*Tires: T speed rated General AltiMAX RT43/75,000 mile rated
*Vehicle: 2001 Lexus RX-300 AWD
*Previous Tires: G/Y ACT's in OE Size
*Tire Size: 225-70-16
*Tire PSI Place Card: F:30/R:30. I am running F:33/R:31
*Vehicle Weight: 3915 lbs.
*Miles on tires: Still new with about 1500+ miles
*Driving Style: Mostly around town/rural w/highway runs daily and weekends, 4 hr trips from NY-PA & back
*Suspension is all OE(struts/springs, tie rods/ball joints/control arms etc.) No Alignment but, will do soon!
*Sept'14 NY State Inspection. All parts are good! NY State is very tough on inspections.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
First what I noticed with the RT43 is their smooth/quiet operation. No Quieter than the previous tires but, nice in this category. Balance is right on and it feels like the steering is a bit firmer with a nice on center feel.
Second is the road absorption over broken pavement and small ruts. Large manhole covers, railroad tracks and dips is all suspension dependent. The tires have little/no reflection on this as the buoyancy has not changed.
There is no wander or veer in one direction of the other and no radial pull from the tires thus far. Though the RX can veer/wander toward the shoulder of the road as part of it's "nature of the beast"! We'll see if there is any issues at the first tire rotation as veering, pulling can occur at this point!
Third what I noticed is the normal turning down another street. It's a bit crisper though, handling is what it is in the RX's softish suspension. Going around large bends when entering a highway, the grip of the tires is quite nice though, I don't push the RX that hard.
Next, while driving from NY to PA during last weekends crosswinds(the RX is a brick in the wind), the RX is more resistant to these crosswinds than with the previous tires(G/Y ACT's) or the OE Integrity's. So this alone is a nice surprise. The hiwy tracking is also much better in keeping the RX in a straight line. And the smoother speeds achieved should help in the hiwy MPG...I hope!
MPG thus far around town has increased slightly since the install in September'14. Both on the RX's dash screen and with the handheld calculator. Another nice surprise though small!
Driving around town where the roads can vary from broken pavement/ruts and hills/dips, the RX now reacts much better than even the previous G/Y ACTs...a tire in which I did like! Reacts meaning that, I/we take these roads daily and our body and steering feel, we know how the vehicle reacted in certain situations and one gets used to that feeling of the road. I can't explain further!
Driving through the downpour of the Autumn rains, the RT43's go about their business without fuss. Even on the highway at hiwy speeds and beyond, the tires resistance to hydroplaning is very good and no white knuckling is experienced. ATMOF, I only slowed down from 80 mph to about 65-70 mph and slower when I couldn't see well. Good wipers & glass treatment helped
We'll see how well the RT43's do during the upcoming winter as the G/Y ACT's were very, very good and a bench mark for me on this vehicle. The OE Integ's SUCKED in the winter!
On the negative side:
When the tires have sat overnight, when starting out for the first mile or so, there is a very mild thumping(my Pirelli P4's do this too). It's not objectionable but, just noticeable and goes away quickly. And since it's, "Thumping X 4", it's not too bad, IMHO! My wife doesn't even notice it at all. A good thing since she didn't even want($PEND) new tires!
Other than that, the RT43's are a nice tire at a really good price and everything else remains to be seen. Especially when it comes to longevity and degradation over time. Some tires are rated for 80,000 miles but turn sour by 35K. We'll see!
*Vehicle: 2001 Lexus RX-300 AWD
*Previous Tires: G/Y ACT's in OE Size
*Tire Size: 225-70-16
*Tire PSI Place Card: F:30/R:30. I am running F:33/R:31
*Vehicle Weight: 3915 lbs.
*Miles on tires: Still new with about 1500+ miles
*Driving Style: Mostly around town/rural w/highway runs daily and weekends, 4 hr trips from NY-PA & back
*Suspension is all OE(struts/springs, tie rods/ball joints/control arms etc.) No Alignment but, will do soon!
*Sept'14 NY State Inspection. All parts are good! NY State is very tough on inspections.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
First what I noticed with the RT43 is their smooth/quiet operation. No Quieter than the previous tires but, nice in this category. Balance is right on and it feels like the steering is a bit firmer with a nice on center feel.
Second is the road absorption over broken pavement and small ruts. Large manhole covers, railroad tracks and dips is all suspension dependent. The tires have little/no reflection on this as the buoyancy has not changed.
There is no wander or veer in one direction of the other and no radial pull from the tires thus far. Though the RX can veer/wander toward the shoulder of the road as part of it's "nature of the beast"! We'll see if there is any issues at the first tire rotation as veering, pulling can occur at this point!
Third what I noticed is the normal turning down another street. It's a bit crisper though, handling is what it is in the RX's softish suspension. Going around large bends when entering a highway, the grip of the tires is quite nice though, I don't push the RX that hard.
Next, while driving from NY to PA during last weekends crosswinds(the RX is a brick in the wind), the RX is more resistant to these crosswinds than with the previous tires(G/Y ACT's) or the OE Integrity's. So this alone is a nice surprise. The hiwy tracking is also much better in keeping the RX in a straight line. And the smoother speeds achieved should help in the hiwy MPG...I hope!
MPG thus far around town has increased slightly since the install in September'14. Both on the RX's dash screen and with the handheld calculator. Another nice surprise though small!
Driving around town where the roads can vary from broken pavement/ruts and hills/dips, the RX now reacts much better than even the previous G/Y ACTs...a tire in which I did like! Reacts meaning that, I/we take these roads daily and our body and steering feel, we know how the vehicle reacted in certain situations and one gets used to that feeling of the road. I can't explain further!
Driving through the downpour of the Autumn rains, the RT43's go about their business without fuss. Even on the highway at hiwy speeds and beyond, the tires resistance to hydroplaning is very good and no white knuckling is experienced. ATMOF, I only slowed down from 80 mph to about 65-70 mph and slower when I couldn't see well. Good wipers & glass treatment helped
We'll see how well the RT43's do during the upcoming winter as the G/Y ACT's were very, very good and a bench mark for me on this vehicle. The OE Integ's SUCKED in the winter!
On the negative side:
When the tires have sat overnight, when starting out for the first mile or so, there is a very mild thumping(my Pirelli P4's do this too). It's not objectionable but, just noticeable and goes away quickly. And since it's, "Thumping X 4", it's not too bad, IMHO! My wife doesn't even notice it at all. A good thing since she didn't even want($PEND) new tires!
Other than that, the RT43's are a nice tire at a really good price and everything else remains to be seen. Especially when it comes to longevity and degradation over time. Some tires are rated for 80,000 miles but turn sour by 35K. We'll see!
Last edited: