General Altimax RT45(TR Review)

[CharBaby]

I was hoping to read a better review on the Altimax RT45 but I was disappointed from what I read on the TireRack.
They didn't hate it but, the RT45 wasn't the top performer in its particular tire & price category. It was just kind'a Ho-Hum!
Have any of you seen the review? And what is your take on this. Am I wrong?

 

[Taildragger]

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/general-altimax-rt45

 

[Pew]

It doesn't surprise me. The report mimics what I've found with the RT43 and expected in the RT45, lack of turn response and lots of tramlining.

 

[CapriRacer]

I find it interesting that they didn't measure treadwear and fuel economy. I get that treadwear would require a much longer test, but the fuel economy should have been fairly easy.

 

[Eddie]

The review states the AltiMax 45 is a "well rounded performer" so lets not trash it. I had good driving on the 43 version and concluded it was a good daily driver.

 

[RooflessVW]

They didn't hate it but, the RT45 wasn't the top performer in its particular tire & price category. It was just kind'a Ho-Hum!

So, it's just like the RT43?

 

[CharBaby]

Nope, no trashing here!
I loved th RT43s and had 3 set of them on different vehicles. Even CR scored the RT43 quite high and were a darling/high recommendation here at BITOG.

However, the RT43s seemed to get higher praise when tested against similar category of tires especially for their price, than did the RT45s. I guess I was expecting higher praise still. Maybe it’s just me?

 

[Reggaemon]

I don't know how much faith I have in Tire Rack anymore. Ever since they starting carrying Vredestein tires nothing can compare to these wonder tires. Buy them cheap. Tell everyone how great they are and sell them at a great mark up. I'm running a set of Rt43's, find them to be a good tire, I would expect the 45's to be better.

 

[RooflessVW]

I don't know how much faith I have in Tire Rack anymore. Ever since they starting carrying Vredestein tires nothing can compare to these wonder tires. Buy them cheap. Tell everyone how great they are and sell them at a great mark up. I'm running a set of Rt43's, find them to be a good tire, I would expect the 45's to be better.

Is it so unbelievable that Vredestein makes the best tire among General, Cooper, and BFGoodrich?

We're not in "best of the best" territory in the referenced test to begin with.

 

[Reggaemon]

Is it so unbelievable that Vredestein makes the best tire among General, Cooper, and BFGoodrich?

We're not in "best of the best" territory in the referenced test to begin with.

Yeah, you might be right about that...looking at all the Vredestein tires they have tested none are listed as the best in that category.
Maybe I was hoping for a better showing from the RT45. Maybe I'm still angry about a two Vredestein Sprints that went bad on my 1975 280Z.

 

[Ignatius]

Existing thread:

Will the General Altimax RT-45 live up to the legendary RT-43?

Just noticed on TireRack's website, but nothing on General's website yet

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[odie]

No 45s' here .

 

[PandaBear]

I find it interesting that they didn't measure treadwear and fuel economy. I get that treadwear would require a much longer test, but the fuel economy should have been fairly easy.

Is there a particular reason why treadwear and fuel economy are not standardized on a dyno test and graded like the speed rating or traction/temperature letter we have? It seems pretty obvious it can be done but not done in the industry.

 

[krzyss]

Industry has fuel economy test. The result is on Euro tire label.

I expect dyno test of treadwear of any tire would be very unrealistic. Near zero wear.
You need abrasive surface and turns hence there is a test route and reference tire for UTQG. That takes time.

Krzyś

 

[CapriRacer]

Is there a particular reason why treadwear and fuel economy are not standardized on a dyno test and graded like the speed rating or traction/temperature letter we have? It seems pretty obvious it can be done but not done in the industry.

Rolling resistance testing is indeed standardized and is run on a pulley wheel - but single tire only. I assume Tire Rack doesn't have such a facility and is not willing to pay someone else to perform the task.

Further, Tire Rack probably doesn't have a in floor dyno to perform fuel economy either.

What I was thinking was a driving loop with an instrumented vehicle. I know there are some vehicles that have built in fuel economy gauges - something like that.

But treadwear requires a whole different level of commitment.

There are pulley wheel tests (single tire), but they require special equipment to deal with what is worn off. The special equipment I have seen is a talcum powder sprayer directed at the footprint that captures the rubber dust and prevents it from adhering to the 3M Safetywalk added to the pulley wheel as an abrasive surface. I am sure very few facilities have such equipment as it creates quite a mess!

The other way is many miles in a test loop - ala the UTQG treadwear rating test. Expensive, but doable, but requires a long time to get sufficient mileage to be able to compare results.

All in all, it's a shame Tire Rack hasn't figured out how to do that yet.