Tires GENERAL TIRE or MRF
My Jetta had Altimax HP when i bought it. They rode very quiet and smooth, and helped return good fuel economy with a light foot. Not a sports tire but perfectly acceptable for normal driving.
The general altimax is the tire I fit on all my sedans. I used to run the Goodyear assurance triple tread, but I feel these are sportier, and have better wet traction. The sidewall is a little soft, so I run a little higher pressure. Between an Acura CL, Audi A4 and JSW the altimax have never let me down.
I'm running General Exclaim UHPs on my E30, I think in the same side you're looking for. Some say the sidewall is too soft, but I think it's fine for me. Road noise is a little high though. Grip is very good in both the wet and dry.
Yes, I have that size, there is some minor running when the steering is locked all the way..right or left - can't remember. But I've had them on the van for over a year now and they're fine. They're General Altimax RT. I'd buy them again.
I just installed 4 General Ultramax HP for $480 total. The price was excellent and the ratings on Tirerack were pretty good so I gave it a shot. I've had it on for about 1 week and it's been great. Very quiet.
I've happily used UHP 235/45R17 tires on my Passat and Beetle 18T convertible with nothing but smooth cruising. I tried 38 psi but backed off, the slightly tauter steering wasn't worth the harshness on SoCal's crumbling surface streets. Mine were all German origin.
I just moved back to the northeast and purchased a set of General Altimax Artic. Apparently they are Gislaved NF3's which is a Scandinavian tire rebranded by their parent company (Continental) and sold as Generals in the US. So far they have been good but no major snow storms but some ice and slush. I got them studded. Once the warm up they are fairly quite. Not to mention they are pretty inexpensive ($99 each). I got wheels, tires with studs, mounted/balanced and shipped for under $1K from Tire Rack. Pretty good if you ask me. -Ron
From what I have read these are great tires.
If you're looking for cheap performance summer tires I'd recomment the General Exclaim UHP or the Sumitomo HTRZ III, you'd be VERY surprised they handle and grip about 90% as well as a tire double it's cost, VERY well worth the money at about $80-$100/tire. I bought a set of the Exclaims and was very surprised, and 3 of my friends are running the HTRZ's and both tires are amazing for that pricepoint.
I've had bad experiences with 2 out of 5 General Tire Exclaim UHP's I've bought. First tire had a terrible vibration from day 1. When the tire shop mounted my tires, they said one balanced fine, but may have a "hop" at highway speed. Well, the "hop" was very noticeable. When the wheel was on the back, the car shook so bad on the highway I literally could not drink coffee without spilling on myself. When the wheel was mounted on the front, the steering wheel would shake so bad my hands would go numb. I had this tire replaced under warranty and the car drove great. A couple weeks ago, after coming into town from a highway commute, I could hear a loud rhythmic humming at around 50 km/h. Tire shop again tried re-balancing this wheel with no improvement. Tire has hardly any wear and wheel itself looks to be in great condition. I didn't hit any rocks of potholes before this started. This is getting really annoying. I just want a reliable tire.
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