General’s family of AltiMAX Arctic winter tires includes Studdable Winter / Snow tires developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans and crossovers, as well as passenger-oriented light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles looking to enhance wintertime traction. AltiMAX Arctic radials are designed to offer high levels of traction at low temperatures and are molded to accommodate the use of optional metal studs.
AltiMAX Arctic radials use General Tire’s All-Weather Dual Tread compound to enhance cold weather flexibility and wet traction. The compound is molded into a tread design with a Center Stability Rib and directional pattern to combine straight-line stability on dry roads with water evacuation and hydroplaning resistance on wet and slush-covered roads. The AltiMAX Arctic radial’s 270-degrees of high-density siping across the face of the tire enhances snow traction when accelerating, cornering or braking. Alternating rows of optional metal studs can be added in the shoulder and intermediate tread blocks to increase traction on hard packed snow and icy roads. The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts on top of a polyester casing featuring General Tire’s Reactive Contour Technology to react to different road conditions and maintain better contact with the road surface.
General AltiMAX Arctic tires meet the industry’s severe snow service requirements and are branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
Install AltiMAX Arctic tires in sets of four only.
Molded to accept optional TSMI #12 silver-colored metallic winter studs.
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
Absolutley the best winter tire I have ever owned. The amount of traction is out of this world. Blizzak doesnt even compare in terms of stopping power and initial hook up in the snow. I have had this set for 3 years and tread is still looking great with minimal wear. I would highly recommend these as it can honestly save your life. If you have no confidence in the snow then get some to protect those around you.
I have run these Altimax Arctic tires year around on mostly dry roads. They are not studded. I am impressed with the long wearing tread life, I easily expect to reach 35,000 miles, and probably more. These tires have excellent wet road traction with no hydroplaning even thru deep pools at highway speed. Our out-west speed limit is 80mph, and there have been no high-speed stability problems, and no tire construction problems at these speeds. The snow and ice traction is very good, I expect ice traction would be a tad better with studs, but as I say the traction without studs is very good. There has been a decrease in ice traction as the tires wear, but that is to be expected. I would buy these tires again, and would use them again as a year-around tire.
I live north of the White Mountains in NH and have a home in northern Canada that I visit in every season. As well, I live near the top of a steep hill that is near the last to be plowed in our town. I have to get around in all sorts of brutal winter conditions and often drive long distances in snowstorms and on icy roads. I need to feel confident and safe. Mostly I’ve had Michelin X Ices and one set of Blizzaks. These tires are entirely comparable with both of those, that is, these are excellent. They don’t roll quite as tamely as the Michies on dry roads, but otherwise I feel equally secure.
The best snow tire I have ever bought! Did every well on hills with ice. Tries grabbed really well. I would buy again.
I have used these on my FWD Honda for the past 4 New England winters. And they are about to go on for the fifth winter. I can say these are the tires with best snow traction that I have ever driven and I am comparing these to choices from Continental and Nokian. They are very good on deep or shallow snow and have good breaking. They got me home at every snow storm. However, they are absolutely the worst tires I have ever driven when there is no snow on the roads. High road noise, significant reduction in fuel mileage, terrible steering feel and sketchy cornering at speed. I am going to give the Blizzaks a try after this winter.
i put 225/55r16 on my 2011 chevy cruze Ls 6sp manual about 2 weeks after i got the car in jan 2016, so i really never had anything to compare the tire to while they were on the car. i ran the tires until they needed replaced this included running them in the summer time so by the time winter rolled around again i had burned up a good 35-45% of the tread. however i still found myself in Erie PA during there record breaking 60+inch x-mas 2017 lake effect snowstorm. the only thing that really stopped me was if the snow was deeper than my head lights for more than a few feet. once i replaced the tires with a cheap all season i realized the altimax arctic snow tires made for a REALLY good all season tire. on rainy roads they stuck like my cheap all seasons on dry pavement, they performed decent in muddy road/wet grass/gravel situations, and on dry roads i could push the car past my comfort level and they still held (my comfort level is well above street legal) sadly it seems like they are discontinuing the base line arctic tread design, hopefully not, but if so hopefully the replacements to them will be even better.
My driveway is extremely steep and I prefer 4×4 during the winter season on the east coast. The word Arctic got my attention so I bought them sight unseen. I was a bit astonished at the tread when it rolled. I immediately thought noise! Not on my sedan. And today, a light snow had completely covered the driveway and I rolled up without a spin or slip that I could feel. I don’t intend to repeat it today but I am thoroughly pleased at the performance. I’ve lived here 40+ years driving SUVs, 4x4s, FWD, etc. The tires made the difference!!!