Tests – · 1 test Owners 65 · 24 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone WeatherGrip 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 1 + 1 road tests and 24 + 1,371 owner reviews. How we score
AltiMAX RT43 leads, 68–65 Narrow edge
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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 have the General Altimax RT43 on 19s as my winter tires, and they are perfectly fine. For sure louder than oem, because there is no foam, but for wear, tear and handling, perfectly fine. I am not racing anyone or driving aggressively with those tires on anyway.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
AltiMAX RT43 +368Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 64 68 WeatherGrip: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 65
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68
No road tests of dry for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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 0.42).
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70
Wet
Level70Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 70 70 WeatherGrip: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 70.4 = 70
No road tests of wet for WeatherGrip. 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).
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75
Snow
WeatherGrip +1164Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 77 60 WeatherGrip: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 77.1 = 75
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 60.3 = 64
No road tests of snow for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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 0.37).
-
65
Comfort
Level65Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 62 63 WeatherGrip: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 62.4 = 65
AltiMAX RT43: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 62.7 = 65
No road tests of comfort for WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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68
Noise
AltiMAX RT43 +169Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 69 73 WeatherGrip: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 69.2 = 68
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 69
No road tests of noise for WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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55
Treadwear
AltiMAX RT43 +1469Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 55 71 Reviews found online 54 67 Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 65% 82% WeatherGrip: 60% × 55.2 + 40% × 53.9 = 55
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 66.7 = 69
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62
Handling (owners)
AltiMAX RT43 +264Why this score
Source WeatherGrip AltiMAX RT43 Reviews found online 62 64
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone WeatherGrip | General AltiMAX RT43 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 68 |
| Dry | 65 | 68 |
| Wet | 70 | 70 |
| Snow | 75 | 64 |
| Comfort | 65 | 65 |
| Noise | 68 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 55 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 62 | 64 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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
65
/ 100
WeatherGrip
68
/ 100
AltiMAX RT43
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Firestone WeatherGrip finished ahead 0 times and General AltiMAX RT43 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | WeatherGrip | AltiMAX RT43 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 65% | 82% | −17.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires · 215/60R16 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/8 | #2/8 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires · 215/60R16 |
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.
subaruoutback.org
·2 upvotes ·2021-03-28
“Quite disappointed with Altimax RT43. They only lasted 62250 km before wearing to the wear bars, and driving on highway in a rain was scary for the last season or two. Driven April - November only. The winter set is studded Nokian Hakka 8 SUV - those are excellent. Getting Michelin CrossClimate 2 installed tomorrow at Costco .”
teslamotorsclub.com
·1 upvote ·2022-04-24
“I have the General Altimax RT43 on 19s as my winter tires, and they are perfectly fine. For sure louder than oem, because there is no foam, but for wear, tear and handling, perfectly fine. I am not racing anyone or driving aggressively with those tires on anyway.”
impalaforums.com
·2020-08-07
“General Altimax RT43's are absolutely amazing. I live in Minneapolis, MN and all I can say is they are amazing. Sidewalls are a little bit thin and can lead to some body roll on the cloverleaf. I bought another car and wanted something a little more sporty looking and I have to say Discount Tire's Yokohama YK740 GTX has also been amazing in all weather, however with just a bit more lateral slide in icy conditions. If you want to just simply move in any weather, either of these are tires fantastic.”
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?
65
/ 100
Firestone WeatherGrip
68
/ 100
General AltiMAX RT43
Narrow edge: General AltiMAX RT43 — better treadwear and dry. 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 75 vs 64 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 68 vs 65 on dry.
Tire A · Firestone WeatherGrip
Tire B · General AltiMAX RT43
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WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
Which is better in the wet, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 70 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
General AltiMAX RT43, 68 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
Firestone WeatherGrip, 75 vs 64 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, WeatherGrip or AltiMAX RT43?
General AltiMAX RT43, 69 vs 55 on our treadwear score.
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