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Last updated 9/03/2025 - Originally published 10/10/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Ohio-based General Tire has been around since 1915. Although it has been known the most for its 4x4 tires, the company has also manufactured tires that maximize road handling and longevity. Some of the innovations rolled out by General Tire include the world’s largest tire testing track (Texas) and low-pressure tires called Jumbos. Interestingly, both General and Cooper are owned by other companies today — General by Continental AG and Cooper by Goodyear.
Goodyear’s takeover of Cooper has resulted in a huge leap in terms of quality. Both Cooper and Goodyear are American manufacturers here. Our objective is to compare General Altimax RT45 against the Cooper ProControl. These all-season tires balance luxurious comfort with confident traction in wet, dry, and light winter conditions and long tread life. To help you derive the most from this General Altimax RT45 vs Cooper ProControl tires comparison, we’ve used our in-house SimpleScore rating system.
General Altimax RT45 tires
General Altimax RT45 is a tire that offers a great mix of reliable wet braking, low road noise, responsive handling, a variable warranty, and long tread life. Suited for CUVS, SUVs, sedans, coupes, and minivans, it gets dense sipes for better grip and short braking distances. Wide grooves on the tread remove water and minimize hydroplaning chances, thereby increasing safety. This tire features an optimized tread design for preventing uneven wear and better fuel economy through low rolling resistance. Additionally, you’ll see a Replacement Tire Monitor that wears down to “REPLACE TIRE” and indicates change. Based on the above, the Altimax RT45 deserves an excellent average SimpleScore of 9.0.
Cooper ProControl tires
When driving on poorly performing tires, motorists may encounter difficulties around every turn and on every rainy day. The Cooper ProControl tire's lateral grooves provide consistent wet traction, thereby removing these uncertainties from your driving experience. To prevent hydroplaning, the tire also features four circumferential grooves that quickly remove water from the footprint. This tire is available with an asymmetric tread pattern and is most suitable for passenger cars. While the tread depth on Cooper ProControl is slightly less than that of the General Altimax RT45, a silica-enriched runner compound provides year-round durability. We have given the Altimax RT45 an average SimpleScore of 8.7.
General Altimax RT45 vs Cooper ProControl tires on traction
Dense sipes are the most noticeable features on a tire for traction, and these can be seen on the General Altimax RT45. Wide grooves are present for preventing aquaplaning and increasing wet traction. An all-season tread pattern is responsible for traction in dry, wet, and light snow conditions. Though the asymmetrical tread pattern on the Cooper ProControl may have an edge here, the General Altimax RT45 counters with higher tread depth, leading to an average traction SimpleScore of 8.7.
The Cooper ProControl's sipes widen to provide traction in both difficult dry and wet/snowy situations, featuring Widening Sipe Technology. The wide sipes are adept at providing continuous traction despite tire wear. The ProControl's sweeping grooves improve wet traction and hydroplaning resistance by removing water from the tread. The tread depth and silica rubber compound contribute to grip as well, resulting in an average traction SimpleScore of 8.3.
ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45
General Altimax RT45 vs Cooper ProControl tires on handling
Those who wish to regularly drive through light snow will be happiest with the General Altimax RT45 as its tread pattern is most suited for the same. A higher tread depth and dense sipes are responsible for maximizing dry and wet traction. Wide grooves are responsible for removing water from the tread and generating wet grip, resulting in an average traction SimpleScore of 8.7.
The Cooper ProControl, as its name implies, has been engineered to handle crisply at every turn. Armor Belt Technology, in the form of steel belts, is offered for the strength and rigidity essential to execute a rapid steering response. Although the tread patterns on both tires are asymmetrical, Cooper ProControl's tread depth is somewhat shallower than that of the tire above. Furthermore, the ProControl tire's silica rubber compound increases its performance and durability, leading to an average handling SimpleScore of 8.6.
ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45
General Altimax RT45 vs Cooper ProControl tires on longevity
A Replacement Tire Monitor on the Altimax RT45 shows the user when the tire wear is low enough for a change, indicating “REPLACE TIRE” on the tread. Additionally, there are Visual Alignment Indicators to ensure proper wheel alignment, thereby preventing uneven wear and contributing towards tread life. Along with higher tread depth, this tire receives a 75,000 limited manufacturer warranty for H- and T-rated sizes and a 65,000 mile warranty for V-rated sizes. There’s also an optimized tread pattern to lower rolling resistance and prevent uneven wear. Based on the above, the Altimax RT45 deserves a phenomenal average longevity SimpleScore of 9.7.
In contrast to the above, the Cooper Pro Control is engineered to wear uniformly, with robust construction that enhances the compound's durability. Its tires are designed to carefully balance pressure at the point where they come into contact with the road. Large polymers increase strength in the tread compound for enhancing durability and tread life. This tire is available with a 70,000-mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, resulting in an average longevity rating of 9.5.
ADVANTAGE: General Altimax RT45
When to use each
Both, the Altimax RT45 and the ProControl are all-season tires, which means that they have been specifically built for use in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. Neither of these tires features Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, implying that they must be driven in temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Though both tires possess grooves for traction, there’s a difference in the type of grooves. If you wish to monitor the alignment and tread wear of your tires, the Visual Alignment Indicators and the Replacement Tire Monitor on the Altimax RT45 will help you do so.
Which one should you choose?
While looking at the scores across different parameters, General is clearly at an advantage here. Despite it providing better traction on the whole, the Cooper ProControl turns out to be the more confident tire in wet conditions. Warranty is more for the General, but Armor Belt Technology makes the ProControl stronger. An outlined white letter sidewall makes the General Altimax RT45 an attractive tire.
If you’re the type who likes to know the prices, here they are. While the General Altimax RT45 starts at $98.99 per tire ($395.96 for 4), and the Cooper ProControl begins at $129.99 per tire (519.96 for 4). Even though General tire wins on all SimpleScore parameters, do not decide before you go through the following buying reasons.
If you have to pick the General Altimax RT45, here are the reasons to do so:
- Better handling
- You own vehicles such as Jeep Compass, Dodge Grand Caravan, Toyota Camry, and Subaru Outback
- Better overall traction
- Higher limited manufacturer tread life warranty
On the other hand, you should consider the Cooper ProControl if:
- You drive vehicles such as Audi TT, Buick Skylark, Chrysler PT Cruiser, and Honda Civic
- You need to travel through wet areas and need better wet traction
- You want higher strength and durability
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, and our agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.