General Altimax Comfort. FEATURES AND BENEFITS: Summer weather traction; Treadwear indicators; Longer lasting tread life; Enhanced controllability; Fuel efficient performance; . OVERVIEW: The General Altimax Comfort is a touring, summer tire manufactured for passenger vehicles.The tire ensures exceptional summer weather performance. The summer compound and the asymmetric ribbed tread increase the dry and wet weather grip on the road surface. The heat-resistant compound elements optimize the warm temperature performance. The tread's surface grip is also ensured with the better road to rubber ratio. The four circumferential grooves and the angled lateral grooves disperse water from the footprint, resisting hydroplaning.The tread design features the Visual Alignment Indicators. These elements are located on the tire's shoulders, parallel to one another, and they visually show the treadwear rate of the tires. These indicators, VAI for short, represent the vehicle's alignment as they show when the tire is wearing in an irregular fashion. This is shown when the parallel VAIs are not wearing identically. The VAI allows the driver to notice irregular wear and to have the vehicle's alignment checked, before the tire permanently develops uneven wear.The Replacement Tire Monitor lets the driver know when the tires need to be changed. This design feature placed the words "Replacement Tire Monitor" on the center rib. These letters wear along with the tread, and when the tire is about to reach the end of its service life they change to "Replace Tire". This allows the driver to follow the lifespan of the tire and prevents them from driving on worn-out tires.The asymmetric tread design and the durable compound work together to boost the service life. The tread design's even pressure circulation across the tread area, effectively resisting irregular wear formations. The stronger compound enables the tire to reduce the overall wear rate. The slow and even wear greatly improves the tire's overall service life.A fuel efficient performance is also ensured with the stronger summer compound. The better traction and the heat build-up resistance allow the tire to ease the driving pressure off the tire, lowering the rolling resistance while the tires are in motion. This greatly decreases the rolling resistance, which is the pressure determining the vehicle's fuel intake necessary. Reducing the rolling resistance allows the tire to decrease the vehicle's fuel consumption and CO2 emission levels. This results in a fuel conscious driving experience.The General Altimax Comfort also increases the controllability. The solid center rib ensures the surface contact, which improves the steering responsiveness and the driving stability at all times. In this manner, the driver's control over the vehicle is further enhanced as it promotes a quick and precise steering response. It also secures the structural stability against the driving pressure affecting the tire. This ensures better handling and maneuvering.Manufacturers recommend changing tires every 10 years. As long as tires are properly stored before they are sold, the year of their manufacture will not shorten their service life.