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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

General AltiMAX RT43 vs Nexen N9000 — 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 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.

VS
Tire B Nexen

Nexen N9000

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Nexen N9000 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
78/100
12 owner reviews
Dry
84
Wet
80
Snow
–
Comfort
77
Noise
–
Treadwear
77
Handling
80

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better comfort, handling and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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 11
A — General AltiMAX RT43
95
B — Nexen N9000
84
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 75 84
America's Tire owners 96 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 11
A — General AltiMAX RT43
91
B — Nexen N9000
80
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 73 80
America's Tire owners 92 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — General AltiMAX RT43
65
B — Nexen N9000
–
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 65 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 15
A — General AltiMAX RT43
92
B — Nexen N9000
77
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 67 77
America's Tire owners 92 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — General AltiMAX RT43
90
B — Nexen N9000
–
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
America's Tire owners 90 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 12
A — General AltiMAX RT43
89
B — Nexen N9000
77
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 76 77
America's Tire owners 89 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) AltiMAX RT43 leads by 13
A — General AltiMAX RT43
93
B — Nexen N9000
80
Why this score
SourceAltiMAX RT43N9000
Tyre Reviews owners 67 80
America's Tire owners 93 –

Scores at a glance

General AltiMAX RT43 vs Nexen N9000: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGeneral AltiMAX RT43Nexen N9000
Relative Score 92 79
Dry 95 84
Wet 91 80
Snow 65 –
Comfort 92 77
Noise 90 –
Treadwear 89 77
Handling 93 80

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.

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Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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.
Tire B Nexen N9000

The Nexen N9000 is widely regarded as a high-value budget tire that offers impressive dry and wet road performance, often compared favorably to more expensive premium brands. While user experiences regarding noise levels and tread longevity are polarized, the consensus suggests it is an excellent choice for daily driving, provided it is not pushed to track-day extremes.

Pros

  • Exceptional value for money compared to premium competitors
  • Strong wet weather traction and water evacuation capabilities
  • Aesthetically pleasing tread pattern and sidewall profile
  • Generally quiet operation for daily road use

Cons

  • Inconsistent reports regarding cabin noise levels
  • Faster tread wear compared to premium-tier tires
  • Soft sidewall construction limits suitability for track use
  • Poor performance in mud or loose surface conditions

Observations

  • Users with FWD vehicles like the Mazda3 noted that the tire performs well but is susceptible to accelerated wear on front-drive axles.
  • Owners of 4WD vehicles reported that the tire suits the drivetrain characteristics exceptionally well.
  • Drivers of vehicles known for high cabin noise, such as the 2011 Mazda3, noted that the tire's noise profile is comparable to premium alternatives.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

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

Tire B

Nexen N9000

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

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General AltiMAX RT43 B · Nexen N9000
CategoryAll Season Premium Touring tiresSummer Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10 - 12/32″—
UTQG600 - 700 A A - B—
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

General

Nexen

Winner: General AltiMAX RT43 — better comfort, handling and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 92 vs 77 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 93 vs 80 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 89 vs 77 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

General AltiMAX RT43 scores 95 vs 84 on dry.

Tire A · General AltiMAX RT43
Tire B · Nexen N9000

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.