General Grabber AT2 Review & Rating for 2024

Most people believe that when it comes to performance, all-terrain tires fare far better off-the-road than they do on it. Most people, as it turns out, haven’t used such tires in their lives and only believe in the hearsay.

If you think we’re being too critical here, then you must check out our review of the General Grabber AT2. A budget option which has impressed a large number of drivers with its performance, this tire offers you the best of both worlds.

While its aggressive tread design makes it a must-have for off-road conditions, the presence of internal steel belts empowers this tire to make your road rides as smooth as possible. Juxtapose both these factors, and what you have is a tire whose unique selling point is its year-round utility.

General Grabber AT2 Review: Test Drive

It goes without saying that the features of all-terrain tires are important. What is equally true, however, is that it’s the real-life performance and not some technical stuff written on the brochure which will convince drivers to the utility of their model. That’s why after installing these tires, we took our Jeep to a test drive to see how they fare.

Here’s how they performed:

Treadwear and Durability

At the cost of sounding disrespectful towards the General Grabber AT2, most all-terrain tires are built to last. Their even tread design and sturdy interior construction mean that no matter how much you abuse them, a majority of all-terrain tires would come out of the ordeal smiling.

The General Grabber AT2 does more than that. Thanks to its DuraGen Technology – which helps ensure superior performance on rough surfaces, you would barely notice wear on the tire’s surface during the first 20,000 to 30,000 miles of riding.

If that isn’t enough for you – and you want some solid assurances before investing your money – General provides exactly that. While most models you see on the market have their warranties void at 30,000 to 40,000 miles, the AT2 comes with a warranty which extends to a whopping 60,000 miles.

Dry Performance

Since this is an all-terrain tire, you can’t expect it to rival, say, the General Altimax RT43 for on-road performance. The reason why we’re bound to say that is because its aggressive tread pattern, which makes this tire a must-have for off-road conditions, acts as a double-edged sword on dry tarmac.

On one side, the aggressive tread pattern provides the extra grip on dry roads which results in a reliable and safe driving experience. On the other, however, you have to contend with the squeaking noise which would come when driving this tire on dry tarmac.

Similarly, you might want to be careful when turning corners as the grip of this tire and overall braking performance suffers in such circumstances. Having said all of that, for the off-road performance that it offers, the AT2 performs admirably on dry paved roads.

Wet Performance and Snow & Ice

When we took out the General Grabber AT2 for a ride, we were surprised how well it performed in rainy and wet conditions. Granted, you don’t get the same traction on wet roads as you’ll in off-road conditions. Still, the braking performance and road grip was hugely impressive for an all-terrain tire.

That said, this model reserves its best performance for roads that are inundated with snow and ice. As with all tires which meet the requirements of RAM and RMA in regards to severe snow conditions – and there aren’t a lot of them! – you can use this model confidently under severe weather conditions.

That is, because, the tire tread has small indents dotting its diameter. You can make full use of the indents to insert studs which give better traction in ice and snow. Though you’ve to check with your local road regulations as not all states/provinces allow studded tires as they accelerate road wear.

Off-road performance

As you might have guessed by now, the one area where the General Grabber AT2 stands head-and-shoulders above its competitors is its off-road performance. It contains 5-rows of irregularly shaped blocks that are specifically designed to provide optimal tractions on rough roads.

You can also say the same about the inner steel belts which reinforce the tread patterns. Mounted on nylon, these steel belts absorb bumps and off-road vibrations to protect the tire from premature wear and give the passenger smooth riding experience. 

On top of that, keen-eyed observers might notice that the treads on this tire are deeper than most other off-road wheels. Such an arrangement means that in addition to providing better off-road traction, this tire can grip gravelly and sandy surfaces with remarkable ease.

Noise and Comfort

As long as you decide to ride these tires on off-road surfaces, there won’t be any noises bar the breaking of twigs which your vehicle might move over along its journey. On the dry tarmac, however, there will be some noise. Though you won’t be needing to put on earmuffs.

This is largely because of the engineered acoustic tread pattern of the Grabber AT2. A common fixture which you can find with most off-road General tires, it minimizes the noise such tires would otherwise produce on dry surfaces. 

In addition to the absence of noise, what would make your journey comfortable is the absence of vibrations. With the deep tread pattern taking care of off-road bumps, you can have more-than-decent riding experience.