Tires Other Than RT43's??

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Jun 3, 2002
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My Jeep Patriot tire size (205/70R16) has less than 6 feasible options available (no Michelin this size). My current General Altimax RT43's meet ALL of my requirements, but they did get noisy over the past 10,000 miles (at about 55k+ now).

I'm looking at other similar tires that I should consider. Others in this size include Cooper Discoverer Enduromax, Firestones Destination LE3, and Cooper CS5 Grand Touring. The RT 43 interweb info seems to favor them a tiny amount better regarding winter snow performance. I wish to not go with a tire that might be more noisy that the RT43's or ride more harsh for this cheap vehicle.


Any opinions?? Thank you.
 
The CS5 are a pretty quiet tire. The tread pattern is less blocky and seemed to stay quiet longer than the RT43s do. The only downside is the CS5 are a pretty outdated tire at this point. The Yokohama Avid Ascend LX look like they could be a good pick too and are available in that size.
 
So is my Honda Fit. But the RT43s were really noisy at the end (60k). Replaced the with the AltiMax 365AW. Amazing quiet and good grip wet and dry. We will see how they do at 60k.
 
General got their money's worth on the RT43 molds. It's a good rated tire but is long toothed. The Cooper CS5 is a dinosaur, too.

The Cooper Discoverer Enduromax rated noisy by the Tire Racks paid test drivers, but is your best choice for the snow.

The Firestones Destination LE3 is made in Costa Rica if that matters to you. I'd get the Cooper Discoverer Enduromax because of the snow performance myself.
 
Cooper Endeavor Plus is another option that I would consider in addition to the Cooper Discoverer Enduromax. $40 rebate as well through Nov-8. Endeavor Plus is less expensive but Enduromax might be better for your situation.
 
While the CS5 is BITOG's other favorite, my pick would be the Enduramax because of the 3-peak and the Enduramax possibly being more durable.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

CKN - tires DO make a difference regarding cabin noise relative to the vehicle, maybe more so in cheap, less insulated ones. My RT 43's were noticeably quieter than the OEM Goodyear Eagle LS-2 during respective mileages. My RT43's are noisy at end of life, but performed well otherwise.

skyactive - the Cooper Discoverer Enduromax is definitely on my radar. I am investigating the noise comment presented at Tire Rack. Reviews at Michigan based Belle Tire do not indicate noise issues (for what it's worth). How do I determine if this is a real concern or not?

benjamming - the Cooper Endeavor Plus caught my attention. It is brand new on the market with few to no reviews. Some sites guestimate it maybe slightly below the RT43's, but that is entirely a guess. Tough for me to take a chance with today's prices.

kneesahn - it's a 2 wheel drive grocery getter, so no AT tires for me. Thanks all the same.

The RT43 and Enduromax are at the top of my list currently. Consumer reviews sometimes don't jive with site reviews. Will collect more info and do a coin toss by week's end.
 
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Thanks for the replies so far.

CKN - tires DO make a difference regarding cabin noise relative to the vehicle, mabey more so in cheap, less insulated ones. My RT 43's were noticeably quieter than the OEM Goodyear Eagle LS-2 during respective mileages. My RT43's are noisy at end of life, but performed well otherwise.

skyactive - the Cooper Discoverer Enduromax is definitely on my radar. I am investigating the noise comment presented at Tire Rack. Reviews at Michigan based Belle Tire do not indicate noise issues (for what it's worth). How do I determine if this is a real concern or not?

benjamming - the Cooper Endeavor Plus caught my attention. It is brand new on the market with few to no reviews. Some sites guestimate it maybe slightly below the RT43's, but that is entirely a guess. Tough for me to take a chance with today's prices.

kneesahn - it's a 2 wheel drive grocery getter, so no AT tires for me. Thanks all the same.

The RT43 and Enduromax are at the top of my list currently. Consumer reviews sometimes don't jive with site reviews. Will collect more info and do a coin toss by week's end.
That's the rub. For someone to say they were noisy on this forum when they were "worn out" is not really a review at all. Right? Then throw in the said vehicle they were on is a penalty box and you don't get a factual review.
That's like saying my brakes were noisy when I had no pad left and I was braking on metal rotors.



I actually have a set of RT43s Im running on my wife's Santa Fe BTW.
 
few years back my brother was chasing a vibration on his Volt, ended up being the one or two of the OE GY's
Local Discount Tire Recommended GT Radial Champiro's. fixed his vibration, and hasn't had a problem with them.
Don't know about winter, as he has a second set of Volt wheels, with Firestone Winter tires.

about a month ago, we needed New tires for Mom's 2009 Taurus.
at my brother's recommendation, we tried to order the Champiro's. basically non available. Discount lists them online, but the store says they can't get them. ( the did order a set for us, but 3 weeks later they still hadn't arrived.)

they (Local Discount Tire) Recommended this other GT Radial Tire, which we went with.
maxtour-lx.png


So Far, so good. car tracks better than with the 6 yr old Pirelli's, and no complaints on the 2300 mi trip they just drove on them. (but no real winter weather yet, just a couple early SE CO Frosts..

BTW GT Radial, is made by GiTi Tire, one of the largest Tire makers in Asia, based in Singapore, They "recently" opened a plant in S. Carolina (Where mom's new tires were made) They also make Walmart's Dextero Tires.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

CKN - tires DO make a difference regarding cabin noise relative to the vehicle, maybe more so in cheap, less insulated ones. My RT 43's were noticeably quieter than the OEM Goodyear Eagle LS-2 during respective mileages. My RT43's are noisy at end of life, but performed well otherwise.

skyactive - the Cooper Discoverer Enduromax is definitely on my radar. I am investigating the noise comment presented at Tire Rack. Reviews at Michigan based Belle Tire do not indicate noise issues (for what it's worth). How do I determine if this is a real concern or not?

benjamming - the Cooper Endeavor Plus caught my attention. It is brand new on the market with few to no reviews. Some sites guestimate it maybe slightly below the RT43's, but that is entirely a guess. Tough for me to take a chance with today's prices.

kneesahn - it's a 2 wheel drive grocery getter, so no AT tires for me. Thanks all the same.

The RT43 and Enduromax are at the top of my list currently. Consumer reviews sometimes don't jive with site reviews. Will collect more info and do a coin toss by week's end.

Sorry for the bump on the old thread @doitmyself , but am curious what tire you ended up with....
 
I purchased the RT43's and waited to have them installed in mid-December, just before the snow season started in earnest. In true BITOG fashion, I made a spread sheet and attempted to compare the 4 tire models major features. In my case, I wanted a general good all-around performer, good value to performance ratio, and decent winter performance. The data available to us is questionable and I am positive that confirmation bias was in play. Still, I am very pleased with these tires.

The RT43 has been replaced by the RT45, so next time I will be starting my evaluation all over again.
 
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I purchased the RT43's and waited to have them installed in mid-December, just before the snow season started in earnest. In true BITOG fashion, I made a spread sheet and attempted to compare the 4 tire models major features. In my case, I wanted a general good all-around performer, good value to performance ratio, and decent winter performance. The data available to us is questionable and I am positive that confirmation bias was in play. Still, I am very pleased with these tires.

The RT43 has been replaced by the RT45, so next time I will be starting my evaluation all over again.
Thanks for the reply! Im curious if the RT45 is the same/better than the RT43, but I guess more to come on that one. Im considering a set, but also looking at both of the Coopers you had listed.
 
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