General Tires are exactly what they sound like: General. With a slogan of “Proving anywhere is possible”, this company offers a wide array of tires that will survive in various weather conditions with its top notch tire technology. By manufacturing high-quality, cost efficient tires with a stylish design, General has been able to stay in competition with some of the most notable tire companies.
General Tire Company Information & Background
General Tire is an American manufacturer for Automobile tires. They were founded in the year 1915 by a former Firestone franchise owner named William O’Neil in Akron, Ohio. In 1984 the company began venture into other industries, before selling the tire division to Continental; a German owned entity, three years later. The North American division was operating under the ‘Continental’ name up until 1997, when they reclaimed the “General Tire” brand.
Their parent company Continental started in the late 1800’s as a rubber manufacturer. Right before the year 1900, Continental decided to create automobile tires made with plain tread. It wasn’t until 1904 where became the first company in the entire world to make grooved vehicle tires. This was a big deal during that time period as most car tires typical had an elementary tread to it that would be considered absolute in today’s era.
General Tire Cost & Pricing
With high quality comes even higher prices. If you really want something that lasts long and will withstand some of the worst conditions out there, you’ll need to pay for it. Fortunately for buyer’s who don’t necessarily have the biggest budget to spend, General Tires have enough options to serve them without sacrificing quality. Furthermore, the cheaper tires will likely be smaller in size only available for smaller cars.
Overall, you should expect to spend anywhere from $100-$500 depending on what size and type of tire you decide to buy and the quantity you need. This price range isn’t completely unreasonable, however it could potentially cut out the consumer looking for the average replacement tire at a low discount cost.
General Tire Warranties
If you have a growing interest in these tires and are curious about any warranty policy, you can rest assured that General Tire cares about customer satisfaction. The brand offers a 45-day satisfaction guarantee with every tire purchase. If the buyer isn’t happy with their purchase, they can return within the 45 day period and get a new tire or set, depending on the quantity they initially purchased.
This warranty is more of a quality guarantee than it is a policy that would be implemented. General Tires have been known to produce top quality tires, and 45 days isn’t exactly enough time to determine if your tires will last long or not. Either way, one could be confident that General Tires aren’t a short term fix, and that they will stand strong despite any poor weather and/or road conditions.
For select passenger cars, General Tires provides a limited 75,000 mile tread warranty that will cover the tire within that mileage period. The best practices to keep healthy tires under this warranty will be to monitor the psi in your tires so that they aren’t underinflated. Furthermore, it would be helpful to take a look at the tread every few miles so that you can get an idea of your tread health and get an understanding of how soon you would need to claim your warranty.
Tire Options
General Tires have a wide variety of products currently available. It’s diverse inventory is compatible with most vehicle types that can be used in any type of weather. This inventory consists of: passenger tires, winter tires, truck, and commercial tires. One of General’s biggest priorities is to guarantee that every type of driver will be able to buy a General Tire, regardless of the vehicle they drive, or weather they frequently drive in.
If you own a light truck or SUV, you’re in luck. The General Ameritrac and Grabber tires have the most variety within the brand’s portfolio, so you’ll have no problem choosing a tire that you like. This group consists of up to 13 different models, with the biggest difference being the design.
General Tires Technologies & Features
When it comes to tire design, General Tires does its best attempt to replicate an older design. Most of their tires have a red label design on the sidewall which adds on to the company’s legacy of well known aesthetics.
Slippery road surfaces can grow concern for your average driver as hydroplaning is a dangerous (and somewhat common occurrence). Gaining traction is one of the most important parts of driving when you are dealing with icy roads. Every General Tire is manufactured with Smart Grip Technology; known for perfect steering and handling on both dry and wet roads. This technology will help drivers quickly adjust to their driving line when making quick turns and driving on curving roads.
Additionally, General’s StabiliTread helps create a greater distance between the tire’s surface and the ground. This will help the tire get a better grip on the road so that drivers can make turns at normal speeds without worrying about potentially crashing their car or going off road. Just like any other car tire, there are some issues from time to time. Some of General’s tire models, specifically the SUV-specific Grabber–will tend to make noise over time as the tire begins to wear down. This shouldn’t be a red flag when it comes to safety, however you should keep an eye out for it as a signal that your tires are starting to lose value.
General Tire Durability & Longevity
Longevity should be in the mind of most driver’s interested in new tires. After all, who wants to spend a fixed amount of money to only have their investment last a short period of time? Most of the time when considering a high quality tire, one could expect their purchase to last them a few years, and definitely thousands upon thousands of miles.
General Tires protects their product from being vulnerable to damage caused by road debris. Their tires are made with a Tread compound material that is resistant to the average wear and tear you would typically experience. In addition, the sidewalls were constructed to eliminate any form of tire bruising that can potentially occur after an extended period of time.
Longevity and durability are arguably the strongest parts of the General Tire brand, as they are known for building some of the strongest tires in the industry. The best part is that they sell both all season tires and winter-specific tires, such as the Altimax Artic. With a powerful combination of technology and quality, it is unlikely that you would run into any issues with the condition of these tires after driving for a while.
Summary & Overall Thoughts
When looking for a high quality tire that could cover a lot of different vehicles, General Tires should be one of your top choices. Starting with a history dating back to the early 1900’s, it’s safe to say that the General Tire brand offers a reliable product. The 45 day Customer Satisfaction warranty and 75,000 mile tread warranty can assure potential buyers that they are investing in a high quality product, and that they will be taken care of if any defects occur, which could happen from time to time.
The cost of the tire won’t necessarily come cheap, but at least you’ll know you are getting a high quality product that will last you a long time. If you break down the price across an extended number of years, the price you pay per month might be cheap in the long run. The technology that General Tires applies to their tires justifies their price range. The StabiliTread and Smart Grip Technologies help keep the vehicle stable so that you could drive the speed limit during poor weather conditions without being worried of losing control.
And last but not least, the extended variety of options General offers keeps it a relevant brand for most drivers that are in need of a new set of tires. The same options apply to the light SUV driver as it does to the individual driving a 4 door sedan. General tires literally has something for everyone: High Performance Summer tires, High Performance all-season tires, SUV/crossover tires, and the standard all-season tires.
General Tire Models
High Performance Summer
- General Exclaim UHP
- General G-Max RS
High Performance All-Season
- General Altimax HP
- General G-Max AS-03
- General G-Max AS-05
Standard All Season
- General Altimax RT
- General Altimax RT43