Tires: General vs Goodyear vs Pirelli ?

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LoneRanger

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These (subj line) are the four brands I am considering to replace the Nokian WRG2's on the Forester (AWD), if I keep it and don't trade on an Outback.

Always "heard" good things about General Tire-- lower cost than competitors but equal or better performance. Still "true?" Pirelli's have been great on my motorcycles but not a valid comparison because bike tires are so different and so much softer compounds. Goodyear has name recognition but is their quality competing with these two other brands for the premium price the nameplate seems to command lately?

Size will be 225/60R-17. Largest size that will fit with adequate clearance from fender well linings.

Specific tires considered:

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady:

https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tires/assurance-weatherready


General AltiMax RT43:

http://generaltire.com/tires/passenger-and-minivan/altimax-rt43


Pirelli P4 Four Seasons:

https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car-...ur-seasons-plus


Feel free to suggest other brand alternatives competitive in all season traction (emphasis on winter) and pricing.
 
You're comparing a new tire (the Goodyear), against two tires that are starting to sprout some grey whiskers.

What exactly are you seeking in a tire?

Which four brands are you considering? I only see three.
 
My mistake. Three I guess, not four. Seeking strong winter performance within confines of an all season that can run well in summer dry and rain. The Goodyear earned the Severe Snow Service mountains emblem, so that's a plus in that camp but they're pricey.
 
I can't speak on Pirelli P4s being that I don't own a set. I do have a set of Scorpion Verde Plus on my Durango and a set of Cinturato P7 All Seasons on my wife's Journey. Both are fantastic tires. Pirellis aren't known for being the lowest price tire out there but they normally perform as advertised. You just missed their summer tire promotion. We are currently waiting on our $70 rebate from my wife tires.

The Goodyear Assurance tires were OE equipment on my Durango when I bought her in 2014. They lasted about 55,000 miles and performed well. Snow driving was decent for my AWD SUV. I believe the deepest snow I drove them in was about 4-5 inches. I would have no issues going back to them if I couldn't get a set of Pirellis. Hope this helps.
 
Will you be encountering snow?

Each will do fine in most snowy situations. I have had both th P4s and RT43s but not the G/Y Weather Readys. I have had the G/Y Assurance ComforTred and they too did well in foul weather.

If snow is not in your travels, buy the tire with the lowest rolling resistance, possibly the P4s. Since you're considering trading the Forester and still or if you need tires, get the RT43 as they're most likely the least expensive.

If this link doesn't default back to the TR Home Page, this may help in your decision.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareTires.jsp

Keep in mind that the P4s only come in "T" speed rating for your size and the others are "H" speed rated. If you need or your vehicle requires a "V" speed rating, all 3 tires are out of contention and you may have difficulties having them installed by a reputible shop in any lower speed rating than required for your vehicle.
 
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I have bought somewhere around 20 of the Generals over the years for a bunch of vehicles. They all have been awesome, absolutely my go to tire. I got an actual 60k out of a set on the KIA.

I have not been happy with Goodyears, multiple sets, although some of them were purchased at Walmart so they were probably a cut quality tire.

No experience with Pirelli.
 
Put on two Walmart only General Exclaims a few months ago. Needed two tires in a hurry, since my Hertz resale Soul hadn't had its tires rotated. Work well with OEM Kumho Solus's on the back and will be open to buying another set if I get 40,000 non-rotate miles with these on the front. Figure rotated set should do 70,000. Pretty quiet given a rather aggressive looking tread pattern. Think they were cheaper than RT43's. Not much time but several thousand miles in (and no bad weather), I'm happy.
 
I have the P4+ in the exact same size on my Grand Marquis - they have been great tires so far (about 15k miles) and with Sam's club Saturday sale I got a set of 4 for $400, which you probably know is basically unheard of for 225/60/17. Without a doubt, the best set of tires I've had on the vehicle, including Michelin Defenders. The other tire I considered was the RT43, but the pirellis had $80 off a set of 4.
 
Oh those 3 I would either get the Goodyears or Generals, which ever offers the better price.
 
I just put the WeatherReady's on my son's 15 Escape. So far, they are quiet and smooth. With the 3PMS symbol, and my experience with the GY DuraTrac[3PMS rated] on my Colorado in the snow, I am expecting good things should we get snow this year.
 
I've not tried them all but I'm partial to RT43. Seem ok in snow, no snow tire of course, but ok. I do seem often to get one tire to wear funny out of a set but usually I don't see that until all of them are about ready to come off anyhow.
 
I installed a set of RT43s back in Jan. They did great the few times I took them out on snowy roads, especially when turning into/out of slushy side streets.

I'm probably going to get them for my Pilot before winter hits. Good reviews and much cheaper than the competitors.
 
Low rolling resistance would be a bonus for sure. We get snow, oh yes. 4 - 8" depth with an ice glaze sticking to the road underneath is not too uncommon.
 
The Nokians you currently have and the GY Weatheready are both all-weather tires. Meaning they're a step up from regular all seasons and more geared towards winter driving. So right in between an all season and a snow tire.

Some other choices would be the Toyo Celsius, new Nokian WRG4 and the Vredestein Quatrac 5.

Quatrac 5

CR article about All Weather Tires
 
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My vote is for the General but have you consider the new AS-05 tire from General.

I recently install this on a 960 Volvo rear wheel drive and really enjoy the tire.
 
I haven't used either of them - FWIW, Pirellis tend to be "sporty" in many cases. I remember having a set of P4000s on my parent's old van. It felt better than the stock Goodyear Eagle LSes.

The RT43 is the de facto tire choice here for anything that doesn't need a low-profile tire and it seems like a good solid buy(reasonably priced, made in the US or South/Central America).

Goodyear is weird - they're put some thought into their aftermarket tires and the Assurance TripleTred(that was the successor to that tire, and even before that the Aquatred series) was a unique tire but didn't have the mustard to meet 3PMSF standards.

I think the Assurance WeatherReady would rock on a Subaru - I feel that Goodyear was targeting that market with those. They might not deliver performance on-par with a dedicated winter tire like a Blizzak or any of the Conti/Michelin/Pirelli winter offerings. But with AWD and knowing your limits, you'll be untouchable in the snow.
 
Coincidentally these are the three brands currently on my radar for next tire purchase.

Already own RT43 Vrated on an Accord. Satisfied with them and they compare very favorably to the MXV4 Primacy that preceded them, for significantly less cost.

In the GY, the Assurance ComforTred Touring, in the Pirelli Cinturato P7 AS+ will be getting a look. Having already done the research on them, price/value at the time of purchase will be a big factor.
 
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