves present in it. This compromises the grip of the tire, therefore, increasing its braking distance hence making the tire lack dry on-road traction. However, these wide grooves do allow a significant amount of water to pass through them which is also bolstered by deep sipes running through its tread. This tire dominates in wet conditions, making it a more suitable choice.

Off-Road Traction Comparison

Mud Terrain

Mud traction capabilities of a tire are characterized by the width of the grooves along with the broadness of its shoulders. AT3 performs fine in mud due to its decent void ratio allowing mild width of spaces between its tread, giving it the ability to evacuate mud by throwing it backward.

The broad shoulder design improves its mud traction by allowing easy passage through its wide grooves. The tire can hold on its own in simple mud but may get in trouble when introduced to heavy mud. The weakness of the tire will get exposed in such conditions, rendering it useless due to the filling of grooves with heavy mud since they are not wide enough to handle it.

AT Plus is severe mud rated due to its higher void ratio, allowing the easy passage of the mud by the constant action of biting, and then throwing mud backwards. The alternating shoulder design allows mud to easily pass through, further enhancing its performance and making it capable to handle heavy mud as well.

Snow Terrain

AT3 due to narrow grooves performs average on soft snow as the narrow grooves are incapable of effectively throwing soft snow backward and allowing the tire to confidently propagate forward. On the ice, this tire is more efficient due to its higher contact patch and numerous sipes which provides better traction on ice.

On soft snow AT Plus excels due to its wider grooves as they can boldly move the tire forward by biting the soft snow under the footprint then efficiently throwing it backward to provide good traction. The ice is not a strong suit for this tire as it doesn’t have a large contact patch and numerous sipes like its competitor making it struggle on ice due to the absence of necessary grip.

Rock Terrain

The bold stone ejectors and higher built quality of the tire dictate the performance of any tire on rocky terrain. AT3 has a strong built to survive the harsh conditions of rocky terrain but lacks the bold enough stone ejectors to surpass its counterpart. It may be used on rocks, but its performances doesn’t compare to that of its competitor.

AT Plus also perform remarkably on rocks as it not only has a stronger built but is also blessed with the special conical stone ejectors who prevent the stones from getting stuck inside its grooves and drilling through them. It is the more preferred tire to be used on rocks as wider grooves can also provide extra grip when trying to approach the rocks through tricky angles.

Durability and Treadwear Differences

AT3 having a higher contact patch uses more energy to keep the tire rolling hence its rolling resistance is higher. The higher rolling resistance causes more treadwear which negatively affects its durability. Its built is strong but provides comparatively less treadwear resistance. These factors decrease the overall durability of the tire which leads to lower mileage. (Compared to AT Plus)

AT Plus has a lower contact patch hence allowing the tire to be rolled using a lesser amount of energy which ensures lower rolling resistance. Since rolling resistance is low it will cause a lower treadwear to the tire. The strong built further up the game of respective tire by providing a little better treadwear resistance. This causes the durability and mileage to be a lot higher, making AT Plus a better choice in this domain.

Which Tire is more comfortable?

On-road comfort of AT3 is higher since it has a lower void ratio allowing minimal air particles to get stuck inside its grooves, producing less noise. On other hand, its off-road comfort is not that great since it lacks wider grooves which are necessary for smooth navigation on an uneven patch, making the tire undesirable on an unpaved road.

AT plus produces a loud noise while traveling on-road as it allows many air particles to get trapped inside its grooves due to a higher void ratio. The particles bounce back and forth of sidewalls, producing undesired noise. During off-roading the wider grooves act as a shock absorber decreasing the intensity of jerks while traveling over an uneven path, hence allowing a smoother and more comfortable ride.

Price Differences

AT3 is a higher-priced tire with the best on-road and mild off-road capabilities whereas AT Plus is available at a lower price tag allowing better off-road and average on-road performance. If you are planning to drive frequently on-road with some trips to off-road then AT3 is recommended but if you have to face mud or snow on daily basis, AT Plus got you covered.

Quick Summary

• Both the tires fall under the category of All-Terrain.
• On-road traction of AT3 is higher due to the larger contact patch.
• AT plus is a severe mud-rated tire whereas AT3 struggles in heavy mud.
• Soft snow traction of AT Plus is better while AT3 performs well on ice.
• Conical stone ejectors put AT Plus ahead of AT3 in rocky terrain.
• Better built and lower treadwear allows AT Plus to provide better durability and tread wear resistance.
• On-road AT3 is quieter whereas AT Plus allows smoother rides off-road.
• AT3 is higher priced compared to AT Plus.