Are these the snow tires everyone raves about?

"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland) 07/26/2018 at 13:32 • Filed to: WTF a winter tire post in July?

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General altimax snow tires? I am considering these since they are $25 less per tire than the bridgstones I am currently using. Looking at 205/55-16 sizes. I wouldn’t put studs in them, I hate studs.

I currently have some 15,000 mile Bridgstone WS70's that are not quite up to my current winter traction requirements anymore, if my car was AWD it would be fine but their deep snow and ice traction is starting to go away and I need to get onto a highway from my office and up to 60 mph as quickly as possible.

Typical winter commute:

I wouldn’t hesitate to get the WS80's since I have them on my Subaru and they are really really good on the Subaru. I may still go with the Bridgstones since my experience with the WS70's has been so good.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:45

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I had the Hankook iPikes, which are basically the same tread pattern. Loved ‘em.

Captain of the Enterprise > Future next gen S2000 owner 07/26/2018 at 13:47

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I had I pikes too and liked them on my old Corolla!

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:48

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I had them on my first ever car, they were pretty good in the snow, but I didnt have much to compare them too at the time

bob and john > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:50

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I have those on my lexus. loud. but they were cheap and work REALLY well in the snow, I’m impressed for sure. 

vicali > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:50

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My take o n w i n t e r t i r e s ;

-Everyone with 2nd tier b r a n d tires love them; (Hankook/General/Toyo/etc etc).

-Once you have Blizzaks/Michelin/Nokian you keep buying Blizzaks/Michelin/Nokian.

I ’ v e g o t X i c e 2 o n t h e S u b a r u a n d B l i z z a k s o n t h e T a c o m a . W i l l r e p l a c e t h e m w i t h a n o t h e r s e t o n c e t h e y r u n o u t .

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Future next gen S2000 owner 07/26/2018 at 13:51

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Did you run studs too? or go studless? The tire to me seems a bit lacking in sipping compared to the bridgstone, which would mean less ice traction.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > vicali 07/26/2018 at 13:53

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Your take is basically my take. I have LOVED my bridgstone tires and they have performed amazingly well. There is a very good possibility I will stick with bridgtone because of my previous experience.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:56

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I love my General Altimax Arctics. Great tire for the price.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:57

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I’m the only stud in my household........

Get it?

I’ll be here all week. Don’t forget to tip your server.

No studs. I was too cheap to buy them and for the amount of snow in Denver compared to cold days, it didn’t make sense. They were on a FWD sedan and routinely got the missus home when others were stuck on snowy days. Are they the best on hard packed snow/ice? I’m not sure but for overall winter driving conditions, I thought the iPikes where much better than the Bridgestones Blizzaks I had on my Mustang. Grip was far better.

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 13:58

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That's what I used for Miata snow adventures. They did not let me down

facw > vicali 07/26/2018 at 13:58

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I loved my Michelin snow tires, but honestly my last two sets of all seasons have been disappointing. I might go with them again for winter, but I think for all-season/summer, I’ll try someone else.

TeamPunkassRacing > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:01

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I’ve had the Altimax Arctics on my FiST and loved them in the snow.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > facw 07/26/2018 at 14:02

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I am running BFG G-force for my summer tires and they are an excellent value while being a great summer tire. I don’t think I would pay for Bridgstone or Michelin summer tires unless it was some supper sticky track tire.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Future next gen S2000 owner 07/26/2018 at 14:04

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Where I am we are basically driving on solid ice and snow from mid December through March. So I need a tire that is dedicated to ice and snow traction and I really don’t car about dry road performance. I usually switch out to my summers in mid April.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:10

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Yes. Just as good as Blizzaks, a usually bit cheaper. I have them on my Wife’s car and Blizzaks on mine because I got them used. When my car needs new snows I’ll get Altimax Arctics

Textured Soy Protein > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:24

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Generally, I’ve heard good things about General tires. A former roommate of mine had the Altimax Arctics on his Mazda 3 and was happy with them. I had Grabber AT2s on my old Grand Cherokee and they were probably overkill for my on-road driving but they were rated for severe snow duty which is why I bought them.

You may want to look into the Altimax Arctic 12, it’s the new version. The original is going to be phased out in favor of the 12. 

Future next gen S2000 owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:32

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I wouldn’t hesitate to run the Altimaxes but I think the point we are overlooking is the rubber compound. Tread design and siping are only a part of the equation.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:38

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Dunno. Never had snow tires besides once on my awd boosted talon that had too much hp for winter.

Well and on my beater durango that doesnt get driven on road.

Never had an issue with lake effect here in west Michigan and only ever used all terrains

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:39

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If I had a need for an actual winter tire, I’d be tempted to go with those. I’ve been pretty impressed by most of the Generals, just don’t have experience with the Altimax myself . Money no object, Hakkas are the best of the best, but money is definitely an object right now.

I just run winter-rated all terrains year round on everything. My preference is the Grabber AT2, but I’ve also got a set of KO2's on the Saint cause they were massively on sale and wanted to try them out. I’ve also had the W rangler Duratracs on work trucks. None of them are amazing on ice but they do alright, just not what a dedicated winter tire would be. My preference for the AT2 is almost purely aesthetic. It’s a much more classic look, and IMO the others are a bit showy , and don’t really seem to have any real performance advantage to back that up, or justify the higher price. No studs obviously because that's just dumb if you ever see bare pavement. 

nerd_racing > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:48

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My 128i had WS80s and I loved them, but they wore out fast (I even swapped them). I picked up the general altimax arctics after that and noticed almost no difference and lasted just as long and then some for 1/3 the cost.

