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Other testing for this tire included some on-road cruising, as well as a drive-by noise test that compared the Continental to other similar all-terrains. In our testing, we found the Continental tire stopped about 6 feet sooner than its closest competitor-that's more than enough to avoid a rear-end collision while panic-braking in the rain. The 6,000-pound behemoths skidded to a halt, and an onboard data-logger listed the number of feet it took to cease forward momentum. Hoses sprayed water across an asphalt runway, as we pushed the F-250s to 55 miles per hour and slammed on the brakes after entering the wet zone. Not everyone wants (or needs) to be roaring down the road on knobbly mud-terrains 24/7, so the TerrainContact acts as a nice middle ground.įirst, we tested the TerrainContact behind the wheel of some Ford F-250s, via a wet “stop box” test. Think of it as a choice for the daily-driven bug-out truck or SUV, since it provides solid traction and durability without sacrificing a smooth and quiet ride.
#Grabber x3 review drivers#
This all-terrain tire is designed for drivers who spend most of their time on paved roads, with sufficient added capability for wet conditions and some off-road use. Our tire testing started with the milder of the two off-road capable tires at this event, the Continental TerrainContact A/T. Product engineers from the Continental and General teams gave a short presentation about the features of each tire, but rather than bore you with these details, we'll jump straight to the main event, and cover the features of each new tire as we go. A few hours later, we arrived at the Unpaved event in Farmington, Pennsylvania (about 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh). So, we jumped at the chance, and hopped on a red-eye flight from our home base in California. Rather than simply informing the public via a boilerplate press release, they invited us to come out to rural Pennsylvania and put some actual miles on these new tire models. They sent us an email letting us know about the launch of two new tire models, the Continental TerrainContact all-terrain and the General Grabber X3 extreme-terrain/mud-terrain. Fortunately, that opportunity was presented to us on a silver platter by the folks at Continental Tire and General Tire.
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Given the importance of tires to any vehicle-based survival plan, we've been on the lookout for an opportunity to demonstrate this point firsthand. You'd be stuck literally spinning your wheels while SHTF, and that's not a situation anyone wants to be in. Without these seemingly simple pieces of rubber, your car or truck won't be going anywhere, and every other feature we listed above will be rendered meaningless. Just imagine trying to weave through congested traffic on a set of bald or punctured tires, or trying to tackle a steep mountain path while riding on bare metal rims. However, there's one essential component of every modern vehicle that can make or break your bug-out plans: tires. If you're in a really extreme scenario, you might wish for armor plating or bulletproof glass. You might even think of less obvious elements, such as long-distance fuel economy, ease of repair, and the ability to maximize capability while still blending into traffic.
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If you close your eyes and envision the ideal bug-out vehicle, what does it look like? Most of us know the key aspects to consider-a powerful engine, excellent reliability, high ground clearance, four-wheel-drive, bright lights, and plenty of storage space for all the gear you might need.
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