If you live in a place that has heavy ice and snow in the winter, you probably already know that winter tires are the best way to get from point A to point B. You probably also know that winter tires aren’t for year-round use, and that their softer, stickier tread formulation will wear quickly in warmer weather. Winter tires, for this reason, shouldn’t be used on days that are warmer than 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Well, that might all be a thing of the past with the General Altimax 365AW. The Altimax 365AW is a true all-weather tire, with winter traction that’s robust enough to win the industry’s Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service.

But what is it that makes this tire such a great choice for your vehicle? Let’s explore a little deeper with our General Altimax 365AW review.

Features and Benefits

All-weather tires are a growing subtype as they blend the best of all-season and winter tires. Here’s what the Altimax 365AW has within it to allow for superb year-round performance.

• Classic 5-rib tread pattern with a solid center rib for good straight-line stability, road manners, steering response
• Innovative sinusoidal sipes and traction teeth add hundreds of extra biting edges to dig into snow and slush for better traction and grip
• Longitudinal and lateral grooves enhance traction on wet or slushy roads and evacuate water from the tire’s contact patch to resist hydroplaning
• Visual alignment indicators alert drivers to irregular tire wear due to poor wheel alignment
• Silica-enhanced rubber compound stays flexible at lower temperatures for traction in subfreezing weather without having to worry about burning out at higher temperatures
• Twin steel belts and polyamide reinforcement ply enhance durability

Backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Altimax 365AW is available in 15” to 20” sizes for a wide variety of vehicle fitments.

Pros and Cons

Like most General tires, the Altimax 365AW has more pros than cons.

Pros:

• Great traction in all but the heaviest, most severe winter weather
• No more changing from all-season to winter tires and back again
• Backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and a 45-day test drive
• Replacement Tire Monitor on the center rib allows drivers to visually check how their tire is wearing
• Wear squares on the shoulders let drivers know when their vehicle is mis-aligned

Cons:

• A little loud at highway speed

SimpleTire’s view on General Altimax 365AW tires

All-weather tires are a fairly new category, loosely defined as a touring or all-season tire that has winter tire features built in. The General Altimax 365AW is a great entry in the all-weather category, with surprising performance in winter weather along with predictable handling and performance year-round. They took the best features of the Altimax RT43 touring tire and added in the winter performance of the Altimax Arctic 12 for a truly winning combination. The Altimax 365AW delivers a comfortable ride and good road manners, and can check off many of the boxes you’re looking for in an all-weather tire.

In terms of performance, the Altimax 365AW competes with the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady, Firestone Weathergrip, and Hankook Kinergy 4S2 (H750) but does so at a more affordable price across the board. Additionally, the Altimax 365AW’s warranty is similar to the Goodyear and Hankook tires, and 5,000 miles less than the Firestone.

Vehicles the General Altimax 365AW is a good replacement tire for

As an all-weather tire that’s available in 15” to 20” sizes, the Altimax 365AW can be used on a wide variety of vehicles. If you drive a Buick Regal Tour X, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Ford Edge, Honda CR-V, Kia Forte 5, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry, or Volkswagen Jetta, then this is a tire that you might want to consider if you want a tire that offers better winter performance and can be used year-round.