General Altimax RT43 Review [2023 Updated]

By Tire Expert, Ryan Nichols

Are you looking for an in-depth review of General Altimax RT43 tires? Here’s our take on these thoughtfully built all-season tires from Continental. A few specific details, like visual indicators on the tread, make General stand out from the rest, and there’s a reason why these are great tires for your minivan—because they’re safe and affordable.

In this General Altimax RT43 review, I cover all the pros and cons of these tires from a professional standpoint without sugar-coating anything. We like many things about General Altimax RT43 tires, and we highly recommend them because of their quality and price. Scroll down to read more about what we have to say about the General Altimax RT43s.

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Pros

Cons

Ratings

4.5

4.0

4.5

4.0

4.5

3.5

4.0

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Hydroplaning:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Value For $$$:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Traction - General Altimax RT43

All-season traction is the main reason why this tire is so popular. Unless you’re switching over from an all-terrain/offroading tire, the RT43 tires provide a versatile set of skills in all different types of weather.

As for dry traction, these are a 4 out of 5 in dry conditions because they aren’t made for insane speeds nor are they built for heavy offroading and sand. These are highway/road tires, and they’ll get great fuel economy on well-maintained roads.

We are also impressed with the wet traction on highway surfaces. That’s not to say these are good mud tires or reliable in offroad rainy conditions, but they’ll keep you safe in wet road conditions around town.

These tires will do in a pinch during light snow conditions, but if you want excellent offroad/winter traction, buy some dedicated offroading or winter tires. Don’t expect all-season tires to overperform in extreme conditions—they’ll get the job done, but you’ll want to be extremely cautious for sharp rocks that could puncture the tires when driving offroad. You’ll also want to drive conservatively in snow and ice with these tires.

Traction Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Comfort - General Altimax RT43

General Altimax RT43 tires provide a smooth ride even compared to other quality all-season tires. In our professional opinion, everything about the RT43s provides a comfortable ride. This added support isn’t an accident either. It can be attributed to the Twin Cushion Silica Tread Compound which contains both high and low-density layers of tread for a great mixture of comfort and performance.

The RT43s have a lower speed rating, and that means good things for ride comfort. Slower tires are typically always softer over the bumps. Not only are these softer tire, but they’re a higher profile tire that adds to the vehicle’s overall height when compared to, say, a sport tire with low sidewalls (buy the highest aspect ratio number size for the most padding).

Aside from actual driving comfort, there’s also the comfort of knowing you’re backed by a reputable tire company that provides good warranty replacement options.

Ride Comfort Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Handling - General Altimax RT43

These are all-season tires, meaning they’re not made for high speeds and fast corners. When you buy all-season tires (compared to sport tires), you are sacrificing cornering for better fuel economy and longer-lasting tread life.

Altimax tires do feature a continuous center rib in their construction designed to add stability for corners, and you’ll also notice the biting edges on the tread that have improved steering response when compared to tire designs from the past.

Now, these tires are T-rated for speed meaning they’re safe for speeds of up to 118 mph. To be honest, that’s kind of on the lower level of speed rating. These tires aren’t made for left-lane driving because of their softer design and higher sidewall. Additionally, try to avoid extremely hot temperatures and extended hours of driving with these softer tires. If you are taking a long road trip, it helps to stop every couple of hours for 20 minutes or so to let the tires cool off a bit.

Sport tires will give you better handling and faster speeds. We recommend tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport or something similar.

Ride Handling Rating: 4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Noise - General Altimax RT43

You’ll likely notice a reduction in ride noise after having installed these General Altimax RT43 tires. Because this is an all-season touring tire, the intention of the design is for long highway drives, and this happens to be an elite brand of highway tires (they’re made by Continental) perfect for commuter and coupes sedans like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, etc. These tires also come in larger sizes for crossovers and SUVs, and you’ll likely experience more noise coming from tires made for bigger rims. For example, 225/65/R20 means 20-inch rims compared to 225/65/R15 which are 15-inch wheels.

Compared to a sports tire, you’ll also experience less noise when driving over bumps, and this is because sports tires have a thinner sidewall meaning they generally have a smaller aspect ratio (the middle tire number). Expect a quiet ride at highway speeds, but don’t push them too much faster than the local speed limit because of their lower speed safety rating.

