Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus and General Grabber ATX are both All-Terrain (A/T) tires that are especially designed for both on-road and off-road surfaces. AT Plus has good on-road traction due to its lower void ratio whereas ATX is better for off-roading due to its wide and deep grooves.
Both the tires are durable but the high built strength of ATX makes its durability stand out.
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Comparing Pirelli Scorpion AT+ with General Grabber ATX
Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus
General Grabber ATX
Vs
Pirelli Scorpion AT plus has an aggressive symmetrical tread block design with narrow grooves which increases the contact patch between tread blocks and the ground.
The higher contact patch ensures better grip, therefore, allowing better traction on-road.
The optimized design of AT plus shoulders come into effect when handling the vehicle.
This tire has numerous sipes which allow it to perform well on wet surfaces but it does not produce good traction while hydroplaning due to its narrower grooves compared to its competitor.
The narrow grooves also don’t allow efficient evacuation of mud and dirt from the tire, hence decreasing its off-road capabilities.
The conical stone ejectors are present to avoid stones getting stuck into the grooves.
It also has a good built quality for enhanced durability and treadwear protection. (Lesser compared to ATX)
The ATX of the General Grabber family also has an aggressive symmetrical design with a high void ratio and less contact patch with the road.
The wide gaps between the tread blocks cause less grip to be attained, decreasing its dry traction on road.
The wide grooves throw water backward, moving the tire forward.
This action is also aided by many sipes which help to wipe away the water.
Wider grooves are also responsible for the evacuation of dirt and mud through the tire by throwing them backwards.
The notched shoulder design also allows the mud and dirt to pass through them, aiding in the cleaning action of grooves.
Stone ejectors prevent the stones from getting stuck into the tread.
The strong build also provides resistance against tread wear and increases durability.
On-Road Traction Comparison
The contact area between the tread blocks and ground decides the overall grip and braking distance of the tire.
The larger the contact patch, the greater would be the grip and the lower will be the braking distance.
All these characteristics are present in AT plus tire which allows great traction during dry conditions as there are narrow gaps between the tread blocks allowing the maximum area of the tread blocks in contact with the road.
But when it comes to the wet traction the same narrow grooves now become a hindrance in smoothly wiping of water away from the tire.
Although, there are many sipes available that aids in clearing the water through the grooves still its wet traction capabilities are not as good as of Grabber ATX.
In the case of General ATX, the higher void ratio of this tire doesn’t allow a decent contact area between the tread blocks and the road as the gaps between the tread blocks are wider.
This results in a lower grip and higher braking distance. These characteristics of the tire lead to lower on-road dry tractions compared to AT plus.
However, the wider grooves are much helpful in navigating the watery surfaces as the grooves throw the water backward and as a result, move the tire forward.
The high number of sipes also helps to wipe the water away.
The combined action of both grooves and sipes is what makes the wet traction of ATX remarkable.
Compared with the narrower grooves of AT plus, ATX certainly has an edge over its counterpart in wet conditions on road.
Off-Road Mud Traction Comparison
For a tire to effectively navigate in mud, it should must have wide grooves as they are necessary for effectively throwing the mud backward and allowing the tire to move forward. Unfortunately, in the case of AT Plus, the grooves are not wide enough for the effective removal of mud. The usage of the respective tire in muddy conditions can cause the grooves to be filled with mud which causes the tire to lose grip and get stuck. The narrow shoulder grooves also stop the tire from producing good handling as the mud gets stuck in between them.
ATX having wider grooves is preferred in muddy conditions.
The wide grooves easily remove the mud by throwing it backwards, allowing smooth navigation through the mud.
The optimized shoulder design also helps to clear mud from the tires.
With the added advantage of wider grooves, the ATX surpasses the AT Plus in mud traction.
Snow Terrain Traction
Similarly, the wide grooves aid in the navigation through soft snow.
Just like mud, the grooves throw soft snow backward and improve the traction of the vehicle.
The Pirelli AT Plus is still at a disadvantage as the narrow grooves don’t allow the smooth and bold propagation of tires on snowy roads. It has three peak snowflake rating, but it is not preferable to use this tire on hard snow.
The Grabber ATX is considered superior to Pirelli AT Plus in light snow traction as the wider grooves allow easy traction in soft snow by throwing it backwards.
The wider grooves bite snow easily and allow the tire to move boldly.
ATX is also three peak snowflake rated and due to wider grooves performs exceptionally well compared to its competitor, but it doesn’t mean that this tire can be used for hard snow.
Although having (M+S) rating it can’t match the capabilities of a true winter tire in adverse weather conditions.
Rocky Terrain Traction
AT Plus having a lower void ratio can’t easily move through the rocky terrain due to its narrow grooves as they don’t allow decent grip in challenging angles of approach.
Having wider grooves helps in the confident biting action of the tires on rocks.
However, narrow grooves hinder its traction on rocky terrain even with the conical stone ejectors to avoid stones getting stuck in tires.
On other hand, ATX has no problem in confidently propagating through rocks.
It has a high void ratio and bold stone ejectors which don’t allow the stones to get stuck inside the grooves.
The wide grooves allow easy grip on rocks from any angle of approach.
These characteristics make the ATX favorite for rocky terrain.
Which tire provides better comfort?
AT Plus tires are more focused on highway driving with a lower void ratio compared to ATX resulting in fewer gaps between the tread blocks.
The voids between the tread blocks are responsible for producing the noise as the air particles get trapped inside the void and start striking the walls forward and backward producing noise.
Lesser gaps allow a lower amount of air to get trapped inside the tire making it more comfortable and more noise resistant especially at higher speeds. (Compared to ATX)
One of the drawbacks of ATX is the noise it produces when traveling at high speed on road.
This results from the striking of the air which gets trapped inside the voids of the tires as the vehicle moves on the road. It has a higher void ratio which causes a higher amount of air to get trapped between the grooves.
Hence the comfort of the tire gets compromised.
AT Plus is certainly preferred for people concerned about noise.
Durability and Treadwear
The contact patch of tread blocks of AT Plus is higher with the ground resulting in higher rolling resistance which is the force required to move the tire.
The higher rolling resistance causes higher treadwear of the tire.
This surely decreases the durability of the tire and its total mileage.
It consists of a polyester casing, two high-strength steel belts, and multiple nylon reinforcements.
The built of the AT Plus is strong but not as strong as ATX.
ATX due to its lower rolling resistance caused by a lower patch of tread blocks in contact with the ground allows lower treadwear.
Since the treadwear is lower it directly increases the durability and total mileage of the tire.
It has sidewall protection lugs that protect it from sidewall punctures.
It consists of ultra-high-strength steel belts, a robust, two-ply polyester casing, and two polyamide reinforcement piles that aid durability.
The durability of ATX is undoubtedly far better than AT Plus.
Price Differences
The price range for ATX is quite higher than AT plus.
Both the tires can be bought according to the application and requirements of the consumer.
The higher price of ATX is justified by its superior durability, better-built strength along with the higher mileage it covers, and due to its increased performance in off-roading.
Quick Summary
- Both tires are All Terrain (A/T).
- On-road dry traction of Pirelli AT Plus is better.
- On-road wet traction of General ATX is better.
- The off-road performance of ATX tires is much better in muddy and rocky terrains.
- AT Plus is better equipped to counter noise making it more comfortable.
- The overall durability and treadwear resistance of ATX is better.
- ATX is a more expensive.
