Tire News & Information
The new General Altimax 365AW tires
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Last updated 10/15/2022 - Originally published 5/12/2021
Written by SimpleTire
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Tire News & Information
All-weather tires are a newer development to the tire industry, as they blend the wet and dry performance of an all season tire with the dependable grip and traction of a winter tire for true year-round traction and performance. Many manufacturers are beginning to release all weather tires, and General has now joined the party with the release of the Altimax 365AW.
The Altimax 365AW is an all-weather tire, meaning that it takes the best aspects of an all-season tire and blends them with the strong performance from winter tires for true year round traction and performance for drivers of coupes, sedans, CUVs, SUVs, and minivans. To do this, the Altimax 365AW utilizes a hybrid rubber compound that keeps the tire flexible year-round so that it can consistently grip the road. Dense siping within the Altimax 365AW creates additional biting edges that boost grip for strong traction, acceleration, and braking performance, and the tire’s angled tread blocks and open shoulders force water, slush, and melting snow out of the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning. Like most winter tires, Altimax 365AW is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified thanks to its ability to perform in severe winter weather conditions such as ice, slush, snow, and lower temperatures.
Creating a tire that combines the best of all-season and winter tires can be difficult, but General had a jump on the process thanks to their Altimax RT43 and Altimax Arctic 12 lines. So, how does the Altimax 365AW differ from General’s other Altimax lines?
The Altimax RT43 offers strong traction in wet and dry conditions plus adequate performance in light winter weather conditions, while the Altimax Arctic 12 excels in winter weather and does not perform well in warmer temperatures. The Altimax 365AW sits right in the middle of these two lines to give drivers strong traction in dry, wet, and winter weather conditions, including in moderate to heavy snowfall.
As an all-season touring tire, the Altimax RT43 is backed by a lengthy limited tread life warranty in the form of a 75,000 mile warranty for T-rated sizes and a 60,000 mile limited warranty for H- and V-rated sizes. The Altimax Arctic 12, like most winter tires, does not feature a limited tread life warranty. The Altimax 365AW offers a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty across the board, which matches the RT43 for H- and V-rated sizes and is 15,000 mile less than T-rated sizes.
As an all-season tire, the Altimax RT43 is not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, which means the tire is not certified to perform in severe winter weather conditions. The Altimax RT43 performs adequately in light snow, and really isn’t built to drive through moderate to heavy snow or excess ice. On the other hand, the Altimax Arctic 12 and 365AW are both Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified thanks to their ability to perform in light, moderate, and heavy snow, plus ice. The main difference between the Altimax Arctic 12 and 365AW when it comes to winter traction is studs, as the Arctic 12 can be pinned with them (where permitted) to enhance traction on icy and snowy roads and the 365AW cannot be pinned with studs.
Despite being a newer tire type, there are plenty of great all-weather tires currently on the market, and General made sure to test the Altimax 365AW against many of the best on the market, including the Firestone Weathergrip. Both tires are designed for use on coupes, sedans, CUVs, SUVs, and minivans, and feature a Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol on the sidewall thanks to their ability to perform in severe winter weather conditions. The mileage warranty for the Weathergrip is slightly higher than the Altimax 365AW’s, as Firestone offers a 65,000 mile warranty on their tire, but both tires are designed to give drivers a longer tread life. So, what’s the difference?
The Altimax 365AW and Weathergrip were tested against one another, and General found that the tires performed identically on wet and snowy roads, while the Altimax 365AW came out slightly ahead on dry roads, and performed better on icy roads. General also tested ride comfort, and found that the Altimax 365AW created a more comfortable ride than its Firestone competitor. Both tires (and the Nokian WR G4 and Toyo Celsius, which were also tested) performed exceptionally well in testing, but the Altimax 365AW finished ahead of the pack in most tests.
When it comes to purchasing a set of tires for your ride, price becomes a critical piece of information as drivers want to make sure they’re getting a fair deal. While both the General Altimax 365AW and Firestone Weathergrip perform at a high level, they do have a pretty big difference in price point. The Altimax 365AW starts at $88 per tire, meaning that a set of four will likely cost at least $350 before installation. The Firestone Weathergrip, on the other hand, costs at least $103 per tire, meaning that a set of four will likely cost at least $412 before installation.
The Firestone Weathergrip is a great tire and one of the best all-weather tires on the market right now. The General Altimax 365AW performs the same as the Weathergrip in wet and snowy conditions, and better in dry and icy conditions, in addition to offering a slightly more comfortable ride. While the Weathergrip offers drivers a longer limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Altimax 365AW is typically around $15 less per tire, meaning that drivers get excellent performance at a lower price point.
Changing weather conditions can make driving difficult, as dry, wet, and winter weather all provide different challenges for you and your tires. As an all-weather tire, the Altimax 365AW is designed to give drivers of coupes, sedans, CUVs, SUVs, and minivans strong, consistent traction and performance year round. In some cases, the winter aspects of the Altimax 365AW might not make sense for certain drivers, such those in the South, or places that only receive light snow each year. Drivers who see all four seasons, and sometimes get them in the same month, or who want improved winter traction without buying a winter tire should consider the Altimax 365AW thanks to its ability to perform at a high level year round. Starting at $88 per tire, a set of four Altimax 365AW tires will cost at least $350, but that might be worth it if you’re a driver who consistently sees all four seasons and wants better traction and performance in winter weather without purchasing a winter tire or sacrificing wet and dry traction.
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