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Last updated 1/20/2025 - Originally published 1/20/2025
Written by SimpleTire
GT Radial is a Singapore-based tire manufacturer and a part of Giti Tire. With a history of selling tires for over 25 years in the North American region, GT Radial has been catering to the needs of passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, trailers, and commercial vehicles. Its portfolio comprises all-season, all-terrain, highway, UHP all-season, UHP summer, winter, all-weather, and mud-terrain tires.
Milestar is a subsidiary of Tireco Group, headquartered in Gardena, CA. The manufacturer makes tires for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, CUVs, ATVs/UTVs, trailers, and commercial vehicles, and offers a wide range of tires on the market that include, all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, highway, rugged-terrain, mud-terrain, touring, and UHP.
Here, we have picked the two solid all-weather tires from these manufacturers, the MaxClimate and the Weatherguard AW365. Both all-weather tires are Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certified and are good for use in moderate to severe winter weather, or when the temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, like the standard all-season tires, these tires can also be used in dry, wet, and light winter weather.
If you are planning to buy a set of all-weather tires for your drive, this comparative analysis of the MaxClimate vs Weatherguard AW365 tires will help you choose the best tire that suits your driving style and needs. Here, in this comparison, we will put the MaxClimate and Weatherguard AW365 tires head to head, based on their overall SimpleScore, and dedicated scores for traction, handling, and longevity. So, read on and find the tire that aligns better with your needs.
GT Radial MaxClimate tires
First, let’s talk about the GT Radial MaxClimate that’s suitable for use on coupes, sedans, minivans, and CUVs. The 3PMSF certification and the standard ability to cruise through dry, wet, and light to moderate snow conditions make the tire versatile enough for year-round use. The tire focuses on catering a good grand touring experience and is optimized to offer smooth and quiet rides and responsive handling in varying weather conditions.
Overall, the MaxClimate scores a great 8.2 SimpleScore rating, thanks to its long-lasting tread life, better handling, and solid traction performance.
Get GT Radial MaxClimate tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
Milestar Weatherguard AW365 tires
Moving on to the next tire picked for comparison, the Milestar Weatherguard AW365. The tire made its debut in 2017 and comes as a great fitment choice for passenger vehicles. Very much like the MaxClimate, it is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake approved for use in severe winter weather and has the ability to serve in dry, wet, and light winter conditions. The tire incorporates new-gen tread design technology and is specially optimized for enhanced traction, longevity, handling, and confident year-round driving.
Overall, the Weatherguard scores an 8.1 SimpleScore rating, thanks to its extended service life, responsive handling, and better traction.
Get Milestar Weatherguard AW365 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
GT Radial MaxClimate vs Milestar Weatherguard AW365 tires on traction
Let’s start the detailed comparative analysis with traction, where we will learn how these tires fare when it comes to maintaining surefootedness, grip, and performance in varying weather conditions. When we compared the traction scores of both tires, we found there was a big difference in their scores.
The MaxClimate scores a good 7.6 SimpleScore rating in traction. While the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification enhances traction and grip in varying weather conditions, features like full-depth and zig-zag sipes also increase traction performance by creating additional biting edges. The water evacuation grooves on the tread improve water channeling by dispersing water away from the contact patch. Additionally, the rubber compound helps in enhancing traction performance by keeping the contact area glued to the surface.
On the other hand, the Weatherguard AW365 scores a great 8.1 SimpleScore in traction, which confirms the tire’s ability to bite the surface efficiently in changing seasons. Like its peer, the Weatherguard AW365 is also Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified and features an all-weather tread pattern and optimized rubber compound that ensure better traction performance. The 3D siping on the tread also boosts traction performance, especially on wet and icy surfaces, offering a commanding performance.
While MaxClimate tires offer strong traction performance, a set of Weatherguard AW365 tires is slightly better.
