Firestone All-Season vs General Altimax RT45 tires

Two American tire legends – Firestone and General – have been around for more than a century, rolling out high-quality products for different vehicles like SUVs, passenger cars, CUVs, light trucks, and commercial vehicles, in different categories such as ultra-high-performance, winter, all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, and others. While Firestone Tire has been acquired by the Japanese tire maker Bridgestone, General Tire is a subsidiary of the French conglomerate, Continental.

When it comes to choosing a reliable set of all-season tires without spending too much, the All-Season from Firestone and the Altimax RT45 from General are great options to go for. Both tires are engineered for passenger vehicles, prioritizing year-round performance, great service life, and a comfortable ride. The Firestone All-Season focuses on providing dependable basic handling and grip, while the General Altimax RT45 is highly regarded for its class-leading longevity and strong wet-weather traction. The Firestone All-Season vs. General Altimax RT45 comparison will examine the traction, handling, and longevity traits of these tires based on our proprietary SimpleScore — a scoring mechanism that rates each characteristic on a scale of 0 to 10.

Firestone All-Season tires

Introduced in 2017, the Firestone All-Season replaced the FR710 and is a dependable, entry-level tire designed for drivers of sedans, coupes, and minivans wanting year-round performance. The all-season tire features a conventional, symmetric tread pattern with deep grooves and multiple sipes to provide consistent traction across dry roads, wet conditions, and light snow.

Its durable construction and tread compound are engineered for longevity, making it an economical choice for daily commuting. The Firestone All-Season delivers precise steering response and a comfortable ride, ensuring confident performance for everyday driving needs without the premium price tag. It is backed by an excellent 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

With an 8.4 overall SimpleScore, the Firestone All-Season is a great tire for year-round performance in different driving conditions.

Get Firestone All-Season tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

General Altimax RT45 tires

Launched in 2022, the General AltiMAX RT45 is a touring all-season tire designed to deliver exceptional longevity and great performance for passenger cars, coupes, and sedans. With a durable, all-season rubber compound and an optimized symmetric tread pattern, the General all-season tire delivers a prolonged service life with maximum wear.

The AltiMAX RT45 is backed by an exceptional 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty (for T and H-rated sizes) or 65,000 miles (for V-rated sizes), highlighting its excellent longevity. The General tire delivers consistent traction and handling in dry, wet, and light snow conditions, aided by dense siping and wide grooves that resist hydroplaning. Its comfortable design also ensures a quiet and smooth ride for reliable daily commuting.

Scoring an 8.9 in its overall SimpleScore, the General AltiMAX RT45 assures great handling, traction, and grip along with exceptional tread life.

Get General Altimax RT45 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Firestone All-Season vs General Altimax RT45 tires on traction

Being reliable all-season tires, the Firestone All-Season and General Altimax RT45 offer reliable grip in dry, wet, and light snow, but one tire scores higher than the other. Let’s check out who wins the traction battle.

Scoring an 8.4 in traction, the Firestone All-Season features a symmetric tread design that allows enhanced grip and traction in dry and wet conditions. Meanwhile, the deep sipes strategically placed all around the tire play an important role in providing necessary grip and traction on highways.

On the other hand, the General AltiMAX RT45 is home with a superb 8.6 in traction, thanks to its unique tread design and dense sipes that not only improve control but also deliver better braking, acceleration, and grip in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. The circumferential grooves of the General tire allow quick water removal from the tread to mitigate hydroplaning and boost wet performance.

With a better score, the General Altimax RT45 wins the traction tussle, but the Firestone tire fast closes in.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45

Firestone All-Season vs General Altimax RT45 tires on handling

For a confident driving experience, the steering should follow your instructions promptly. The better the steering feedback, the better its handling. The Firestone and General tires both look promising, but again, the battle swings in one’s favor. Who is it? Read on.

Achieving an 8.3 in handling, the Firestone All-Season features a new-gen tread design and advanced rubber compound that not only aids in offering better grip but also improves handling, stability, and control in different driving conditions of dry, wet, and light snow. The tread pitch sequencing reduces road noise for a quiet and comfortable driving experience.

The General AltiMAX RT45 scores an 8.6 in handling and assures precise steering response, better quick lane changing ability, and superb control during high-speed manoeuvres. The continuous center rib and solid shoulder design of the AltiMAX RT45 improves handling and stability in different driving conditions of dry, wet, and light snow.

The General AltiMAX RT45 continues its winning streak and pins Firestone All-Season in handling as well.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45

Firestone All-Season vs General Altimax RT45 tires on longevity

All-season tires are preferred for their year-round usability and longer service lives. The Firestone and General all-season tires promise superb tread life and long mileage warranties. However, one tire earns an incredible score to defeat the other. Let’s do the longevity analysis.

The Firestone All-Season improves its rating to an 8.7 in longevity – its highest in this comparison. Thanks to its deep siped design, the Firestone tire is able to curb uneven wear and promote uniform wear for a longer service life. Moreover, the All-Season tire is backed by a solid 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for complete peace of mind.

Contrarily, the General AltiMAX RT45 pulls up its ace in the final round as it scores a magnificent 9.8 in longevity! Thanks to its optimized tread pattern, the tire reduces rolling resistance, leading to gradual wear and improved wearability. Backed by an exceptional 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the AltiMAX RT45 features Replacement Tire Indicator and Visual Alignment Indicators to visually alert the driver about its condition.

General’s gush of water puts off ‘Fire’stone in the longevity department as it wins the tread life tussle comprehensively.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45

When to use each

All-season tires offer a balance of performance for wet, dry, and light winter conditions. Their all-season rubber compound and tread pattern provide reliable handling and braking, eliminating the need for seasonal tire changes. They are a versatile choice for regions where temperatures do not go extreme at any point in the year.

While the General Altimax RT45 has an upper hand in grip, handling, and tread life, the Firestone All-Season’s design may look appealing to some. Whichever you choose, ensure they are not driven in low temperature conditions when the temperature remains below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, as these tires are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified like winter or all-weather tires.

Which one should you choose?

In a nutshell, the General AltiMAX RT45 wins the comparison by 3-0 as it pins the Firestone All-Season in traction, handling, and longevity. However, both tires have their unique characteristics, which should be considered before you opt for one. Let’s do the last round of comparison and, often, the decider – the price.

For the 195/65R15 91T size, the Firestone tire costs $123 per tire, while four tires cost $492. Similarly, the General tire costs $111 per tire, while four tires cost $444 (a difference of $48 on four tires).

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Firestone All-Season if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Toyota Corolla, Honda CR-V, and the Chevrolet Impala
• Want a tire with better noise and vibration control
• Prefer a better-looking tire (subjective)

Contrarily, you should go for the General AltiMAX RT45 if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Kia Optima, Mazda CRX-5, and the Subaru Outback
• Prefer a tire with an exceptional tread life (9.8 vs 8.7)
• Want superior traction (8.6 vs 8.4)
• Prefer an all-season tire with better handling (8.6 vs 8.3)
• Need an affordable and reliable all-season tire

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.