General Grabber A/TX vs BFGoodrich KO2 on a Tacoma

Grabber A/TX vs KO2: how close is the cheaper option?

The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 is the tire most Tacoma all-terrain shopping starts with - fourth of eighteen all-terrains in this dataset and sixth of fifty overall. The General Grabber A/TX is the model people most often ask about as a way of not paying for it, eighth of eighteen and twelfth overall. Both are severe-snow rated, both sit in the same medium budget tier, both come in nine of the same Tacoma sizes, and half the score matrix comes out level. This is the substitution question in its purest form: what exactly does the extra money buy?

• How we score tires

The five axes that tie

Road comfort 7, wet grip 7, snow 8, mud 6, efficiency 5 - identical. Those five cover a Tacoma's normal week completely. Both tires carry the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake severe-snow rating and score the same 8 on snow, so both are accepted where winter tires are legally required and neither has a winter advantage. Both are heavy enough to sit at a 5 for efficiency, and both are noticeably louder than a mild all-terrain at a 7 for comfort.

That is the finding most people are actually looking for when they ask whether the General is a real alternative. On rain, on snow, on noise, on fuel, and on mud, our synthesis cannot separate them. The extra money the KO2 costs is not buying any of those - it is buying four specific things, and whether they are worth it depends entirely on how you use the truck.

Where the BFGoodrich KO2 wins

Trail 9 against 8 and durability 9 against 8 are the two that matter, and they are the same two the KO2 built its reputation on. A 9 on durability is the top mark any all-terrain in this dataset reaches, shared only with its KO3 successor, and it describes the reinforced sidewall and cut-resistant shoulder that made the tire an overlanding default. If your Tacoma airs down over sharp rock, drags sidewalls on ledges, or runs shale-strewn forest roads, that is a real and specific advantage.

• Trail 9 and durability 9: the highest off-road marks in the all-terrain group, and the KO2's core argument.
• Tread life 8 against 7: a point of extra mileage, which partly repays the price difference over the life of the set.
• Looks 8 against 7: the KO2's sidewall is the more recognisable of the two under a Tacoma.
• Its dataset tag for proven Tacoma fitment is worth something practical - it is one of the most widely documented tires on this truck.

There is one caution attached to the KO2 that has nothing to do with the General. The dataset flags it for buyers who want the latest successor, because BFGoodrich has replaced it with the KO3, which scores a point higher on both wet grip and snow. If you are paying a premium for the BFGoodrich name and construction, it is worth checking whether the KO3 is available in your size at a similar price before settling on the older tire.

Where the General Grabber A/TX wins

Value 8 against 7 is the General's only scored win, and the important detail is that both tires sit in the same medium budget tier. That means the value edge is not the dataset saying the General is cheap - it is the dataset saying the General delivers more per dollar within the same price band. Its own tags are snow, value, trail, and durability, which is a fair summary of a tire that scores 8 on three of those four.

Look at what the General gives up in exchange: one point of trail, one of durability, one of tread life, one of appearance. For a Tacoma that drives dirt and gravel roads, tows a trailer, and sees the occasional rutted trail, none of those four is likely to be the difference between getting somewhere and not. The two axes where a shortfall would actually strand you - snow at 8 and mud at 6 - are tied.

Tacoma sizes: nine shared, one each

Nine sizes appear on both lists, across 16, 17, and 18 inch wheels: 265/75R16, 285/75R16, 265/70R17, 275/70R17, 285/70R17, 255/80R17, 315/70R17, 265/70R18, and 275/70R18. That includes the standard Tacoma 33-inch metric fitment and the narrow-33 alternative, so almost any build can be specified in either tire.

• 265/70R17
• 285/70R17
• 255/80R17
• 275/70R17
• 285/75R16
• 275/70R18

One exclusive each. The General adds 285/70R18, a 33-inch fitment for 18-inch wheels - which is a meaningful gap in the KO2's catalog if your Tacoma came on 18s and you would rather not buy new wheels. The KO2 adds 285/75R17, the taller 34-inch 17-inch size. Both are worth checking against your generation and lift before you let the score matrix decide.

The verdict for a Tacoma

A 0.3 blended gap between two same-tier tires that tie on five axes is a narrow win, and the honest reading is that the General Grabber A/TX is a legitimate substitute for the KO2 rather than a compromise. The premium buys trail bite, casing toughness, a point of mileage, and a more recognisable sidewall. If those four matter to your truck, pay it. If they do not, the General delivers the same snow, wet, comfort, mud, and efficiency for less.

• Buy the BFGoodrich KO2 if you air down over rock, if maximum sidewall toughness is the point, or if you want the longest-documented Tacoma fitment record of the two.
• Buy the General Grabber A/TX if your off-road use is dirt, gravel, and moderate trail - value 8 from the same budget tier, with snow, wet, comfort, mud, and efficiency all tied.
• Buy the Grabber A/TX also if your Tacoma runs 18-inch wheels and you want a 33: 285/70R18 is on its list and not on the KO2's.
• Before buying a KO2 at full price, check the KO3 - the successor scores a point higher on both wet grip and snow, and the dataset flags the KO2 for buyers who want the latest version.