General Altimax 365 AW vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires

Introduced in 1915, General Tire is a member of the German conglomerate, Continental Tire. With a presence in categories such as all-season, all-weather, all-terrain, and winter, the American brand has been rolling out tires for coupes, sedans, CUVs, minivans, SUVs, and light trucks. On the other hand, we have the Taiwan-based Kenda Tire, a preferred brand in the replacement tire market for drivers looking to balance quality and price. Just like General, Kenda is present in most tire categories and manufactures tires for different vehicles. Under all-weather tires, the Altimax 365 AW from General and Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) from Kenda are two solid choices from these brands.

Engineered for coupes, sedans, CUVS, minivans, and SUVs, the General Altimax 365 AW and Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) offer solid traction, braking, grip, and control in unpredictable weather conditions. While being Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, they also come with strong limited manufacturer tread life warranties. These all-weather tires offer year-round performance like all-season tires but lend extra grip and stability in moderate to severe winter weather conditions, making them a must-have for regions experiencing frequent weather changes. So, which one is a better option? Let’s compare General Altimax 365W vs. Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires based on our proprietary SimpleScore to know the answer.

General Altimax 365 AW tires

Introduced in May 2021, the General Altimax 365 AW offers great performance in changing weather conditions of hot, cold, and rain. The special rubber compound of the all-weather tire ensures the flexibility of the tire is maintained even during low-temperature conditions, making rides in moderate to severe snow safer than rides with all-season tires. The angular blocks with zigzag sipes provide extra biting edges for effective traction, control, and grip on slippery surfaces. While the symmetric tread pattern resists uneven wear and promotes uniform wear for longer tread life, the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification assures fantastic performance in snow and ice. Backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Visual Alignment Indicators alert the driver in advance about any misalignment or uneven wear.

Boasting an 8.7 average score, the General Altimax 365 AW promises great performance in dry, wet, and moderate to severe snow throughout its lifecycle.

Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires

Introduced in 2022, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) is the tire maker’s first attempt at an all-weather or four seasons tire. Featuring an asymmetric tread pattern with large shoulders, the tire offers great handling, traction, and braking in dry, rain, and moderate to extreme wintry conditions of snow and ice. While the computer-optimized pitch sequence resists soundwaves from entering the cabin for a comfortable ride, the deep sipes of the Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) provide extra biting edges for confident maneuvering in low-temperature conditions. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake-certified Kenda tire features four wide circumferential grooves to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning as it flushes out ice and slush for consistent traction in snow, ice, and wet. Backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) has a natural, soybean-infused rubber compound to maintain grip and traction in changing weather conditions.

With an 8.2 average score, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) ensures increased comfort, traction, and handling along with excellent longevity.

General Altimax 365 AW vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on traction

All-weather tires are preferred for their traction on snow and ice thanks to dense sipes and special rubber compounds. Let’s see how the General and the Kenda tires perform for traction.

Riding on an all-weather rubber compound that maintains flexibility in sub-freezing temperatures, the Altimax 365 AW secures an 8.7 out of 10. Thanks to the wide circumferential grooves, the General tire reduces the risk of hydroplaning by quickly removing water and slush from the tread to boost wet traction.

Conversely, the Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) falls a bit short with a modest score of 7.7. With an asymmetric tread pattern, it features environment-friendly silica, soybean oil, and resins molded rubber compound that adapts according to the changing environment. The compound hardens when the temperature outside is warm and softens in low temperatures.

The higher score makes the Altimax 365 AW the ‘ultimate’ traction winner.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax 365 AW

General Altimax 365 AW vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on handling

While traction is a critical aspect, the handling and stability of a tire are other significant aspects that cannot be ignored. The Altimax 365 AW and Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) assure improved handling, stability, and control in low-temperature conditions.

With an above-average 8.7 handling score, the General Altimax 365 AW features an optimized tread pattern and advanced rubber compound that lends precise steering response and greater control in dry, wet, and snow. The solid shoulders and center rib further improve handling and stability in different conditions.

Moving up the scoring chart, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) scores a fine 8.1 in handling. Thanks to the large shoulder blocks and pattern sipes, the Kenda tire offers improved dry cornering and clear water to regain control in wet and snow. Moreover, the dense sipes on the center ribs boost block stiffness for extra biting edges and enhanced steering response.

Despite putting on a good show, the Kenda loses the handling battle to General Altimax 365 AW.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax 365 AW

General Altimax 365 AW vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on longevity

The longevity of a tire depends on the tire upkeep, pressure level, surface conditions, driving habits, and tire quality. The General and Kenda tires promise a longer service life thanks to their special rubber compounds.

Scoring an excellent 9, the General Altimax 365 AW features an advanced rubber compound that resists uneven wear while promoting a longer tread life. Aided by Visual Alignment Indicators, the all-weather tire alerts the driver to any possible misaligned tire before it’s too late. It is backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

The Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) scores its highest in longevity (9), leveling scores with the General. Covered by a solid 60,000 limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the special eco-friendly rubber compound of the Kenda tire is infused with soybean and silica for optimum wearability and performance.

Although the Kenda improves its game in longevity, it only manages to level scores with the General.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

When to use each

Alongside ironing the shortcomings of all-season tires, all-weather tires offer all qualities of an all-season tire - year-round performance, adequate traction and handling in dry, wet, and light snow, and longer service life. Unlike all-season tires, all-weathers feature dense siping and advanced rubber compounds for effective traction, braking, and control in moderate to severe winter conditions.

If the climate in your region remains below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you should go for dedicated winter tires as they are solely made to combat freezing temperatures.

Which one should you choose?

To sum up, the General Altimax 365 AW wins the traction and handling department while it draws the longevity section. On the other hand, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) is slightly behind in traction and handling. Both offer the same 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty as well. Let’s check their prices to know which is a better bet.

Comparing the prices of the 225/50R17 94V tire size, the General Altimax 365 AW costs around $177 per tire, and four such tires cost $708, while the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) costs around $132 per tire, and four such tires cost $528 (a difference of $180 for a set).

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the General Altimax 365 AW if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback, Mercedes-Benz ML350, and Chrysler 300
• Want better handling (8.7 vs 8.6)
• Prefer tires with increased traction (8.7 vs 7.7)

You can opt for the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, and Buick Verano
• Are looking for touring attributes in an all-weather tire
• Want an affordable all-weather tire

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