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General Altimax Arctic vs General AltiMAX RT43 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 32 + 1,371 owner reviews. How we score

AltiMAX RT43 is ahead, 68–59

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General AltiMAX RT43
Tire BGeneral

AltiMAX RT43

All Season

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.

  1. 57

    Dry

    AltiMAX RT43 +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5168

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 68

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    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 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    AltiMAX RT43 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6070

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 70

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    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 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    AltiMAX RT43 +5
    64
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5260

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 64

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    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 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    AltiMAX RT43 +7
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5165

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    AltiMAX RT43 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5473

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.1 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    AltiMAX RT43 +12
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)71
    Reviews found online5067

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 67.3 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    AltiMAX RT43 +16
    65
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticAltiMAX RT43
    Reviews found online4965
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticGeneral AltiMAX RT43
Relative Score 59 68
Dry 57 68
Wet 62 70
Snow 59 64
Comfort 60 67
Noise 62 70
Treadwear 57 69
Handling (owners) 49 65

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
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Neutral
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

AltiMAX RT43

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic 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

General Altimax Arctic

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

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.

forbbodiesonly.com ·2022-05-23

“While not a muscle car, my 96 Ford Ranger has 14x7 aluminum wheels. I ran a set of 225/70-14 Coopers on it with no problem. I got about 35K miles, if I remember correctly. I replaced them with General Altima RT43's when they wore out. Mainly just because the Generals were a few bucks cheaper on my little beater truck. But, I am liking these General tires pretty well too. They have white letters, but they don't look as "muscle car" as the Coopers. I will probably get a set of the Coopers in the near future for the 14"road wheels on my 67 Coronet. I currently have BFG's that look perfect. But, I bought them in 2003....”
bobistheoilguy.com ·5 upvotes ·2022-06-22

“I'll be passing on this; I was very disappointed in the RT43. Very soft sidewalls, dry grip was very subpar, wet grip was decent, hydroplane resistance was pretty good. It also tramlined and followed grooves like crazy - worse than the Yoko A13C that came OEM on the Evo - which was the previous top tramlining tire I used.”
fitfreak.net

“I will start by saying that I ordered a set of 4 from TireRack and although I found them just a little bit cheaper on other sites (after the fact), I have no complaints about it as I still only paid ~$70-ish per tire and received them within two days. Secondly, being that I live in New England, wet and snow traction is very high on my list of priorities and lucky for me, it snowed heavily 3 days after having them mounted. I was entering a parking lot that had not been plowed yet and know for a FACT my car would have just spun tires and left me stuck. But not with these. The car seemed to shake left and right a little until it made it to the pavement and easily made it through. I have never felt so confident in the snow before with my little Fit. And then last night. My wife and I went out to dinner and I decided to move my car as I spotted a better parking spot which required a fast and illegal u-turn. I pressed the accelerator hard which typically would squeal the tires but these gripped immediately and the Fit just took off. I strongly recommend them! Oh, and they're rated for a supposed 70,000 miles.”
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 · General Altimax Arctic B · General AltiMAX RT43
CategoryWinter Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth—10 - 12/32″
UTQG—600 - 700 A A - B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

General AltiMAX RT43

Winner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 65 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 69 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 68 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 70 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · General AltiMAX RT43
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Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 70 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 68 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 64 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 70 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 67 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or AltiMAX RT43?

General AltiMAX RT43, 69 vs 57 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