A comparison between Cooper vs General Tires is a tough debate. Cooper is known for comfortable tires at an affordable price. Meanwhile, General tires are known for their durability.
Below is a comparison table between the two brands to give you a quick look at how they differ.
| Cooper Tires | General Tires | |
| Performance | General has a slight edge. | |
| Tire Variety | General Tires has more options. | |
| Comfort | Cooper Tires offer a smoother drive than General. | |
| Durability | General tires are more consistent with their UTQG rating. | |
| Price | Cooper tires are much more affordable. | |
Below is a complete tires comparison between General and Cooper to give you a clearer picture of the two brands.
Table of Contents
Overview
1. Cooper Tires
Cooper Tires, founded in 1914, has a long history in the industry. Originally known as the M and M Manufacturing Company, it became the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in 1946.
Cooper has grown into a significant player in the global tire market, known for its innovative designs and focus on quality. However, the brand doesn’t have the widest selection in terms of OEM designs.
Their most recent release is the Cooper Cobra Instinct, an all-season sport performance tire.
Below are their notable models:
- Cooper Endeavor Plus
- Cooper ProControl
- Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
2. General Tires
General Tires, established in 1915, is another notable tire brand. Initially an independent company, it became part of Continental AG in 1987.
This acquisition boosted General Tires’ presence in the global market, integrating it into one of the world’s top tire manufacturing companies.
Their latest notable release is the General AltiMAX RT45, an all-season touring tire that delivers quality driving for regular drivers. However, the brand isn’t my top choice if you’re after the highest-performance tires like Michelin Pilot Sport.
Below are their notable tires:
- General Grabber ATX
- General Grabber APT
- General Reliatrek HT
Differences
1. Dry and Wet Performance
A good measure of a brand’s performance is comparing their tires in the same category. For this scenario, we will make a comparison between the Cooper Endeavor vs. General Altimax RT43.
- The Cooper Endeavor is built with the brand’s all-season tread compound and a five-rib tread design. This tire design improves contact and control while driving on dry pavement.
The compound is also made with silica materials for a reliable grip on wet surfaces, which complements the Endeavor’s wide lateral grooves that prevent hydroplaning.
- The General Altimax RT 43 is made with the brand’s Anti-Slip Sipe Design Technology, which gives it a better grip on wet pavements. The tire can also achieve optimized handling, thanks to its polyamide-reinforced twin steel belts.
Both options’ performance are excellent. There is little negative feedback on either the Cooper Endeavor or the General Altimax RT43.
However, General’s tire is better at wet braking, while Cooper stops on dry roads a bit faster. General also exhibits better dry handling, but the two brands are neck and neck in this aspect when you drive them on wet roads.
2. Comfort
We continue with using the brand’s tires to measure the overall comfort both Cooper and General tires can offer. For this category, we compared the Cooper AT3 vs General Grabber AT2 in dampening road vibrations and noise.
- The Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is an all-terrain, all-season tire that features a silica-based tread compound. With the Micro-Gauge ZigZag sipes around the edge and its tread compound, the Discoverer AT3 can achieve steady traction on wet surfaces.
The silica material also makes the tire softer to absorb road vibrations.
- The General Grabber AT2 tire has a five-row tread face with self-cleaning lugs along its edges. These features result in superior traction on both dry and wet surfaces but do not contribute to driving comfort.
With that in mind, the Grabber AT2 has a V-shaped pattern that prevents air from hitting the void wall and lessens noise generation.
The Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S wins this category thanks to its softer tread. With its silica-based compound, Cooper’s tires can achieve a smooth drive.
While the Grabber AT2 offers a quiet ride with its tread pattern, the comfort level of the two is significantly different when going through tire reviews.
3. Durability
We can compare the durability of Cooper and General Tires through the average UTQG of their tires.
Cooper’s UTQG is around 220AAA (Zeon RS3) to 780AB (CS5 Grand Touring). General Tires has an average score of 320AA (General Grabber UHP) to 700AA (General AltiMax RT43).
While Cooper has a tire with an impressive rating of 780, General wins in durability. You can see a wide range of General product lines with a much higher UTQG than those of Cooper.
4. Tire Variety
Cooper Tires only has 21 products for various vehicles.
General Tires, meanwhile, has 37 different products for light truck, passenger, performance, and winter requirements.
5. Price
The cost of Cooper Tires is $103.84 (CS5 Grand Touring All-Season) to $220.51 (Discoverer Road+Trail AT All-Terrain) when you buy them at common stores that sell tires.
Meanwhile, the pricing of General Tires is around $111.23 (Grabber AT2) to $476.99 (Grabber X3).
Which Brand is Right for You?
Choosing a tire from either brand depends on what you need. For a comfortable ride, Cooper Tires has much to offer at an affordable price.
However, General tires are consistently durable based on their average UTQG score. With both showing commendable tire performance on wet and dry roads, the two brands are pretty much on equal footing.
Conclusion
To conclude our Cooper vs. General Tires comparison, both tires excel in performance. However, Cooper Tires offer a quieter drive, while General Tires are known to last for a long time.
