General AltiMAX 365 AW vs Firestone WeatherGrip: All season tires have always been the go to tires for the American market and this segment has been well established across the years. With many competitors yearning to become the best all season tire, General Tires recently announced their latest touring all season tireline called AltiMAX 365 AW. This tireline slightly differs to its previous all season line up as the AltiMAX 365 AW comes with a certified 3 peak mountain label which makes them effectively a legal snow tire. We will pair the AltiMAX 365 AW against one of its main rivals of a similar class which is the Firestone’s WeatherGrip which also has the 3 peak mountain label on it. AltiMAX 365 AW was launched in 2021 which is relatively new while the WeatherGrip has been in the market since 2019. Let’s put them head to head and see who comes out on top !
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the Tire Rack’s “Testing Grand Touring All-Season Tires 2022” test. A total of 4 tires were tested this time around. The graph below shows the comparison between General AltiMAX 365 AW vs Firestone WeatherGrip based on the relevant performance category. The AltiMAX 365 AW was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. Note that for subjective evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%.
As both tires are categorized as all season tires with 3 peak mountain labels, Tire Rack has conducted the snow & ice tests. The tire size of interest is a 215/45R17 which is a common tire size for Honda Civic 2.0 & Toyota Corolla Altis. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a powerful 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited.
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. With regards to our comparison, WeatherGrip was slightly behind in wet braking compared to AltiMAX 365 AW with a 1.2 feet (0.37 m) deficit in braking distance.
While in wet handling, both tires were equally matched with only a tiny fraction keeping them apart. AltiMAX 365 AW was only 0.03 seconds faster than WeatherGrip in a relatively short lap with a lap time of 37.06 seconds. From the subjective notes, the rating was also rather similar with AltiMAX 365 AW being a fraction better with a 5.78/10 rating compared to WeatherGrip’s 5.66/10 rating. Overall, both tires proved to be competitive in wet without a clear winner in sight.
WeatherGrip :
- +1% in wet braking
- -1% in wet handling (subj)
- ~0% in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
As for dry, safety is usually not an issue as the braking distance is much longer than wet. However this is the default daily usage and the tires have to perform at a very consistent level. This is where we witness the largest deficit so far with a 6.6 feet (2m) braking distance advantage for AltiMAX 365 AW .
While the similar trend continued in subjective dry handling, AltiMAX 365 AW managed a 6.97/10 rating which was ahead of the 6.06/10 obtained by WeatherGrip. In regards to the lap times, AltiMAX 365 AW was 0.63 seconds faster per lap relative to WeatherGrip. Overall, AltiMAX 365 AW managed to show excellent dry performances and outmaneuvered WeatherGrip very easily.
WeatherGrip :
- -7% in dry braking
- -5% in dry handling (subj)
- -2% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and differences in noise & steering/road handling were most prevalent. The AltiMAX 365 AW came out ahead at 7.08/10 rating compared to the 6.75/10 rating of WeatherGrip.
WeatherGrip :
- -2% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
Snow
In snow conditions, when comparing the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires to the Firestone WeatherGrip tires, there are noticeable differences in performance. For snow braking, the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires have a longer stopping distance, needing 55.70 feet to come to a halt from 25 mph, which is 1.70 feet more than the 54.00 feet required by the Firestone WeatherGrip tires. This suggests the Firestone WeatherGrip offers slightly better stopping capability on snow.
On the other hand, in terms of snow acceleration from 0 to 12 mph, the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires outperform the Firestone WeatherGrip. The WeatherGrip tires need 30.20 feet to reach 12 mph, which is 2.28 feet longer than needed by the AltiMAX 365 AW tires, indicating better initial traction and acceleration on snow for the General tires.
For snow handling, which is subjectively rated, the Firestone WeatherGrip tires also score slightly higher with an 8.42 out of 10, compared to the 8.04 out of 10 rating of the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires. This suggests that drivers might find the WeatherGrip tires to offer a better overall handling experience on snowy roads.
In summary, while the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires have an advantage in snow acceleration, the Firestone WeatherGrip tires perform better in snow braking and handling, indicating a trade-off between these aspects of winter driving performance.
WeatherGrip :
- +3% in snow braking
- -8% in snow acceleration
- +3% in snow handling (subj)
Ice
When it comes to ice performance between the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires and the Firestone WeatherGrip tires, each tire showcases its strengths in different aspects. In ice braking, from a speed of 12 mph to a complete stop, the Firestone WeatherGrip tires take the lead, requiring only 46.80 feet to stop, which is 1.70 feet shorter than the 48.50 feet stopping distance of the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires. This indicates that the WeatherGrip tires might offer a slight advantage in reducing stopping distances on icy surfaces.
For ice acceleration, measured by the time it takes to accelerate with traction control from a rolling start to 60 feet, the comparison is much closer. The Firestone WeatherGrip tires complete this acceleration in 5.59 seconds, marginally faster than the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires, which take 5.68 seconds. This difference of 0.09 seconds suggests that the WeatherGrip tires might provide a bit better traction and acceleration on ice, though the performance is quite similar between the two.
Overall, on ice, the Firestone WeatherGrip tires demonstrate a modest advantage in both braking and acceleration compared to the General AltiMAX 365 AW tires, hinting at slightly better ice performance.
WeatherGrip :
- +2% in ice braking
- +4% in ice acceleration
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firestone | WeatherGrip | All | 640 | A | A |
| General | AltiMAX 365 | All | 540 | A | A |
The mileage warranty for WeatherGrip is 65,000 miles while AltiMAX 365 is 60,000 miles. The extra 5,000 miles warranty was not proportional to the difference in UTQG as WeatherGrip has a 640 value compared to 540 of AltiMAX 365 AW. However at least it is in the same direction 🙂 Overall we can expect a slightly more mileage for WeatherGrip in comparison to AltiMAX 365 AW.
For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
Both tires cost roughly the same with Firestone’s WeatherGrip just 3 dollars more compared to General’s AltiMAX 365 AW
Tire size: 215/45R17
- AltiMAX 365 AW: $172
- WeatherGrip: $175
Difference: +2% more expensive for WeatherGrip.
Summary
As a tire expert, my analysis between General’s AltiMAX 365 AW and Firestone’s WeatherGrip highlights a clear distinction: the AltiMAX 365 AW shines in summer with superior wet, dry, and comfort performance. Despite a slight edge for the WeatherGrip in wear, the AltiMAX 365 AW stands out as the top choice for summer conditions. Winter performance introduces complexity; the AltiMAX 365 AW leads in snow acceleration, while the WeatherGrip excels in snow braking and handling, and shows slight advantages on ice. The choice between these tires depends on your driving needs: AltiMAX 365 AW for summer, with a nuanced decision for winter, where WeatherGrip may offer better performance in snow and ice.
Dr Edwin Pang