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Last updated 4/24/2024 - Originally published 4/24/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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When the trails get tough with soft soil and mud blocking your way, you need dedicated mud terrain tires to sail through these extreme terrain conditions. Although all-terrain tires give you the best of both worlds, conquering mud, dirt, and soft surfaces isn’t their cup of tea. Offering superior traction, grip, and durability, mud-terrain tires are preferred by SUV and pickup truck owners looking for excellent mud, rock, and soft soil performance.
Balancing performance and price, mud-terrain tires from Firestone and General get you through tough situations without burning a hole in your pocket. The Destination M/T2 and Grabber X3 are the two frontline mud-terrain tires from Firestone and General, respectively, that promise great performance and high durability. While Firestone is a sub-brand of Bridgestone Tire, General is a unit of Continental Tire.
Designed for SUVs and light trucks, the Destination and Grabber are decently placed in the table of capable mud terrain tires available on the market today. So, which one will you select? Tough call, right? We have designed our scoring system – SimpleScore – that evaluates a tire based on its traction, durability, and longevity score.
Launched in July 2017, the Firestone Destination M/T2 is designed for SUVs and light trucks and features an aggressive tread pattern with attack angles, ensuring you are always in consistent contact with the surface. While mud and stone rejector technology ensures a cleaner tread for better performance, the 3-ply sidewall construction provides resistance to cuts, chips, and snags. Lastly, the debris shield protects the casing from damage by trail debris that slides between the wheel and the rim. It comes with optional studs to lend more biting edges for a strong grip on slippery terrains for combating severe wintry conditions of ice and snow.
With a fantastic overall SimpleScore of 8.2 out of 10, the Firestone offers adequate traction, handling, durability, and longevity.
Introduced in September 2016, the General Grabber X3 is among the most sought-after mud-terrain tires. Engineered for SUVs and light trucks, the Grabber X3 offers superior traction, grip, and durability on mud, rock, and dirt thanks to the high void, “deep paddle wheel” pattern that allows easy channeling of water, mud, and slush while keeping the tread clean. While alternating shoulder scoops improve mud grip by breaking vacuum, the traction notches, block chamfers, and stone bumpers enhance stability and grip on loose surfaces. The special tread compound allows cut and chip resistance and boosts performance on rocky and muddy terrains.
With superb traction, impeccable durability, and great longevity, the Grabber X3 scores an excellent overall SimpleScore of 9.1 out of 10.
Traction forms the basis of having tires on your vehicles. Whether driving at high or standard speeds, it continues to be a vital part of the wheeled movement. When crossing challenging terrains of mud, snow, sand, and rocks, it becomes imperative to have a high-traction tire. Both tires assure adequate traction while tackling muddy terrains.
Boasting a fantastic traction score of 8.4, the Destination M/T2 features mud and stone rejector technology, which clears debris from the tread, so you enjoy consistent traction on the mud. The open shoulder pattern and large center blocks provide improved traction thanks to the adequate tread-to-void ratio, which also helps in clearing mud, debris, dirt, and snow from the tread. The Firestone tire can be pinned with studs for added traction in snow.
With an incredible traction score of 9.7 out of 10, the Grabber X3 hits the nail on the head thanks to the high-void tread pattern that forms stretched channels for easy tread cleaning and better traction. While the multi-angle gripping edges allow maximum traction, the alternating shoulder scoops boost mud performance by offering excellent grip and breaking any vacuum created.
With a superior score, the General has a clear upper hand in traction over the Firestone.
ADVANTAGE: General Grabber X3
Since mud terrain tires are subjected to brutal off-road expeditions, durability is of paramount significance. The Firestone and General assure dependable durability; let’s check out how.
Scoring 8.4 in durability, the Destination M/T2 is in a good spot as its innovative tread compound resists cuts, chips, abrasions, and snags. While the debris shield prevents debris from wedging between the rim and the tire and doing any possible damage or pressure loss, the aggressive upper lugs provide traction in deep mud and protect the sidewall from potential risk.
Riding on the cut and chip-resistant tread compound, the Grabber X3 achieves 9.4 out of 10. The perfect tread-to-void ratio boosts self-cleaning to limit the accumulation of debris while the stone ejectors resist stone drilling by removing stone and debris and avoiding any punctures or damage. The Grabber X3 also comes with Duragen technology, deflection ribs, and pads that safeguard it against punctures.
The supremacy of the Grabber X3 continues in durability as well, as it beats the Destination M/T2 comprehensively.
ADVANTAGE: General Grabber X3
The last critical aspect of a tire that you would like to have is a longer service life. Its rubber compound, multi-ply construction, and sturdy carcass define its lifespan. Usually, mud-terrain tires have an average tread life and no limited manufacturer warranty on tread wear.
The Firestone fares reasonably well in the longevity department with a score of 7.9 thanks to the 3-ply sidewall construction and innovative tread compound that limit external damage while providing improved wearability. The aggressive tread pattern with large blocks also reduces uneven wear.
With the extraordinary scores in traction and durability, the General continues to impress in longevity as well with a commendable score of 8.5 out of 10. While the chip and cut-resistant tread compound protects it against off-road damage, the three-ply construction with high-strength steel belts prolongs the tire's service life.
Sweeping the comparison, the General tire pins Firestone in longevity as well.
ADVANTAGE: General Grabber X3
If you are in for a decent tire that can help you overcome off-road challenges, especially mud, rocks, and snow, then mud terrain tires are the right pair of shoes you should have for your SUV, 4X4, or pickup truck.
We recommend mud terrain tires only if your driving is mostly in such environments as these tires offer superb control, traction, and grip on off-roads but fall short when driving on paved roads. Don’t expect the driving comfort of an all-season or highway terrain tire on highways with these. However, in severe winter conditions of ice and snow, these can prove to be a real gem as they offer better grip, traction, and handling performance.
The ultimate question: Which is the perfect tire for your vehicle? Considering the average SimpleScore, the General Grabber X3 is the clear winner here (9.1 vs 8.2). Be it traction, durability, or longevity the General tire beats the Firestone comprehensively.
For a tire size of LT245/75R16, the Firestone Destination M/T2 costs $288 per tire, which comes to $1152 for a set of four tires, while the Grabber X3 is available at $214 per tire and $856 for four tires. The massive difference between the prices ($296) and SimpleScore once again highlights the General as a great mud terrain package.
Based on the SimpleScore, you should pick the General if you:
You can pick Firestone if you:
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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