I bought a set of Altimax Arctics last November for my Outback, and I've been driving on them ever since. In the rain, they're great. On dry pavement, they're great. On snow, they're awesome. Little bit more noise than non-snows, but worth it in my opinion. I have 30K on mine and they're wearing nicely. Still lots of tread left. For the price, you can't go wrong.
I had the altimax arctic's as my snow tire last year and was very very pleased. Great value and never left me stranded....I had to deal with quite a winter last year too! I definitely suggest them! I drove highway a lot and didn't find them squirmy at all!
Last winter I threw 4 Altimax arctics on my wife's CR-V. I was so impressed with them I put another set on my STi for this winter. I have used Blizzaks, Arctic Alpin and Toyo Observe snow tires in the past. The Altimax arcitcs are the best by far in deep snow. They are no louder than any other snow tire I have used in the past. They are quieter than the Arctic Alpin's by a long shot though. Those things are LOUD in the rain.
Another vote for the General Altimax Arctic. Got a set last winter and was pleased. Seems a good compromise for high speed drives too - a quiet tire with good grip. Made in Germany, FWIW.
I have the Hankook iPikes on my Prius and am very happy with them. I've run Michelin Arctic Alpins, Cooper Weathermasters (twice), Firestone Winterforce, Gislaved, and Nokian Haka2's. Each had very minor pros and cons but honestly I didn't find much of a real difference between any of them including the Hakka's which cost twice what the others costs.
Best bang for buck = General Altimax Arctic. It's outright won several winter tire comparisons (where a certain Nokian wasn't entered) and still was one of the cheapest entrants.
On my Passat 4Motion, I replaced a set of Michelin Exaltos with the HPs. To my butt, there wasn't much noticeable difference between them. For the price difference, I'd go with the Generals again hands down.
I have those Generals on my TDI. They're quiet, very resistant to hydroplaning, and have very good wet traction. I run them year round in the DC area. They are a light tire, which may affect their long term durability (potholes, and the such) They aren't performance tires, but they're very competent, and I push them up to, and often beyond their limits with confidence.
I have the Altimax HP on my jetta right now. They ride smooth, but has some road roar noise- but not overly bad. Handling is decent and wet traction is very good. Only complaint is that it has been balanced 2x now and I still have vibrations (only) at speeds above 70mph.
Got rid of the Hankooks on my SE V6, replaced them with Michelin Primacy with a small Discount Tire trade-in allowance. Ride is maybe a little better, expansion joint thump is a little better, but noise on all but the smoothest asphalt is bad; on concrete, it's almost intolerable.
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