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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Dunlop TrailSmart Max vs General Grabber AT3 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop TrailSmart Max

All Season All Terrain and Off Road tires

Dunlop TrailSmart Max tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
93/100
3 owner reviews
Dry
93
Wet
93
Snow
–
Comfort
100
Noise
–
Treadwear
100
Handling
87

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B General

General Grabber AT3

All Terrain and Off Road All Season tire

General Grabber AT3 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
91/100
274 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
74
Snow
80
Comfort
88
Noise
66
Treadwear
89
Handling
90

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Pick the General Grabber AT3 if handling matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 6
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
93
B — General Grabber AT3
87
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 81
Tyre Reviews owners 93 86

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 19
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
93
B — General Grabber AT3
74
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 63
Tyre Reviews owners 93 79

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
–
B — General Grabber AT3
80
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 76
Tyre Reviews owners – 81

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 12
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
100
B — General Grabber AT3
88
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Tyre Reviews owners 100 86

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
–
B — General Grabber AT3
66
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 52

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 11
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
100
B — General Grabber AT3
89
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Tyre Reviews owners 100 89

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Grabber AT3 leads by 3
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
87
B — General Grabber AT3
90
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxGrabber AT3
Tyre Reviews owners 87 75
DriverReviews owners – 84

Scores at a glance

Dunlop TrailSmart Max vs General Grabber AT3: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop TrailSmart MaxGeneral Grabber AT3
Relative Score 95 85
Dry 93 87
Wet 93 74
Snow – 80
Comfort 100 88
Noise – 66
Treadwear 100 89
Handling 87 90

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop TrailSmart Max

The Dunlop TrailSmart Max is highly regarded by adventure motorcycle riders for its exceptional balance between sport-touring road performance and light off-road capability. Users consistently praise its handling, wet-weather confidence, and comfort, positioning it as a superior upgrade over many original equipment tires.

Pros

  • Excellent handling and turn-in precision on tarmac
  • Strong wet-weather grip and stability
  • High levels of rider comfort and low noise output
  • Versatile performance across varying road conditions

Cons

  • Limited performance in deep mud or technical off-road terrain
  • Tendency to power slide under aggressive acceleration in heavy rain
  • Perceived as less capable in off-road environments compared to dedicated dual-sport tires

Observations

  • Riders of large-displacement adventure bikes like the BMW R1200 GSA report high satisfaction with longevity and road-biased performance.
  • Users of mid-weight adventure bikes like the V-Strom 650 appreciate the high grip levels on tarmac but note the tire's limitations on loose gravel surfaces.
Tire B General Grabber AT3

The General Grabber A/T3 is widely regarded as a high-value, versatile all-terrain tire that excels in snow, wet conditions, and light-to-moderate off-road environments. While most users praise its quiet road manners and impressive traction, a subset of owners report concerns regarding tread life, fuel economy, and the tendency for the tread pattern to retain and eject small rocks.

Pros

  • Excellent traction in snow, ice, and wet conditions
  • Superior ride comfort and low road noise for an all-terrain tire
  • High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium competitors
  • Rugged aesthetic with effective rim protection features

Cons

  • Noticeable decrease in fuel economy (MPG)
  • Tread pattern prone to picking up and throwing small rocks
  • Inconsistent tread life reported across different vehicle types
  • Initial 'squirmy' handling feel when new or at lower pressures

Observations

  • Heavy-duty truck owners (e.g., 2500HD models) generally report good stability and towing performance, though some note faster wear under heavy loads.
  • Users of smaller SUVs and crossovers appreciate the quiet ride, but some report significantly shorter tread life on these lighter platforms.
  • Proper inflation is critical; several users noted that running lower pressures can cause a 'floating' or unstable sensation, while higher pressures improve handling.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Dunlop TrailSmart Max

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

General Grabber AT3

Positive

Community opinion on the General Grabber AT3 is largely positive, with users praising its durability on gravel roads, good tread life longevity, and relatively low road noise compared to more aggressive alternatives. Some users noted concerns regarding sidewall or surface cracking and minor tearing after off-road use, but overall satisfaction remains high across various vehicle types from vans to heavy-duty trucks.

Top themes
#tread life longevity#gravel and off road performance#tire durability and damage#road noise and comfort#load ratings and sizing#value and pricing

Based on 16 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max B · General Grabber AT3
CategoryAll Season All Terrain and Off Road tiresAll Terrain and Off Road All Season tire
Vehicle typeMotorcycleSUV and 4x4
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

General

Winner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Pick the General Grabber AT3 if handling matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 93 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 88 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 89 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 93 vs 87 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max
Tire B · General Grabber AT3

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.