Any recommendations for 20-inch all-season tires?

4285 Views 37 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Cool Minivan..... Nobody, 6 mo ago

Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · 10 mo ago

My wife's 2017 Limited with the 20-inch wheels is due for a set of new 245/50R20's. It currently has General Altimax RT43's that were put on in Feb 2020. They've got around 40,000 miles on them and I haven't had any complaints. We're in the midwest, so we get a variety of weather throughout the year. Not too much snow, usually, but there's at least few days each winter with snow on the roads.

The Altimax's probably would have lasted longer, but I haven't been very diligent about rotating them, so the fronts are significantly more worn than the rears. Honestly, the rears look like they could work for another 10-20,000 miles. I may just replace the fronts for now, but I'm also thinking about starting fresh with new tires all around, in which case I will make a solemn resolution to rotate them regularly.

Anyway, I just wondered if there's another tire I should be considering. Looking at my paperwork from 2020, I paid $120.99/tire. Now it looks like reputable 245/50R20's start at around $200. So I don't know if I just got some great deal last time, or if tires have just gone up that much in the last 2.5 years. Also, it looks like the Altimax RT43 has just been replaced with the RT45, but I don't how different the new model is.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #3 · 10 mo ago

Eh, I don't know. All of the above? I'm not a tire junkie. I just wondered if somebody had a tire they liked that provided a good balance of all-around performance. Seems like any decent tire is pretty expensive at 20 inches, so cost is probably not the biggest concern, as long as the tread life is good.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #7 · 10 mo ago

Thanks for the recommendations. Due to the sticker shock of new tires, I ended up buying used ones one eBay with 90% of the tread and a condition guarantee. The seller has thousands of reviews with almost perfect feedback. They were $70 a pop, and my local shop will mount them for $15 each + $4 for each tire disposal.

I never bought used tires before, but I guess that's where we are in this economy.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #9 · 10 mo ago

CANADAHYBRIDGUY said:
Just remember when buying tires , new or non new , always check the build dates that’s stamped on the sidewall . My bad , it’s a oblong circle with 4 digits that state week and year that the tire was manufactured ( 1723) . This indicates a 17 week manufacture with a 23 model year run .

Thanks for the tip, I never knew that. I already got one of the tires, and the oval says "4720". So I guess it was made towards the end of 2020?

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #11 · 10 mo ago

snobrdrdan said:
Yup....47th week of 2020.
Going on almost 2 years old

You mean "still less than two years old".

A quick search shows that tire manufactures recommend replacing tires after 6 to 10 years (depending on the manufacturer), so I'm good with the date on my tires.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #25 · 10 mo ago

brtcpapfs said:
If your current rear tires are still good, why not just buy two more of same tread pattern for the front. How long do you want to keep it Still through another set of tires or sooner? If you replace two every year or two, you can likely do just fine

Thanks for the suggestions. That's actually exactly what I ended up doing. The backs are still fairly good, so it seemed wasteful to spend $800+ on a full set. I actually ended up going on eBay and buying a used pair of the same Altimamax RT43's with 90% of their tread for $70/each shipped. I've already gotten them, and they look very good. One was manufactured toward the end of 2020, and the other in the middle of 2021.

My local repair shop only charges $15 to mount/balance a tire and $4 to dispose. So my total to have two almost-new tires installed will be $178. Less than the $200 + mounting for one tire if I had bought new. I may never buy brand-new tires again!

brtcpapfs said:
There is lot of discussion out there about whether front wheel drive vehicles should have better tread on front for traction starting out or on the rear to keep it from sliding around on hard braking in rain. I will not tell you what to do there but there is much discussion from experts about which is better. Good luck and Happy Motoring.

Yeah, I've been looking into that, and the experts say it's smarter to put the better tread on the rear, since it helps keep the rear end from sliding around going around a curve in adverse conditions. If we lived in a more rural area with twisty roads, then I would definitely consider putting the newer tires on back. However, living in the suburbs of Indianapolis we mostly only encounter flat roads that meet at 90 degree angles. We very rarely have to take any curves at speed.

So I think it will be fine putting the newer tires on front, since they should be able to cut through standing water better, and grip better in snow. The rears will mostly just be following in the direct path of the fronts. And since the fronts wear much faster, it will kind of balance things out, and hopefully age-out the full set at closer to the same time.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #26 · 10 mo ago

NickAdams said:
I'll second Michelin CrossClimate2, I've had them on my Sienna for one full year in MI, and will be putting them on the Pacifica when the OE tires wear out. The are fan-tastic in all conditions, and initial wear is quite good too.

Not to mention that the tread looks very cool on the CrossClimate2's. For whatever that's worth, lol.

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Edgar_in_Indy

Discussion Starter · #33 · 9 mo ago

g33williams said:
Just the thread I needed!

I'm glad you found the thread helpful. I was kind of surprised when I was shopping around for new 20's and couldn't find a thread like this.

In case anybody on here has not come across it yet, tirereviewsandmore.com has excellent, detailed reviews of a huge variety of tires:

Tire Reviews and More - Research Top Rated Automotive Tires

Tire Reviews And More helps you find the best tires for your vehicle at the lowest prices to save you money. Read our reviews before buying your next set of tires.

tirereviewsandmore.com

Here's the review of the tire I ended up choosing:

General Altimax RT43 Tire Review & Rating - Tire Reviews and More

Here’s our latest General Altimax RT43 tire review along with specs, information and pricing from Tire Reviews And More.

tirereviewsandmore.com

g33williams said:
I’ve read the thread, is the consensus recommendation the crossclimates from Michelin? Anyone have experience with the Pirelli Verdes, they seem highly rated and much cheaper than the Mich’s. Thanks in advance!

Here's their review of the CrossClimate: