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Last updated 9/26/2024 - Originally published 9/26/2024
Written by SimpleTire
General Tires is a well-known tire manufacturer based out of the US in Akron, Ohio. Founded in 1915, the tire manufacturer quickly gained a reputation for its performance-oriented and budget-friendly tires for various vehicle fitments including coupes, sedans, minivans, CUVs, SUVs, Jeeps, pickup trucks, racing cars, and even commercial vehicles. Following a unique timeline, General started producing Original Equipment tires for General Motors and other automobile manufacturers in 1955 and established a research team to develop the world’s largest testing track in Uvalde, Texas four years later. Currently owned by Continental AG, General offers various tire families including the Grabber series which caters to the powerful and rugged light trucks in the market.
On September 1st, General Tires launched a new member of the Grabber family - General Grabber H/T. General Grabber H/T is an all-season light truck tire that delivers impressive wet braking, better snow traction, and enhanced strength with a limited manufacturer tread life warranty of up to 70,000 miles as the icing on the cake. Today, we will dive in deep to explore the new addition to the Grabber family based on SimpleScore and compare it to its predecessor General Grabber HTS60, showcasing the new features and benefits of the General Grabber H/T tire.
Benefits of the new and improved General Grabber H/T
The Grabber H/T replaces the tested and proven Grabber HTS60 and comes with an expansive size lineup with 62 articles, including 6 V-Speed-rated articles. Built with the drivers of CUVs, SUVs, and light truck drivers in mind, the Grabber H/T tire is designed to be tough enough to carry heavier loads without sacrificing performance. Let’s take a look at some of the innovative features in the General Grabber H/T making it a class apart.
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All-season performance: The General Grabber H/T is designed with an all-season tread pattern for consistent traction and refined handling in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions.
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Enhanced Traction: The Grabber H/T features circumferential wide grooves paired with angled grooves to help channel water out of the tire’s contact patch and reduce the risk of hydroplaning.
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Excellent longevity: The tire features a damage-resistant, long-wearing tread compound paired with General Tire’s DuraGen technology for a long tread life. Additionally, the tire is backed by a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for S-, T-, and H-rated sizes, 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for V-rated sizes, and a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for R- and S-rated sizes.
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Improved durability: Similarly to longevity, the durability of the tire is boosted by DuraGen technology and a damage-resistant tread compound which ensures heavy-load carrying capacity for the tire.
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Solid handling: The symmetric tread pattern of the tire features a continuous rib for enhanced straight-line stability and steering response. The angled tread blocks toward the shoulder and redesigned contact patch help put more rubber on the road when cornering for even better handling performance.
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Smooth driving experience: Built with General’s Comfort Balance Technology, the Grabber H/T features a randomized and computer-tuned tread patch that cancels certain frequencies and overtones to keep road noise and vibrations to a minimum.
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Innovative features: The Grabber H/T is built with a Replacement Tire Monitor (RTM) with the word “REPLACE TIRE” in bold letters molded into the tread which is revealed when the tread reaches a minimum legal depth of 2/32”/ Additionally, Visual Alignment Indicators molded into both shoulders of tread let drivers check up on any potential alignment issues and uneven wear.
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45 Days Satisfaction Trial: All General Passenger and Light Truck Tires bearing the General name and D.O.T. serial numbers, purchased as replacement market tires are covered up to 45 days (or the first 2/32nds treadwear, whichever comes first).
But, what improvements does the Grabber H/T boast over its predecessor, General Grabber HTS60?
“We are thrilled to expand upon the renowned legacy of the Grabber HTS60 with the launch of the innovative Grabber H/T,” says Bill Caldwell, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Continental Tire the Americas.
“With superior performance and a wider range of sizes, we are confident that the Grabber H/T will surpass expectations and deliver unmatched satisfaction to our customers.”