ADVANTAGE: Milestar Weatherguard AW365
GT Radial MaxClimate vs Milestar Weatherguard AW365 tires on handling
All-weather tires are built for confident driving in rain, shine, and severe winter conditions, and therefore, they must be good at offering solid handling performance without a lag. When we compared both MaxClimate and Weatherguard AW365 tires, we found they both gave each other tough competition. Here’s our detailed handling analysis of both tires:
The MaxClimate scores a great 8.0 SimpleScore rating in handling and comes with an optimized asymmetric tread pattern that offers seamless steering response and touring-style comfort, providing drivers with increased snow and wet weather driving confidence. The grooves on the tread contribute to enhanced handling performance in wet conditions and the unique arrangement of ribs helps in confident lane changes. Additionally, the shoulders of the MaxClimate ensure strong cornering performance.
On the contrary, the Weatherguard AW365 is credited with an 8.1 SimpleScore in handling and comes with a tread pattern that’s optimized with advanced rubber compound and features 3D sipes for improved braking and control in dry, wet, and icy conditions. Thanks to the coupling tread blocks, stability and control are consistently maintained. The ribs at the center also contribute to better performance, which leads to quicker lane changes and confident maneuvering in changing conditions.
In the handling area as well, the Weatherguard AW365 takes the lead and scores marginally more than the MaxClimate.
ADVANTAGE: Milestar Weatherguard AW365
GT Radial MaxClimate vs Milestar Weatherguard AW365 tires on longevity
Let’s now know which of the two tires are long-lasting with our longevity analysis. This is the area where the gap in the scores of both tires was highest.
Starting with the MaxClimate, the tire achieves an excellent 9.0 SimpleScore rating in longevity and also comes covered with a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. This means the tire can last at least 60K miles and offer confident, worry-free rides. The MaxClimate also sports a reinforced inner construction and robust rubber compound, contributing to the long-lasting factor.
Looking at the Weatherguard AW365, the tire scores an 8.2 rating in longevity, which is good enough to confirm that the tire can last long. It also comes backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and proves its great ability to serve for miles. The construction of the tire is adequately durable and likewise is the tread pattern and rubber compound that control the wear rate.
In the longevity area, there was a flip with the MaxClimate leading the race, leaving the Weatherguard AW365 behind.
ADVANTAGE: GT Radial MaxClimate
When to use each
Both, the Weatherguard and MaxClimate tires are severe snow rated and offer confident driving in dry, wet, and moderate to severe winter weather. However, if you live in a region that witnesses over a few inches of snow for over 6 or more months in a year or where the temperature continuously remains below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, then considering a set of winter tires could be the best choice. Likewise, these tires are not suitable for off-road use and should only be considered for driving on paved roads.
Coming to the rim sizes, the MaxClimate tires are available in the range of 18- to 20-inch rims, while the competing Weatherguard AW365 offers wider compatibility with vehicles on the market and is available in 15- to 20-inch rim sizes.
Which one should you choose?
Based on the overall SimpleScore, the GT Radial MaxClimate is a better choice than the Weatherguard AW365, with the former scoring 8.2 compared to the latter’s 8.1 rating. But, both tires are good in one or the other area, and therefore, you must consider their abilities before making a purchase and choose the one that best aligns with your driving needs. For longevity, the MaxClimate is indeed a better choice but for those who want better traction and handling, the Weatherguard AW365 is better.
When it comes to pricing, the MaxClimate is available at an initial price of at least $151 per tire, while the Weatherguard AW365 is available at a starting price of $76 per tire. This means a set of four MaxClimate tires will cost at least $604 and a set of four Weatherguard AW365 tires will cost you at least $304.
Looking at SimpleScores, you should consider the MaxClimate if you:
- Drive a small luxury sedan like the Lexus IS or a compact car like the Chevrolet Cruze
- Need tires that are better in longevity (9.0 vs 8.2)
- Are ready to pay more to buy a better set of tires
Comparatively, you should choose the Weatherguard AW365 if you:
- Drive a compact car like the Toyota Corolla or anything like the Kia Forte
- Need tires that are better in traction (8.1 vs 7.6)
- Need tires offering sharp steering response (8.1 vs 8.0)
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.