General Tire * The Garage

Return to News Listings
General Tire Altimax HP Ranked Number 1 in Tire Rack Consumer Survey

06/12/2008

General Tire Altimax HP Ranked Number 1 in Tire Rack Consumer Survey

CHARLOTTE, NC – (June 12, 2008) – The General Tire Altimax HP has earned the Number One ranking in the Grand Touring All-Season Tire category in an online consumer survey of tires performed by Tire Rack.
Consumers cited the Altimax’s wet and dry traction, hydroplaning resistance, cornering stability, steering response, noise and ride comfort and tread wear as pluses for the tire. Tire Rack conducts these independent consumer surveys, in addition to their own tire tests, to help drivers share their long term tire experiences with fellow consumers researching their next tire purchase, according to the Tire Rack website. “The Altimax HP was developed to address the many challenges faced by today’s performance sedan and coupe drivers. The Altimax HP is designed to combine reliability, comfort, and tread life, as well as year-round traction, including in light snow,” according to Tire Rack.“We are very pleased that the General Tire Altimax HP performed so well in this survey,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Continental Tire North America, Inc., General Tire’s parent company. “The Altimax is a key component in our revitalization of the General Tire brand, and since its launch this past spring, the tire has continually delivered a smooth, comfortable ride and long tread life.” The secret to the tire’s success, Gerstenberger added, is General Tire’s innovative Quad-Tech technology, which provides a combination of reliability, comfort, traction, and long tread life. Features of Quad-Tech technology include Visual Alignment Indicators (VAI®), which help consumers visually identify tire tracking irregularities so tires can be re-aligned to extend the tread life; Acoustic Modulation Sound Technology (AMST), a sound wave suppression technology which substantially reduces road tire noise; and a Twin Cushion Silica Tread Compound, comprised of unique high and low density. And with the Altimax HP, the question of when to replace tires has been rendered obsolete. The company’s Replacement Tire Monitor Technology (RTM), available exclusively on the Altimax HP tire, is deceptively simple: a stamp imprinted on the center rib of the tire tread, reads "Replacement Tire Monitor" when new. As the tread wears away, the stamp changes to read "Replace Tire," a bold, graphic indication that the tire has reached the legal minimum tread depth.Aside from the General Tire Altimax, the survey included 16 other all-season touring tires from competing brands, including tires from Continental Tire, General Tire’s parent company. Included in the results: The ContiProContact SSR finished third and the ContiProContact finished sixth. The entire results for the survey are available at: http://www.tirerack.com/survey/gtas.According to Tire Rack, Grand Touring All-Season Tire category is targeted at consumers who want all-season versatility (including light snow traction) and responsive handling, along with noise and ride comfort. Branded with the M+S symbol and capable of providing year-round traction (even in light snow), these tires are designed to blend a performance tire's appearance with a passenger tire's smooth, quiet ride. Grand Touring All-Season tires are often used as Original Equipment and place more emphasis on handling and high-speed capabilities than Standard Touring tires.For additional media information, visit www.ctnamedia.com.

More | All News