I'm happy with the General Altimax 43s. All the research I did led me to think it actually is the best tire (and half the price). I think they handle better than the Michelins and are quieter. Continental PureContacts were rated about the same as the Generals for traction etc. on Tire Rack and cost more. In Tire Rack, the Generals (vs Contis) have slightly less wet traction ratings but higher tread wear ratings so I figure that's a toss. The Generals also have the H speed rating, which is appropriate for how I drive and I didn't want to have less tread life with the V rated Contis. The more I looked at what was available for my car, the more I thought the Generals were actually the best tire I could get at any price. I ordered the Generals from Walmart and shipped them to a nearby store that had a Walmart tire shop at it. My warranty is good at any Walmart tire shop. I had to wait an hour for the installation and had to let some air out of my front tires on the way home since I forgot to tell them that MB has front pressure at 35 and back at 42. All included shipping, tax, installation, tires and lifetime warranty was less than $600.
The top three Tire Rack grand touring all season tires for my car were Pirelli Cinturano, Continental Pure Contact and the one I selected, the General Altimax. The Pirelli and the Conti were review rated slightly higher and were low rolling resistance ("eco") tires. I checked into how big a factor eco is but little hard data exists. The best I could find is it might up MPG slightly and may lessen tread wear rating which was the case in the ratings of these three. This is not a trade-off that appeals to me with a high mpg car. As I've said also, tread wear also "wears" the traction of the tire which is my first priority. The non eco General had the best tread wear review ratings.
The General weighs a pound more than the others, and two pounds more than my previous tire the Michelin Primacys. It is comforting to know that the original run flats weigh five pound more than the Generals, so i'm still way ahead. Also since the car came with the run flats the suspension and handling is tuned to a heavier and stiffer tire. So choosing a heavier, stiffer tire over the eco tire would be more a fit. It feels that way too, the car seems to handle better.