The General Altimax RT43 is a touring all-season tire often praised for comfort and slow wear. Wet and winter grip receive varying reports, and a minority of owners mention vibration or out-of-round behavior.
The quick answer
Owners say67%from 11 owner reviews64% would buy againRead the reviews
Tests saySorry, we don't currently have any test data for the General Altimax RT43
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated December 2025.
What do owners say about the General Altimax RT43?
Across 11 owner ratings the General Altimax RT43 averages 67%. Owners rate Wear highest at 7.6 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 5.4. 6 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 60% of owners score it 70% or better.
How comfortable and quiet are the General Altimax RT43?
Owners rate the General Altimax RT43 6.7 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 10 reviews.
How well do the General Altimax RT43 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the General Altimax RT43 7.6 out of 10 for wear across 10 reviews. 6 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 24,000 miles.
Would owners buy the General Altimax RT43 again?
64% of owners say they would buy the General Altimax RT43 again, based on the 11 owner reviews that answered the question. 27% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
Questions and Answers for the General Altimax RT43
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Owners of the General Altimax RT43 often describe a comfortable ride, with several also finding it reasonably quiet. Mid-life accounts commonly report slow wear, though there is too little consistent experience to promise a particular mileage. Wet and winter grip vary, with positive reports alongside concerns about rain, cold conditions and ice. Around one in five reviews mention vibration or out-of-round behavior, a meaningful minority in this small sample. One end-of-life account describes wet traction worsening with wear, but there are no repeat reviews to establish a broader ageing pattern.
What owners mention most counted across 9 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 11 ratings
Owner score67%
Wear76%
Dry Grip75%
Wet Grip73%
Handling67%
Comfort67%
Road Feedback66%
Snow Grip65%
Ice Grip54%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 82%
“These tires are a very good value; they do everything reasonably well for an all season, including snow, and seem pretty durable. I drive 42 miles to work each day, 8 miles of which is on gravel. These tires still have...”
“*this is for the RT45, but that's not an option on the site. These are the worst tires I've ever had. They're SO loud--went from RFs, which everyone complains are so loud, to these, and these are 5x as loud. The road...”
“I had these on a 2011 Outback. They were exception on dry and wet pavement. Impossible to lose control in heavy PNW rain covered freeways. They were decent on snow for a touring all season. I once had them in a freak...”
*this is for the RT45, but that's not an option on the site.
These are the worst tires I've ever had. They're SO loud--went from RFs, which everyone complains are so loud, to these, and these are 5x as loud. The road feedback is terrible, I can't feel where I am and it feels like the car is hydroplaning all over the place in dry weather, especially at highway speeds. They're better in snow than they are on dry pavement, which sounds insane, and they're still not that good. I live in a place that gets a good amount of snow, which I told the salesman, and they swore by these tires. Never again. If you go over 55mph, it rains where you live, or it's ever icy where you are, just save yourself the trouble and buy something else.
These tires are a very good value; they do everything reasonably well for an all season, including snow, and seem pretty durable. I drive 42 miles to work each day, 8 miles of which is on gravel. These tires still have 8/32nds of tread despite the gravel at about 24,000 miles of use; they started at 11/32nds. Comfort wise, they ride pretty well and don't emit much noise. The only bad thing about them that I've noticed is that they tend to follow lines on grooved surfaces. I would recommend these if you're looking for a good all season tire without having to pay a premium brand price. They are currently being replaced by the General Altimax rt45 though.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
I put these on my wife's Volkswagen Tiguan 4motion and they handle decent, ride nice and really good in the rain. Here in CT we get our fair share of snow and they are way better than the Bridgestones that came with it by a lot.
We have roughly 20,000 miles on them now, rotate them every 7,000ish and the wear seems spot on so i've been very happy with them and so is the wife.
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I had these on a 2011 Outback. They were exception on dry and wet pavement. Impossible to lose control in heavy PNW rain covered freeways. They were decent on snow for a touring all season. I once had them in a freak snowstorm and got through 2-3 feet of snow. They were essentially useless on ice.
This tire was a huge disappointment for us. Fitted on our well maintained Mazda5 and we were hoping for year round usage that never worked well for us. The tire easily slipped when wet or cold under acceleration and braking. Snow use was out of the question (my son lost control 2 blocks from the house a got t-boned in the passenger door). This tire gave us the least amount of confidence in adverse weather (rain, snow, and ice) than anything short of a dedicated summer tire.
This is my second set of these tires, though my first tires were T rated and the second were V rated. I have a 300 mile trip that I do every other week that goes from backcountry mountain canyons to interstate. I also do food delivery with a lot of stop and start driving, and have even used it on some dirt/sand roads, so I have been able to assess this tire in a variety of situations.
I have found this tire to be a good all-rounder for someone who wants capability in both occasional snow and summer. These tires handle spirited driving well and feels quite good in canyons, though on a 16" rim is quite soft in hard turns. Outright grip is not as good as a sporty all season but capable enough. Noise is fairly low and they have a great ride. I drive fairly hard in the mountains and in town, so my experienced treadlife is likely lower than most drivers.
Some downsides I have found is that wet traction and hydroplaning get worse at the tire wears. I am quite ready to retire these tires by the time they are approaching 4/32. Due to increases in their price (assumingly from popularity), I am looking to Continental PureContacts for my next tire, which I hope will a little handle better and last longer than these tires. But overall, I have been very happy with the rt34's and would consider them again for a shoulder season/occasional winter tire.
The noisiest tires I ever had and the bouncyness is really annoying.
Two of the tires have developped a 'whomp-whomp' sound over the 3 years of ownership.
I would not buy again, this model or this brand.
A lot of these tires have been recalled. Apparently General had overcured them leading to issues with the belts leading to blowouts. (static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RMISC-21T001-5089.pdf)
Our particular size/date code/batch was not covered in the recall, but I am experiencing a once-per-rotation side to side oscillation, mostly felt at low speeds through the steering wheel. I've experienced that years ago with some Pirelli P6 with broken belts. I took my car to my wrench, they put it on the lift, spun the tires (after convincing the anti-collision system that they were not in fact going to hit the wall), and all of the tires have a pronounced jog in the tread.
I am currently trying to figure out who/how to arrange a warranty inspection to see if there is a larger problem.
The tires are not wearing very fast at all, they seem to have near full tread, even with the non-winter portion of 40,000km on a very heavy car (around 1600kg). They'd be fine tires if they were straight and round. (no, I didn't hit anything)
82%
Member
Mazda
205/60 R16
50 miles
A Combination of Roads
Average
In North America this is a low priced tire. I first installed RT43's on my '05 Focus then on my wife's '08 Sportage and now my Mazda. I have driven summer and winter on highways and gravelled country roads in the Ottawa region where these tires offer good all around performance in all seasons. I only use them one winter (I drive around 35-40K miles a year) then for the next two summers. The other winters, I use a Nordic winter tire (presently Nokian R3). At -30F in Northern Ontario, the tread offered poor traction but these are rare temperatures around milder Ottawa. Ice traction is adequate but no match for a good Nordic tire; the same applies for turning on snow covered roads. Summer traction could be a bit better in the wet but is sufficient and safe. The tire is relatively quiet and lasts 60-70K miles the way and where I drive. They offer great value in Canada.