Remember, if you’re still experiencing some type of ride noise after installing new tires, it’s mostly due to some other problem with your steering or suspension. Many customers at tire shops don’t realize how much a small issue like a bad control arm bushing affects their tire performance. Your tires are the only part of the suspension system that touches the road, so it receives the transfer of energy from all the vehicle’s various other suspension components.

Ride Noise Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Hydroplaning - General Altimax RT43

How do these tires do when it comes to hydroplaning and being safe in wet conditions? We especially like the tread design of the General Altimax RT43 tire because of its low surface abrasion technology.

If you look closely at the tread patterns, you’ll notice the nice flow of the anti-slip sipe design technology that allows for effective water evacuation. Their circumferential grooves and well-designed sipes allow for the water to exit the tire faster when unexpected puddles appear on the road. What are sipes? They’re the side slits or kerfs in the tread pattern that help for water traction. These give the inner parts of the treads more surface area.

We recommend inflating these tires to slightly below the recommended tire pressure (PSI). Also, tire age and treadwear play a huge role in hydroplaning performance, and Newer Altimax tires (or other all-season tires) perform significantly better in the rain than older ones.

Hydroplaning Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Tread Life - General Altimax RT43

General Altimax RT43 tires boast extended tread life for their price range and quality. You’ll easily get 70 thousand miles out of these tires when properly inflated and with a properly maintained suspension system.

You can mount these symmetrical treads either way making them easy to rotate to any wheel, and it also means that the tire technician won’t accidentally mount them up inside out (you’d be surprised at how often that happens).

These tires have unique tread indicators, like the words ‘replacement tire monitor’ imprinted on the tires. Once the tires have worn all the way down, the ‘ment’ and ‘monitor’ are gone from the tire leaving just ‘replace tire’. The treads also have printed visual alignment indicators on each side of the tire that let the consumer easily check if the tires are wearing evenly.

One thing I’ve noticed with cars that come into the shop mounted up with Altimax tires is that the treads always wear relatively even, and even tread wear means the owner gets high mileage from their tires without sacrificing ride quality.

Remember to periodically check your tread depths, and replace tires when they wear down to 2/32” (two thirty seconds of an inch), or 1.6mm. Fun fact, even automated safety features like lane assist can cause uneven tire wear because your car is constantly using the brakes to keep you in your lane.

Tread Life Rating: 4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Value For Money - General Altimax RT43

Are General tires worth the money? Absolutely. For around a bill a pop, these tires are priced in the middle range, but they perform and last as long as more expensive all-season tires.

In other words, you can’t afford to not buy these tires. As a reference, Michelin Defenders cost significantly more and don’t offer any real differences in quality or warranty. Plus, if you buy some off-brand tires or from your local scrap tire shop, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk of tire malfunction.

Amazon is a great place to get a solid deal on General Altimax RT43 tires.

Tirerack is also another reliable seller of General Altimax RT43. Find your tire size and click to purchase.

Value For Money Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Final Verdict - General Altimax RT43

Now you know that General Altimax RT43 tires are some of the most sold tires in tire shops. We highly recommend doing as much research as possible specific to your car or truck when buying tires.

Another factor to consider for upgrading your car’s performance is the wheels. Did you know that upgrading to aftermarket wheels can make a noticeable difference from behind the wheel?

Meet Your Tire Expert

Ryan Nichols

Trained by Mercedes-Benz in Long Beach, California and worked as a technician in a Mercedes-Benz AMG shop. Ryan has years of experience in the shop to help you with your automotive needs!

Tire Recall Information

Recall information for the General Altimax RT43 is coming soon!

Warranty & Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the General Altimax RT43 a quiet tire?

The General Altimax RT43 is quiet, smooth, and one of the best quality all-season tires for the price. The first thing you notice when you switch out to some fresh RT43s could very well be the lack of noise coming from your tires.

How long do General Altimax RT43 tires last?

These will last for longer than their 75 thousand-mile warranty when maintained and properly inflated. Rotate your tires and immediately fix problems with suspension and alignment for the longest mileage results.

Are General Altimax RT43 tires good in the snow?

These all-season tires are adequate for light snow when new, but we don’t recommend older more worn-out sets in the snow because the treads aren’t deep enough to really grab. And don’t even think about driving fast in icy conditions with these tires; switch out to snow tires for extreme winter conditions.