Built to surpass its predecessor, the Grabber H/T is built on the success of the Grabber HTS60 and outshines the tire in all-season traction and long-lasting durability. The tire offers enhanced tread life, improved wet braking performance, and reduced rolling resistance for better fuel efficiency. However, the difference between the two tires can be better understood when using SimpleScore.
SimpleScore is SimpleTire’s proprietary rating system for the modern tire buyer and utilizes our own data sources, details from manufacturers, and customer feedback to give you a bird-eye view of the tire’s capabilities. Based on SimpleScore,
General Grabber H/T scored:
- Longevity: 9.8
- Handling: 8.3
- Traction: 8.1
- Overall SimpleScore: 8.7
General Grabber HT60 scored:
- Longevity: 8.7
- Handling: 8.5
- Traction: 8.6
- Overall SimpleScore: 8.6
As evident from the SimpleScores, the Grabber H/T surpasses the Grabber HTS60 in longevity by over a full point which is thanks to the damage-resistant, long-wearing tread compound. Additionally, the Grabber H/T is backed by an up to 70,000 miles manufacturer tread life warranty, whereas, the Grabber HTS60 is backed by an up to 65,000 miles limited manufacturer tread life warranty. However, as you observed, the HTS60 scored slightly better in handling and traction.
General claims that the Grabber H/T is best-in-class wet braking, snow traction, and treadwear based on the internal testing of Grabber H/T versus Firestone Destination LE3, Cooper Endeavor Plus, Hankook Dynapro HT RH12, and Toyo Open Country H/T II in size 265/60R18.
This bold statement goes to prove the trust and effort General has put into the manufacturing of Grabber H/T and rest assured will deliver solid traction and handling performance in dry, wet, or light winter weather conditions. Moreover, the landslide win of the Grabber H/T in longevity, makes it an attractive choice for daily drivers.
“The new GrabberTM HTS60 is an excellent all-season tire geared towards the on-road driver,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. “Staying in line with our GrabberTM brand, this tire offers durability, performance, and comfort but has improved tread life over the former HTS and we think drivers will really appreciate that.”
To recap the differences between General Grabber H/T and General Grabber HTS60:
- Grabber H/T offers improved longevity of up to 25% and a better mileage warranty of up to 70,000 miles than its predecessor
- The ride quality, noise levels, handling, and road manners of the Grabber H/T rival the best automotive Grand Touring tires
- The General Grabber H/T is optimized for use with EVs and hybrids
- Visual alignment indicator helps the driver understand any possible alignment issues
Who is the Grabber H/T best suited for?
The General Grabber H/T is an all-season tire best suited for highway terrain and is available in different tire sizes best suited for CUVs, SUVs, Jeeps, and light trucks. As an all-season tire, the Grabber H/T is capable of delivering superior traction and handling in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions. Additionally, the durable rubber compound and construction make it a great choice for carrying heavy loads or driving long commutes. Available in tire sizes ranging from 16 to 22 inches, the General Grabber H/T is best suited for use on vehicles such as the:
- Chevrolet Colorado
- GMC Acadia
- Ford F150
- Jeep Compass
- Honda Passport
- Nissan Rogue
- Mazda CX-9
- Toyota Highlander
- RAM 2500
Drawbacks of the Grabber H/T
While the General Grabber H/T tire excels in several areas, it is not without its cons. First and foremost, the difference in traction and handling scores of the Grabber H/T and Grabber HTS60 might be discouraging for some drivers.
Additionally, as the Grabber H/T is an all-season tire is not well suited for use in moderate to severe winter weather conditions, where winter tires or all-weather tires are more suitable. Finally, the Grabber H/T is more suited for use on SUVs, light trucks, and Jeeps.
To sum up, the Grabber H/T is the latest addition to the General’s Grabber family and truly excels in longevity with an extensive mileage warranty. Additionally, the tire is designed with the latest technologies and manufacturing processes to ensure superior performance year-round. If you drive an SUV, Jeep, or light truck, the Grabber H/T will ensure great value and performance for you.