Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 33 road tests and 1,078 + 21,726 owner reviews. How we score
CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 88–73
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Tests – · none yet Owners 76 · 1,078 reviews
“225/55R16 Update… General RT45 - they fit & ride wonderful. Quiet+ Comfy+ MPG+ Handling+ Beefy+ Girthy+ TireRack.com has 19 choices in this size. Wanted light summer tire but none…so light all season instead.”
Tests 87 · 33 tests Owners 87 · 21,726 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 35 in 2023 All Season Tyre 35 Set Shootout (dry braking)
“I have 60K miles on my 2019 Model X. The General is my 3rd set of tires, replacing the Michelin Cross Climate 2 that was on the car. In 200 miles, here is what I have learned so far with these General G-Max AS-07 Noise = The General is FAR superior than the Michelin Cross Climate. Matter of fact, the General is very close to the OEM Conti in this area Range = The General is running around 5% more in terms of efficiency (or lack of) compare to the OEM Conti and worn Michelin, but 5-10% more than my Michelin NEW. I only started getting the efficiency on the Michelin when the inside turned bald. Comfort = The ride is on par with the Michelin and OEM Conti, none really rode that great to begin with. Michelin was probably the best, the General is probably the worst but it isn't anything terrible. Performance = Sorry it is a Model X and it is my daily driver. I don't drive it hard enough to have any thoughts on it. Price = The General is less than $800 after rebate, Michelin and Conti are probably over $1500 at this point.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 31 tests | ≈ 72 (est.) | 99 |
| Reviews found online | 79 | 88 |
AltiMAX RT45: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 78.5 = 75
CrossClimate 2: 60% × 99.2 + 40% × 88.3 = 95
No road tests of dry for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 31 tests | ≈ 75 (est.) | 83 |
| Reviews found online | 78 | 92 |
AltiMAX RT45: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 76
CrossClimate 2: 60% × 83.1 + 40% × 91.7 = 87
No road tests of wet for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 27 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 99 |
| Reviews found online | 63 | 78 |
AltiMAX RT45: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 66
CrossClimate 2: 60% × 98.6 + 40% × 78.2 = 90
No road tests of snow for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests | ≈ 71 (est.) | 67 |
| Reviews found online | 78 | 86 |
AltiMAX RT45: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 78.3 = 75
CrossClimate 2: 40% × 67.2 + 60% × 86.1 = 79
No road tests of comfort for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests | ≈ 66 (est.) | 77 |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 83 |
AltiMAX RT45: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 69.5 = 68
CrossClimate 2: 60% × 77.2 + 40% × 82.7 = 79
No road tests of noise for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests | ≈ 71 (est.) | 81 |
| Reviews found online | 80 | 88 |
AltiMAX RT45: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 79.5 = 75
CrossClimate 2: 60% × 81.2 + 40% × 88 = 84
No road tests of treadwear for AltiMAX RT45. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 72 | 82 |
| Source | AltiMAX RT45 | CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests | – | 90 |
| Category | General AltiMAX RT45 | Michelin CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 88 |
| Dry | 75 | 95 |
| Wet | 76 | 87 |
| Snow | 66 | 90 |
| Comfort | 75 | 79 |
| Noise | 68 | 79 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 84 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 82 |
| Efficiency | – | 90 |
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 RT45
CrossClimate 2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
The community largely views the General AltiMAX RT45 as an exceptional value and a worthy successor to the RT43, frequently praising its quiet ride, comfort, tread life, and strong wet performance for the price. While many view it as a compelling mid-range alternative to premium options like the Michelin Defender 2, some users note trade-offs in steering responsiveness, soft sidewalls, or limitations in severe winter conditions compared to dedicated all-weather tires.
“Amazon spammed me in regards to offering the general Altimax rt43 for $120 ($119.99), so just for grins and giggles, I looked up this tire size on tirerack.com (215/60/15) and they showed me their 12? Best selling tires in that size and Whaddya know, the rt43 was priced identical with Amazon, but even more interesting was, the rt45 (general altimax) was the same price. I’m guessing it’s smart for general/tire rack to price this replacement tire at the same price as old reliable Best, Jake Reddick Fla.”
“The OEM tires on my '21 OB were shot by 44K even with rotation every other oil change. When I went into the dealer in Wichita (I live on the coast of NJ) for an oil change they offered me a 75K mile set of tires and a 4-wheel alignment for $800. The General Altimax RT45 they put on have been an excellent tire and are now at 79K (35K on the tires ) with no issues. Based on rotating them every other oil change and the visual tire wear I feel confident they will go their rated 75K and I have zero complaints on their handling or comfort.”
“New wheels 18-inch wheels on my 2024 Ioniq 6 and General Altimax RT45 tires. These are quieter and grip better than the OEM Pirellis and I’m getting about 0.3mi/kWh better efficiency The wheels are from a 2016 Veloster turbo and I had them powder coated in BMW silver. Size is 18x7.5 ET54 and 225/55R18”
Based on 131 community posts
The community overwhelmingly praises the Michelin CrossClimate 2 for its exceptional snow, ice, and wet-weather traction, often describing it as an ideal all-weather tire. While many drivers report a quiet, comfortable ride and solid durability, some users note potential downsides including reduced fuel or battery efficiency, road noise on certain surfaces, and premium pricing. A few commenters also point out that the tire may be overkill for regions without significant winter weather.
“CrossClimate2 in. Alenza Run Flats out. Swapped the Alenza run flats for CrossClimate2 all-weather tires. Sharper handling. Better ride comfort. Very quiet after an initial break-in period. Just make sure the tire pressure is as recommended on the door sill sticker, shop techs don’t always check. I’m an early adopter of CC2 tires, been using them on my old Jeep since 2022, super durable and perfect for inclement weather, still had some tread remaining at the 60k-mile warranty mark.”
“I have the 235 that is a little higher load rating (105 vs 103 stock and 99 for 225). I'm probably getting about a 10% range reduction, but worth it to me for the improved handling and lower braking distance. I work from home and I charge to 90% about once a week unless taking a longer drive. If I did a lot of longer trips it might be an issue, but I am very happy with these tires.”
“I got my new to me 2022 Ultimate RWD in May this year, the tyres were all crap so I went to CrossClimate 2s on all 4 wheels. I can’t tell you what it was doing beforehand but I get 3.7mi/kWh around town and 3.2mi/kWh on the motorway now. I have a fairly heavy right foot, but at 100% charge it shows 270ish miles but mine is an early 72kWh battery so bear that in mind.”
Based on 762 community posts
| Attribute | A · General AltiMAX RT45 | B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 92 | 92 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 20″ | 15″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 560 - 700 A - AA A - B | 640 B A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 60,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 49 | 49 |
General AltiMAX RT45
Michelin CrossClimate 2
Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better snow, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 90 vs 66 on snow.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 95 vs 75 on dry.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 87 vs 76 on wet.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 79 vs 68 on noise.
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Michelin CrossClimate 2, 87 vs 76 on our wet score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2, 95 vs 75 on our dry score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2, 90 vs 66 on our snow score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2, 79 vs 68 on our noise score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2, 79 vs 75 on our comfort score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2, 84 vs 75 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
