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Cooper Evolution Tour vs General AltiMAX RT43 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 674 + 1,371 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Evolution Tour and AltiMAX RT43 are level at 68.

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Cooper Evolution Tour
Tire ACooper

Evolution Tour

All-Season tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 674 reviews

“I have Cooper Evolution Tours on my Equinox. No major complaints, but would probably move up to the Discoverer line in the future. The Evolution Tours ride nice and are very quiet, but there is no way they will go 65,000 miles as indicated by Cooper. I have just about 17,000 miles on them, and they are already down to 6/32 on all four despite rotating them every 5,000-7,000 miles. Next time I get tires I want to try one of the new "severe weather rated" tires. Considering either the Cooper Discoverer Enduramax or Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail.”

General AltiMAX RT43
Tire BGeneral

AltiMAX RT43

All Season

± 7

Tests – · 1 test Owners 67 · 1,371 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“I've had RT43s on for the past 35k or so. They've been pretty good. I will probably only get another 10-15k on them, but will probably replace with another set.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 69

    Dry

    Evolution Tour +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6968

    Evolution Tour: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 69.1 = 69

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 68

    No road tests of dry for Evolution Tour. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 72

    Wet

    Evolution Tour +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7270

    Evolution Tour: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 72

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 70

    No road tests of wet for Evolution Tour. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Snow

    AltiMAX RT43 +6
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online4960

    Evolution Tour: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 49.3 = 58

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 64

    No road tests of snow for Evolution Tour. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 68

    Comfort

    Evolution Tour +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6762

    Evolution Tour: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 67.2 = 68

    AltiMAX RT43: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 62 = 64

    No road tests of comfort for Evolution Tour. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    AltiMAX RT43 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7073

    Evolution Tour: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 68

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 73 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Evolution Tour +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)71
    Reviews found online7267

    Evolution Tour: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72 = 70

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 67 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Evolution Tour. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 68

    Handling (owners)

    Evolution Tour +5
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution TourAltiMAX RT43
    Reviews found online6863
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper Evolution TourGeneral AltiMAX RT43
Relative Score 68 68
Dry 69 68
Wet 72 70
Snow 58 64
Comfort 68 64
Noise 68 69
Treadwear 70 69
Handling (owners) 68 63

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Evolution Tour

± 7

AltiMAX RT43

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Evolution Tour

Pros

  • Excellent value for the price point
  • Smooth and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong wet-weather traction and water displacement

Cons

  • Tread life often fails to meet mileage warranty expectations
  • Inconsistent noise levels reported by some users
  • Potential for premature wear compared to premium competitors like Michelin
All owner themes in the Evolution Tour review

Tire B AltiMAX RT43

Pros

  • Excellent value and lower price point compared to premium brands like Michelin
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality with minimal road noise
  • Strong wet and dry traction with dependable hydroplaning resistance

Cons

  • Occasional balancing difficulties or vibrations reported by some users
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly spongy handling or reduced cornering sharpness
  • Winter and snow performance can diminish notably as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the AltiMAX RT43 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Cooper Evolution Tour

Mixed

Community members report that the Cooper Evolution Tour offers a smooth, quiet ride and decent performance that often surpasses certain OEM tires. However, multiple users express disappointment regarding treadwear, noting that the tires wear down significantly faster than their advertised 65,000-mile warranty suggests.

r/hondafit ·20 upvotes ·2022-02-02

“No one recommending Cooper tires? Hey everyone!! My very first car is a 2019 honda fit EX and I'm new to pretty much everything in regards to it. I've had it since May of last year. I don't see any recommendations for Cooper tires. Is there a reason for this? I'm looking into the Cooper Evolution Tour All Season. My dad (who used to be a mechanic) suggests them, and they're available at the closest Walmart. I'm also looking into Yokohama, but they'll have to be shipped and they're 20$ more per tire. I'll most likely replace all four. I'm at 32k miles, but my rear passenger tire blew out the other day. The car still has the stock tires. Read more”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2021-09-24

“It appears the Endeavor might be one step above the Evolution based on the Cooper website and their performance chart that compares tires to other Cooper tires. I like the performance characteristics of my Cooper Evolution Tour tires, I just wish the tread wear was a little better, especially for a 65,000 mile rated tire. I am down to 5/32 tread depth on all four tires after only 20,000 miles.”
Top themes
#quiet and smooth ride#faster than expected treadwear#good value alternative#favorable OEM comparison

Based on 6 community posts

Tire B

General AltiMAX RT43

Positive

Community sentiment for the General AltiMAX RT43 is predominantly positive, with reviewers praising its comfort, strong winter and wet weather capability, and solid value as a budget-to-midrange touring tire. However, critics frequently point out soft sidewalls, tramlining on grooved surfaces, and mediocre handling or dry grip under aggressive driving. Tread life reports are mixed, with many reaching 50,000 to 80,000 miles while others report premature wear around 30,000 miles.

odyclub.com ·2013-12-21

“Update -- in the middle of a snowstorm tonight, the Altimax RT43 did very well. The best description for the RT43 in snow would be "predictable" -- if there is a bit of slide the steering response is easy to control. Better handling overall than the Optimo H727, now over 800 miles and still very quiet.”
vwvortex.com ·2017-12-12

“I keep seeing graphs like this with the off-brand tires and cannot be convinced that they would actually perform in a panic braking situation. The Laufenn takes 44 additional feet (three carlengths) to stop on a wet road from 50 MPH than the budget favorite, the General RT43; 77 feet (5 carlengths) longer than the Michelins . I am buying a set of the Michelin Premier A/Ss for my wife's car when the OE Continentals wear out (it came with the regular OEM-style ContiProContacts which are okay but kind of noisy - looks like they will last around 30-35k miles). Source = TireRack”
bobistheoilguy.com ·1 upvote ·2021-06-18

“I haven't tried the Contis, but I took my RT43s off last month after wearing them down to 4/32 after ~50K miles (5K miles rotations.) While hydroplane resistance was good, everything else about the tire was pretty bad. Dry grip was abysmal and the sidewalls were way to soft. Wet grip was decent when rolling but from a stop and/or while turning felt quite dangerous if I was pulling out into traffic (one wheel peel like crazy.) The Sumitomos A/S P02s I had before were better in every way except noise. No idea on the snow performance, I run dedicated snows in the winter.”
Top themes
#value and pricing#snow and winter traction#wet grip and hydroplaning#soft ride comfort#soft sidewalls and handling#tramlining on grooved roads#treadwear and longevity

Based on 261 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper Evolution Tour B · General AltiMAX RT43
CategoryAll-Season tireAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10/32″10 - 12/32″
UTQG580 - 600 A A - B600 - 700 A A - B
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure44 psi44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper Evolution Tour

General AltiMAX RT43

Too close to call: Cooper Evolution Tour and General AltiMAX RT43 are within 2 points overall. Cooper Evolution Tour is stronger on comfort. General AltiMAX RT43 is stronger on snow.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 64 vs 58 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper Evolution Tour scores 68 vs 64 on comfort.

Tire A · Cooper Evolution Tour
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General AltiMAX RT43
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Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Which is better in the wet, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 70 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 68 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 64 vs 58 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Cooper Evolution Tour, 68 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Evolution Tour or AltiMAX RT43?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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