Tests – · 1 test Owners 64 · 24 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone WeatherGrip vs General AltiMAX RT43 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
AltiMAX RT43 leads, 68–64 Narrow edge
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 67 · 1,371 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (overall ranking)
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
64
Dry
AltiMAX RT43 +468Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 62 68 -
69
Wet
AltiMAX RT43 +170Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 69 70 -
73
Snow
WeatherGrip +964Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 75 60 -
66
Comfort
AltiMAX RT43 +167Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 63 65 -
67
Noise
AltiMAX RT43 +269Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 68 73 -
55
Treadwear
AltiMAX RT43 +1469Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) 55 71 Reviews found online 55 67 -
61
Handling
AltiMAX RT43 +465Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 61 65
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone WeatherGrip | General AltiMAX RT43 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 68 |
| Dry | 64 | 68 |
| Wet | 69 | 70 |
| Snow | 73 | 64 |
| Comfort | 66 | 67 |
| Noise | 67 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 55 | 69 |
| Handling | 61 | 65 |
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
64
/ 100
WeatherGrip
68
/ 100
AltiMAX RT43
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | WeatherGrip | AltiMAX RT43 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Other | 65% #7/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | 82% #3/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | −17.6 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 0% #8/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | 86% #2/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | −85.7 | Same test |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WeatherGrip
Pros
- Outstanding snow and winter weather traction
- Confident wet weather and rain grip
- Smooth and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Faster tread wear due to the softer rubber compound
- Noticeable drop in fuel economy (MPG)
- Subpar dry pavement performance compared to dedicated summer or standard all-season tires
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Firestone WeatherGrip
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
General AltiMAX RT43
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.
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”
r/XVcrosstrek
·1 upvote ·2019-06-20
“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.”
forum.miata.net
“I had the RT43s on my 1996 NA for the last couple of years prior to sale. They worked really well on my car. I had the stock NA8 alloys.”
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 · Firestone WeatherGrip | B · General AltiMAX RT43 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Weather | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 49 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10 - 12/32″ |
| UTQG | 640 A A | 600 - 700 A A - B |
| Treadwear warranty | 65,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | 44 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Firestone WeatherGrip
68
/ 100
General AltiMAX RT43
Winner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better treadwear, dry and handling. Pick the Firestone WeatherGrip if snow matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 69 vs 55 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Firestone WeatherGrip scores 73 vs 64 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 68 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 65 vs 61 on handling.
Tire A · Firestone WeatherGrip
Tire B · General AltiMAX RT43
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.