BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 vs General Grabber AT3
Across shared modern testing (255/55 R18, 2024), the Grabber AT3 finished 3rd of 7 while the KO2 placed 7th, driven largely by meaningful on-road and wet advantages for General. The KO2 countered with stronger snow handling and several off-road highlights (gravel, mud bite), though at the cost of noise and fuel economy. A 2017 off-road-focused test flipped the script, with KO2 2nd and AT3 5th, underscoring how test weighting (road vs off-road) shifts the outcome.
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been two tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 | one | |
| General Grabber AT3 | one |
The BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 and General Grabber AT3 have an equal number of test wins. However, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Stable snow handling and solid snow braking for a 3PMSF AT
- Strong off-road bite in mud and on gravel with predictable behavior
- Better straight and curved aquaplaning resistance than AT3
- Durable, rugged construction suited to demanding trails
- Markedly better wet braking and wet handling (safer in rain)
- Quieter and more comfortable ride with lower vibration
- Lower rolling resistance for improved fuel economy
- Balanced year-round performance and strong overall test results
Dry Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one dry braking tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 stopped the vehicle in 0.67% less distance than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Dry Braking: General Grabber AT3
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 was 2.05% faster around a lap than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: General Grabber AT3
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one wet braking tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 stopped the vehicle in 13.51% less distance than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Wet Braking: General Grabber AT3
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 was 6.12% faster around a wet lap than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: General Grabber AT3
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 had 3.28% higher lateral wet grip than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Wet Circle: General Grabber AT3
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 floated at a 2.46% higher speed than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Straight Aqua: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one curved aquaplaning tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 slipped out at a 1.65% higher speed than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Snow Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one snow braking tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 stopped the vehicle in 1.83% less distance than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Snow Braking: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Snow Braking winner was calculated >>
Snow Traction
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one snow traction tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 had 2.7% better snow traction than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Snow Traction: General Grabber AT3
See how the Snow Traction winner was calculated >>
Snow Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one snow handling [km/h] tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was 2.71% faster around a lap than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Snow Handling [Km/H]: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Snow Handling winner was calculated >>
Gravel Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one gravel handling [km/h] tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was 3.82% faster around a lap than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Gravel Handling [Km/H]: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Gravel Handling winner was calculated >>
Gravel Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one gravel braking tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 stopped the vehicle in 3.42% less distance than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Gravel Braking: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Gravel Braking winner was calculated >>
Gravel Traction
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one gravel traction tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 had 1.19% better traction on gravel than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Gravel Traction: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Gravel Traction winner was calculated >>
Sand Traction
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one sand traction tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 had 1.05% better traction in sand than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Sand Traction: General Grabber AT3
See how the Sand Traction winner was calculated >>
Mud Traction
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 was better during one mud traction tests. On average the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 had 1.05% better traction in mud than the General Grabber AT3.
Best In Mud Traction: BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
See how the Mud Traction winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one noise tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 measured 3.41% quieter than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Noise: General Grabber AT3
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the General Grabber AT3 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the General Grabber AT3 had a 13.08% lower rolling resistance than the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2.
Best In Rolling Resistance: General Grabber AT3
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 Driver Reviews
Drivers largely praise the BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 for its outstanding off-road traction, durability (tough sidewalls/puncture resistance), and surprisingly solid dry-road stability, with many reporting strong snow performance and long wear. However, a significant minority report weak wet grip-especially wet braking-and increased road noise, with several noting the rubber hardens over time, worsening both noise and wet performance. Ride comfort is also frequently described as firm/harsh, particularly on load range E fitments. Overall sentiment is positive, but on-road wet performance and noise are recurring trade-offs.
Based on 37 reviews with an average rating of 73%
General Grabber AT3 Driver Reviews
Most drivers rate the General Grabber AT3 highly for its quiet ride, strong wet-road confidence, long tread life, and balanced on-/off-road capability. Many praised its snow performance (for an AT) and reliable traction on gravel, grass, and light-to-moderate trails. A minority reported weak grip on ice and limitations in deep mud or boggy grass, which is expected for an all-terrain tyre. Overall sentiment is strongly positive, with durability, low noise, and everyday drivability standing out.
Based on 26 reviews with an average rating of 80%
Conclusion
Choose the BFGoodrich KO2 when off-road robustness is the priority and you value confident snow handling plus predictable traction in mud and on gravel. It also resists aquaplaning a touch better and holds its line well off-pavement, but you'll trade off longer wet stops, higher noise, and worse efficiency. In short: AT3 for year-round road-first versatility; KO2 for trail-first durability with winter and rough-surface poise.
Key Differences
- Wet safety: AT3 stops ≈14% shorter and corners more securely in the wet
- On-road refinement: AT3 is ~2.5 dB quieter with notably better comfort
- Efficiency: AT3's rolling resistance ~13% lower (9.3 vs 10.7 kg/t)
- Snow balance: KO2 leads snow handling/braking; AT3 slightly better snow traction
- Off-road split: KO2 stronger in mud/gravel bite; AT3 better in sand and some dirt scenarios
- Aquaplaning: KO2 holds a small edge in straight and curved resistance
Overall Winner: General Grabber AT3
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the General Grabber AT3 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tyre comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tyres:
BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 Top Comparisons
General Grabber AT3 Top Comparisons
Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.