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 + 10 owner reviews. How we score
AltiMAX RT43 is ahead, 68–62
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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 72 · 1 test Owners 54 · 10 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 87 |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 52 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68
Primacy MXM4: 60% × 87.2 + 40% × 51.9 = 73
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).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 71 (est.) | 56 |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 58 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 70.4 = 70
Primacy MXM4: 60% × 56.1 + 40% × 57.5 = 57
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).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 62 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 48 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 60.3 = 64
Primacy MXM4: 60% × 62.2 (est.) + 40% × 47.9 = 56
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).
No road tests of snow for Primacy MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 64 |
| Reviews found online | 63 | 48 |
AltiMAX RT43: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 62.7 = 65
Primacy MXM4: 40% × 63.9 + 60% × 48.3 = 55
No road tests of comfort for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 67 (est.) | 82 |
| Reviews found online | 73 | ≈ 67 (est.) |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 69
Primacy MXM4: 60% × 81.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 76
No road tests of noise for AltiMAX RT43. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Primacy MXM4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 71 | ≈ 64 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 59 |
AltiMAX RT43: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 66.7 = 69
Primacy MXM4: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 62
No road tests of treadwear for Primacy MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 64 | 50 |
| Source | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | – | 55 |
| Category | General AltiMAX RT43 | Michelin Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 62 |
| Dry | 68 | 73 |
| Wet | 70 | 57 |
| Snow | 64 | 56 |
| Comfort | 65 | 55 |
| Noise | 69 | 76 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 62 |
| Handling (owners) | 64 | 50 |
| Efficiency | – | 55 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
AltiMAX RT43
Primacy MXM4
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.
| Discipline | Category | AltiMAX RT43 | Primacy MXM4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | #4/3 2024 AutoView All-Season Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
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.
“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 .”
“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.”
“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.”
Based on 261 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · General AltiMAX RT43 | B · Michelin Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger 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 | — |
General AltiMAX RT43
Michelin Primacy MXM4
Winner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better handling, wet and comfort. Pick the Michelin Primacy MXM4 if noise and dry matter most to you. Michelin Primacy MXM4 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 64 vs 50 on handling.
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 70 vs 57 on wet.
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 65 vs 55 on comfort.
General AltiMAX RT43 scores 64 vs 56 on snow.
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General AltiMAX RT43, 70 vs 57 on our wet score.
Michelin Primacy MXM4, 73 vs 68 on our dry score.
General AltiMAX RT43, 64 vs 56 on our snow score.
Michelin Primacy MXM4, 76 vs 69 on our noise score.
General AltiMAX RT43, 65 vs 55 on our comfort score.
General AltiMAX RT43, 69 vs 62 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
