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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Firestone WeatherGrip vs General AltiMAX RT43 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Firestone

Firestone WeatherGrip

Premium Touring All Season tire

Firestone WeatherGrip tread pattern
Objective (60%)
76/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
72/100
4 owner reviews
Dry
91
Wet
82
Snow
95
Comfort
87
Noise
92
Treadwear
40
Handling
73

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B General

General AltiMAX RT43

All Season Premium Touring tires

General AltiMAX RT43 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
92/100
817 owner reviews
Dry
95
Wet
91
Snow
65
Comfort
92
Noise
90
Treadwear
89
Handling
93

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Pick the Firestone WeatherGrip if snow matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 4
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
91
B — General AltiMAX RT43
95
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Professional tests (TWG score) 96 –
Tire Rack owners 90 –
Tyre Reviews owners 83 75
SimpleTire owners 94 –
America's Tire owners – 96

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 9
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
82
B — General AltiMAX RT43
91
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Professional tests (TWG score) 86 –
Tire Rack owners 88 –
Tyre Reviews owners 75 73
SimpleTire owners 94 –
America's Tire owners – 92

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WeatherGrip leads by 30
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
95
B — General AltiMAX RT43
65
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Professional tests (TWG score) 95 –
Tire Rack owners 83 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 65
SimpleTire owners 99 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 5
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
87
B — General AltiMAX RT43
92
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Professional tests (TWG score) 100 –
Tire Rack owners 84 –
Tyre Reviews owners 68 67
SimpleTire owners 92 –
America's Tire owners – 92

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WeatherGrip leads by 2
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
92
B — General AltiMAX RT43
90
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Professional tests (TWG score) 92 –
SimpleTire owners 91 –
America's Tire owners – 90

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 49
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
40
B — General AltiMAX RT43
89
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Tire Rack owners 79 –
Tyre Reviews owners 40 76
SimpleTire owners 88 –
America's Tire owners – 89

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 20
A — Firestone WeatherGrip
73
B — General AltiMAX RT43
93
Why this score
SourceWeatherGripAltiMAX RT43
Tyre Reviews owners 73 67
America's Tire owners – 93

Scores at a glance

Firestone WeatherGrip vs General AltiMAX RT43: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone WeatherGripGeneral AltiMAX RT43
Relative Score 77 88
Dry 91 95
Wet 82 91
Snow 95 65
Comfort 87 92
Noise 92 90
Treadwear 40 89
Handling 73 93

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Firestone WeatherGrip

The Firestone WeatherGrip is widely regarded as a capable all-weather tire that excels in snow and winter-like conditions, offering a high level of confidence for year-round use. However, users frequently report concerns regarding premature tread wear and elevated road noise, suggesting that while the tire performs well in inclement weather, its longevity may not meet expectations for high-mileage drivers.

Pros

  • Excellent traction and confidence in snow and winter conditions
  • Reliable performance in varied all-season climates
  • High level of ride comfort on uneven road surfaces

Cons

  • Significantly faster-than-expected tread wear
  • Noticeable road noise during highway and city driving
  • Performance in wet conditions is considered average compared to competitors

Observations

  • Users on older vehicles, such as a 1999 Honda Accord, noted that the tire's road noise is particularly intrusive in the cabin.
  • Drivers of AWD vehicles like the Subaru Forester expressed disappointment that the tire failed to meet its advertised mileage warranty.
Tire B General AltiMAX RT43

The General Altimax RT43 is widely regarded as a high-value, versatile all-season touring tire that excels in providing a comfortable, quiet ride and reliable traction across varied weather conditions. While the vast majority of users praise its longevity and performance-to-price ratio, a small subset of reviewers report inconsistent manufacturing quality, such as balancing issues or premature sidewall failure.

Pros

  • Exceptional value for the price point compared to premium brands.
  • Strong wet and light-to-moderate snow traction.
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality.
  • Impressive tread life and durability, even on gravel roads.

Cons

  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties and vibration issues.
  • Some users noted a decline in snow performance as the tread wears down.
  • Isolated reports of sidewall failures or premature tread separation.
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a less responsive feel during aggressive cornering.

Observations

  • Owners of minivans and SUVs (e.g., Sienna, Odyssey, RAV4) frequently report significant improvements in ride comfort and noise reduction over OEM tires.
  • Subaru owners noted the tire handles well in varied terrain, though some performance-oriented drivers find the sidewalls too soft for spirited driving.
  • Users with high-mileage commutes appreciate the tire's longevity, though some noted a slight decrease in fuel efficiency compared to dedicated low-rolling-resistance tires.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Firestone WeatherGrip

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

Tire B

General AltiMAX RT43

Positive

The General Altimax RT43 is widely praised by the community as an exceptional value-for-money all-season touring tire, often compared favorably to more expensive premium brands like Michelin. Users frequently highlight its strong wet-weather performance, solid tread life, and affordability, though some note it can become slightly noisier as it wears down.

r/TeslaModel3 ·6 upvotes ·2020-01-02

“Replacement tires I have about 25k miles on my original tires (LR AWD, 18” Aeros) and evening though I have rotated then every 6-7000, I am not going to make it past 30k. So, anyone have any recommendations for replacements? Should I go for the standard Michelin’s? Anyone used anything else? For the record, Ian not concerned with the foam and road noise is fine. I’d like something less expensive, longer wearing, or both, without sacrificing much in the way of performance. For my usage, wet weather handling is more important than high performance. I drive it hard occasionally, but I am most concerned with how it performs on day-to-day commute and driving. (70 mile commute, round trip, 3-days/week). Thanks. Edit: thanks for the info everyone. I talked to my local tire guy and he recommended General Altimax RT43s. He also said the sound dampening foam is mostly a gimmick (which is what I suspected). He quoted me $198 (his prices include EVERYTHING). I could get them from Tire Rack for $152 and local install for $30 + 3 (disposal) which would save me a mere $13 per tire. But based on past experience with this tire shop, it is easily worth the extra $13 for convenience and peace of mind if I need flat repair or warranty claims. Related to that, he said the RT43 is a 60k tire but I should only expect 40-50 on my Model 3 and at best a $15 credit per tire. Frankly, I’d be happy with 40k. Probably going to keep the current rubber for another month, then get the Generals.”

r/CX5 ·2 upvotes ·2026-03-18

“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”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-25

“I have general grabbers on my vanagon and they just don’t wear. I had rt43s on a Tiguan before and they had 4/32nds left at around 60k miles”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-25

“I had great luck with 2 sets of the RT43s years back. The only my comment was they were a little less grippy than other tires for high G lateral forces. IE taking curves WAY above intelligent speeds. Otherwise, they were sure footed in any other situation. Including incliment weather.”

Top themes
#value for money#wet weather performance#tread life durability#comparison with michelin#winter and snow traction#road noise and comfort#successor rt45 transition

Based on 38 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone WeatherGrip B · General AltiMAX RT43
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tireAll Season Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available49—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth10/32″10 - 12/32″
UTQG640 A A600 - 700 A A - B
Treadwear warranty65,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure44 psi44 - 51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone

General

Winner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Pick the Firestone WeatherGrip if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 89 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Firestone WeatherGrip scores 95 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 93 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 91 vs 82 on wet.

Tire A · Firestone WeatherGrip
Tire B · General AltiMAX RT43

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.