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 1,371 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H leads, 70–68 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.”
Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 69 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 70 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 68
Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69
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).
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 70 (est.) | ≈ 72 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 73 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 70
Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 72
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).
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 61 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 64
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 65
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).
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 62 | 66 |
AltiMAX RT43: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62 = 64
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 66 = 67
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 0.21).
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 66 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 73 | – |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 69
No road tests of noise for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 71 | 76 |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 68 |
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 82% | 100% |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 67 = 69
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 68 = 73
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 63 | – |
| Category | General AltiMAX RT43 | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 70 |
| Dry | 68 | 69 |
| Wet | 70 | 72 |
| Snow | 64 | 65 |
| Comfort | 64 | 67 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 69 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 63 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
AltiMAX RT43
Defender T+H
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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, General AltiMAX RT43 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Defender T+H 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | AltiMAX RT43 | Defender T+H | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 82% | 100% | −17.6 | 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 | #2/8 | #1/8 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires · 215/60R16 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“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.”
“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.”
“Anyone running General RT45? Looking to replace the shitastic Toyo A36 on my 2023 PP that I just picked up. Was going to try to make them last until fall, but having picked a screw in one, im probably going to bite the bullet and change them now. I ran the RT43 on both my NA Miata as well as my 5-GT and was happy with them. Tire Rack is running a $140 rebate on a set of 4 right now. Just curious as to people's thoughts. Or, should I just bite the bullet and go with Continental Cross Contacts? Read more”
Based on 261 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · General AltiMAX RT43 | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Tread depth | 10 - 12/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 600 - 700 A A - B | 820 A - B B |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering | — |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | — |
General AltiMAX RT43
Michelin Defender T+H
Narrow edge: Michelin Defender T+H — better treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 69 on treadwear.
Michelin Defender T+H scores 67 vs 64 on comfort.
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Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 72 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 64 vs 65 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Michelin Defender T+H, 67 vs 64 on our comfort score.
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 69 on our treadwear score.
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
