General Altimax RT45 vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires

Altimax vs Solus: Which all-season tire is right for you?

General is an American tire manufacturer with over a century of expertise in making reliable tires that balance both innovation and value. The tire manufacturer is now a part of Continental and offers a diversified range of tires for use on passenger cars, light trucks, CUVs, SUVs, and commercial vehicles.

Kumho, on the other hand, was founded in 1960 in South Korea and is admired for its advanced engineering, great features, and high-value tires. Kumho’s range of tires offers passenger comfort, strong traction, and solid durability at highly accessible price points.

Picked for the comparison here are the General Altimax RT45 and the Kumho Solus TA51a tires. They both fall in the touring all-season tire category and come with individual strengths. While the Altimax RT45 is a touring all-season tire specially optimized for long-lasting tread life, refined ride comfort, and dependable all-season traction, the Solus TA51a is tuned to provide a whisper-quiet ride, long-lasting service, solid durability, and enhanced silica grip.

If you want a reliable set of touring all-season tires, this Altimax RT45 vs Solus TA51a tires comparison will help you pick the best tire based on your driving needs, preferences, and budget. We will use our in-house tire rating system, SimpleScore, to understand each tire’s overall ability, along with its strengths in areas like traction, handling, and longevity. So read on and get ready to make an informed decision!

General Altimax RT45 tires

The Altimax RT45 is suitable for use on coupes, sedans, CUVs, SUVs, and minivans, and provides great performance and value year-round, in dry, wet, and light winter conditions. It is tuned for maximum dry grip and responsive highway handling, and comes with tread that also offers increased hydroplaning resistance. This tire is also offered with an array of advanced features, some of them being smart safety features like Visual Alignment Indicators (VAI) on the shoulders to detect alignment issues and a Replacement Tire Monitor (RTM) on the center rib that wears down to “REPLACE TIRE” when the tread is worn. Additionally, it comes with a higher tread life warranty to offer maximum value on purchase.

Overall, the Altimax RT45 secures an 8.8 overall SimpleScore, thanks to its excellent tread life, responsive handling, and solid traction and grip.

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

Kumho Solus TA51a tires

The Solus TA51a is suitable for use on many popular passenger vehicles on the market and comes with dependable all-season driving ability. It features a specially optimized compound and tread for enhanced all-season flexibility and long-lasting tread life. It has the much-needed tread elements for a commanding performance on wet roads and light winter conditions. Like its peer, the Kumho tire is also offered with a great backing of a tread life warranty. Additionally, Kumho engineered the tire for reduced noise levels for a quieter and more pleasant cabin experience.

The Solus TA51a secures a great 8.7 overall SimpleScore because of its long-lasting tread life, enhanced traction, and responsive handling.

Get Kumho Solus TA51a tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

General Altimax RT45 vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires on traction

Now with the overviews of both tires covered, let’s get into more details, starting with the traction analysis. Here, we will learn which tire leads when it comes to maintaining traction and surefootedness on highways and city streets year-round.

First, let’s talk about the Altimax RT45, which offers solid grip with an 8.5 SimpleScore in traction. Thanks to the high-density siping and lateral voids across the contact patch, the tire creates multiple biting edges for consistent grip on rainy roads or in light snow conditions. The presence of four deep circumferential grooves additionally allows the tire to force water away from the contact patch for minimized risk of hydroplaning.

Comparatively, the Solus TA51a assures an excellent 8.6 SimpleScore for its commendable traction performance in all seasons. The use of advanced high-dispersion silica rubber compound provides solid grip on mild, snowy, and wet roads. There are interlocking sipes on the tread for additional biting ability, and the 4 wide linear grooves provide optimum hydroplaning resistance.

While both touring all-season tires are great, it is the Solus TA51a that surpasses the Altimax RT45 tire in traction!

ADVANTAGE: Kumho Solus TA51a

General Altimax RT45 vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires on handling

Handling analysis also plays a key role, especially in the case of touring all-season tires, as they are optimized for great highway handling and stability. Let us now find out which of the two tires is better in terms of ride control, stability, steering response, braking, and cornering.

The Altimax RT45 achieves an impressive 8.5 SimpleScore in handling, assuring solid responsiveness and agility for a better command behind the wheel. The robust interlocking center blocks provide increased stiffness under acceleration and hard braking. Likewise, the optimized pattern assures an on-center steering feel for highly predictable cornering stability when cruising down the highway.

Comparatively, the Solus TA51a scores a competitive 8.4 in handling, giving a tough fight to its peer. The tire utilizes stiff interlocking center ribs for better straight-line tracking and stability. The footprint is wide and flat to provide increased stability and better steering inputs during daily commuting. The inner casing strength and tread block sturdiness help the Solus TA51a maintain its original shape for improved cornering performance.

In handling, the Altimax RT45 takes a very close lead, leaving behind the Solus TA51a for a 1-1 win!

__ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45 __

General Altimax RT45 vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires on longevity

Moving on to longevity analysis, we will know which of the two tires is better at controlling wear and covering the maximum number of miles to provide better value on purchase.

Beginning with the Altimax RT45, the tire stuns with an excellent 9.6 SimpleScore in longevity. It also comes with an up to 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty to provide additional convenience to customers. The alignment and replacement indicators alert drivers to further maintain the tire’s long-lasting ability. Additionally, the footprint of this tire is tuned for even wear, ensuring exceptional longevity.

Contrarily, the Solus TA51a secures an outstanding 9.1 SimpleScore in longevity, indicating to buyers that it too can resist wear and cover a decent number of miles. Like its competitor, the Solus TA51a also comes with an up to 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. All thanks to the solid polymer compound, the tire remains highly durable to maintain the original structure for even and longer wear.

Longevity results of both tires are impressive, but the win is secured by the Altimax RT45 with a higher SimpleScore.

ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45

When to use each

Both the Altimax RT45 and the Solus TA51a are touring all-season lines suitable for year-round use on dry streets, wet highways, and light winter weather. They are both engineered to provide a noise- and vibration-free driving experience with low rolling resistance. They both serve well for long-distance driving, assuring a great touring experience. But neither tire is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certified, which means they are not suitable for use in moderate to severe winter conditions or freezing conditions.

As far as the rim sizes are concerned, the Altimax RT45 is available in 14- to 20-inch rim sizes, while the Solus TA51a is offered in 13- to 19-inch rim options.

Which one should you choose?

Based on overall SimpleScores, the Altimax RT45 is a better choice than the Solus TA51a (8.8 vs 8.7). However, your purchase decision should be based on your driving needs, i.e., whether you prioritize a tire that offers better traction or something that’s better at handling and long-lasting service, along with budget.

In terms of price, the Altimax RT45 is offered at a starting price of at least $104 per tire, which means a set of four will cost at least $416. On the other hand, the Solus TA51a starts at roughly $85 per tire, which means a full set of four begins around $340.

Looking at SimpleScore, you should choose the Altimax RT45 if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Ford Mustang.
• Need a tire that’s better in longevity (9.6 vs 9.1).
• Need a tire that’s better handling (8.5 vs 8.4).
• Need a tire that comes with an advanced "Replace Tire" indicator and alignment alerts.

On the other hand, you should choose the Solus TA51a if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Chevrolet Cruze, Kia Optima, or Hyundai Elantra.
• Want a tire that’s better in traction (8.6 vs 8.5).
• Are looking for a tire that’s more affordable and backed by an identical 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

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.