Money is no option = WS80s

Budget Winter Tire = General Altimax Arctic

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > nerd_racing 07/26/2018 at 14:52

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I’m leaning towards the WS80's. The WS80's on my outback seem to be doing well after three winters. However with AWD and TC it’s sometimes hard to tell what is the car and what is the tire.

My mazda being FWD really shows when a tire is lacking. It just won’t move.

Levitas > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 14:57

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I run Altimax Arctic’s on my Fiesta ST, and my girlfriend has Br id ge stone DM-V1s (LT version of WS80s, sort of) on her CX-7 .

I’d say in snow/slush they’re about the same, but the DM-V1s/WS80s seem to do a little better in the icier conditions. No other complaints really, I’m going to be running a 4th season on my Altimax Arctics (coming up on 20k or so winter miles) and it will probably be their last.

nerd_racing > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 15:03

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I have the Altimax Arctics on my 2015 Mazda 3 and I live in the ski country of Western NY and haven’t had any issues with getting stuck. 

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 16:02

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If you’re doing it to save $100 across 4 tires, and you can swing $100 then don’t. Especially if you’re not planning on putting studs on the General. You know the WS80, stick with it. It’s a good tire. I had the Generals on my Legacy GT, they were fine. But I would’ve bought something better if I had real snow to deal with and thought the extra $$ was worth it (this was living in CA, just for Tahoe trips).

You don’t want to find that the Generals perform significantly worse, or get stuck in some snow or have a slide or something and just beat yourself up over $100 that could’ve made the difference.

TahoeSTi > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 17:35

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Go general Arctic, It’s all I use here in Tahoe, and my daily commute can have  a foot or more of snow on the road, and days of hard pack everywhere since we don’t salt , no need for studs, they cause as many problems as the solve.

Biggest issue I have with them is they are only rated to 99mph....but they still grip well in snow at that speed.

MM54 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 17:48

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I have plowed snow with the bumper of my crown vic on firestone winterforce tires. They are very good, but I think they may have revised them recently; not sure if you can get the old tread pattern (which is much more aggressive than most other snows I’ve come across).

gmctavish needs more space > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 18:36

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If you want Nokian winter tire performance for less money, they now make a cheaper winter than the Hakkapeliita , called the Nordman 7. I haven’t tried them, but my dad replaced his Hakkas with them and loves them. 

dogisbadob > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 20:28

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Studded tires without the studs aren’t that great, since they have a harder compound and are designed with the studs in mind.

The good news is that 205/55-16 is a very popular size, so there is a wide selection.

The best studless winter tires are the Nokian Hakka R3 that just came out, or maybe you can get a good deal on closeout R2's.

Of course, there is certainly nothing wrong with the WS80 since you had a g ood experience with the WS70. The Dunlo p Winter Maxx is also worth considering.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/26/2018 at 23:36

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I had the general altimax arctic o n my Miata. They were a great overall winter tire. And they were not terrible on dry roads nor did they totally fall apart with miata driving style abuse. They were solid for all of my trips up to Vermont for skiing. Never really saw a whole lot of snow but they worked perfectly when called upon. Made it up some steep icy grades, dealt with muddy dirt roads in the mud season, and got me through the Appalachian gap in snow deep enough to hit my rockers. My favorite time was a subaru following me through the pass and congratulating me at the end for making it through so smoothly. Of course the top was down and it was still snowing too. The car was sliding around every turn a bit under power, but such is life with RWD and a LSD. Never got stuck anywhere though so I was happy!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/26/2018 at 23:41

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Great on dirt too as you sure have found out. They are actually a very fun dirt tire. I would have kept them during my move for that purpose if I had unlimited storage space.

The best though is passing trucks and AWD stuff that are hopelessly stuck and you cruise on past with the top down like its a summer day. My favorite moment of Miata ownership by far. Track days are fun but inappropriate use of a car far beyond its “supposed abilities” is far more fun. 

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/26/2018 at 23:57

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Agreed 100% on everything you said. The look on people’s faces when you’re in a Miata, drifting through the snow 5000' up a mountain FSR and there are Subaru’s attempting and failing to make it up a hill you just took at 50..... Priceless.

That said I reaaaaally want to try some hakapalatias next winter to potentially increase my back country snow exploration range

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/27/2018 at 00:08

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If I could make use of them at home, Hakkas would for sure be going on the Subaru. Thing would be an unstoppable tank lol. Planning to get some sort of performance winter tire though, probably the Falkens. Just haven't committed to spending the money. Wish I had an extra set of wheels already, that would lighten the cost for sure. 

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/27/2018 at 11:10

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I have a set of Altimax Arctics mounted up to become rallyX tires.

That’s all the advice I have is that people run them in Detroit RallyX year round on all of our surfaces (and of course in the snow).

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > vicali 07/27/2018 at 16:17

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Confirmed. I don’t look at anything but Blizzaks and Nokians for winters... Everyone else is clean off the radar.

Summers are much more varied based on rating, but they still usually come from a company that is well known.