General G-MAX AS-05 Review: The Affordable All-Season Tire You Need to Know About

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The General G-MAX AS-05 is an all-season grand touring tire designed for drivers of sedans, coupes, minivans, and crossovers looking for a blend of comfort, handling, and year-round traction. Manufactured by Continental’s General Tire brand, this tire aims to provide a smooth, quiet ride while still offering responsive handling and grip in dry and wet conditions.

Key features of the G-MAX AS-05 include an asymmetric tread pattern with solid center ribs for stability and enhanced dry road performance. Its silica-enhanced tread compound promotes even wear and maintains flexibility for traction in colder temperatures. Wide circumferential grooves help evacuate water for improved hydroplaning resistance. The tire’s internal structure utilizes two steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon for durability and uniform ride quality.

With its all-season capabilities and touring tire characteristics, the General G-MAX AS-05 aims to be a well-rounded option for drivers desiring a comfortable yet capable tire suited for year-round driving scenarios. Its affordability compared to some premium touring tire offerings is also a selling point for the budget-conscious consumer.

Dry Road Performance

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire excels in dry road conditions, delivering exceptional grip and responsive handling. Its advanced tread compound and optimized siping design work in tandem to provide remarkable dry traction, allowing the tire to bite into the road surface with tenacity. During hard acceleration or braking, the G-MAX AS-05 remains composed, transferring power efficiently without any noticeable slip or spin.

In the corners, this tire truly shines. Its stiff shoulder blocks and continuous center rib enhance steering precision, enabling the vehicle to carve through turns with confidence. The G-MAX AS-05 exhibits minimal understeer or oversteer tendencies, allowing drivers to push their vehicles to the limits while maintaining a reassuring sense of control.

Transitional maneuvers, such as lane changes or emergency avoidance, are handled with poise, thanks to the tire’s remarkable responsiveness. The G-MAX AS-05 reacts instantaneously to driver inputs, providing a direct and communicative feel that inspires confidence behind the wheel.

Overall, the dry road performance of the General G-MAX AS-05 tire is nothing short of exceptional. Whether navigating winding backroads or tackling high-speed highway driving, this tire delivers a level of grip, handling, and responsiveness that will satisfy even the most discerning enthusiast.

Wet Road Performance

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire delivers impressive wet traction and hydroplaning resistance, thanks to its advanced tread compound and design. The tire’s circumferential grooves and lateral notches work together to evacuate water from the contact patch efficiently, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and ensuring a confident grip on wet surfaces.

During heavy rain or standing water conditions, the G-MAX AS-05 demonstrates excellent hydroplaning resistance. The tire’s wide circumferential grooves channel water away from the tread, preventing the buildup of water pressure that can lead to hydroplaning. Additionally, the tread’s lateral notches and sipes create biting edges that enhance traction on wet roads.

Braking performance on wet surfaces is another area where the G-MAX AS-05 shines. The tire’s advanced silica-enhanced tread compound maintains flexibility and grip even when wet, allowing for shorter braking distances and improved control during emergency stops. The tire’s tread design also contributes to stable and predictable handling in wet conditions, giving drivers confidence and peace of mind.

Overall, the General G-MAX AS-05 tire offers excellent wet road performance, combining impressive hydroplaning resistance, reliable wet traction, and confident braking capabilities. Whether navigating through heavy downpours or encountering unexpected puddles, this tire delivers the necessary grip and control to keep you safe on wet roads.

Snow and Ice Traction

The General G-MAX AS-05 is an all-season tire, designed to provide year-round traction and grip, including in winter conditions. While it’s not a dedicated winter tire, the G-MAX AS-05 performs reasonably well in snow and ice when compared to other all-season tires in its class.

In deep or packed snow, the G-MAX AS-05’s directional tread pattern and high sipe density help it bite into the surface and provide decent traction. The tire’s internal construction also aids in maintaining flexibility at lower temperatures, preventing it from becoming overly stiff and losing grip on snow-covered roads.

On ice, the G-MAX AS-05 performs about average for an all-season tire. Its compound isn’t specifically formulated for ice traction, so it can struggle to find grip on extremely slick surfaces. However, the tire’s circumferential and lateral grooves help evacuate water and slush, improving traction in those conditions.

In slushy winter mixes, the G-MAX AS-05 handles reasonably well. Its grooves effectively resist hydroplaning, and the tread blocks provide enough bite to maintain control and traction. However, like most all-season tires, deep slush can eventually overwhelm the tread pattern and cause some loss of traction.

Overall, while the General G-MAX AS-05 won’t match a dedicated winter tire’s snow and ice performance, it provides capable traction in winter conditions for an all-season touring tire. Drivers in areas with harsh winters may want to consider a set of winter tires, but the G-MAX AS-05 can handle lighter snow and ice reasonably well.

Ride Comfort

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire delivers a comfortable and refined ride quality that belies its affordable price point. Noise levels are well-controlled, with minimal road roar even at highway speeds. The tire’s advanced tread design and optimized construction help minimize tread growl and pattern noise.

Vibrations are also well-damped, resulting in a smooth and composed ride. The G-MAX AS-05 does an excellent job of absorbing minor road imperfections and irregularities, translating to minimal impact harshness reaching the cabin. Larger potholes and bumps are also handled admirably, with the tire’s internal structure providing a good balance of compliance and control.

Overall, the ride quality is remarkably smooth and refined for an all-season touring tire in this price range. The G-MAX AS-05 offers a level of comfort and refinement that would satisfy even luxury vehicle owners, making it an excellent value proposition for those seeking a comfortable daily driver.

Treadlife and Durability

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire is designed with a focus on longevity and durability. The tread compound is a balanced blend of high-quality materials that resist excessive wear while maintaining good traction throughout the tire’s lifespan.

One of the standout features of the AS-05 is its impressive treadwear rating. With a rating of 700 AA, this tire is expected to provide reliable performance for an estimated 60,000-70,000 miles, depending on driving conditions and habits. This exceptional treadlife is achieved through the tire’s optimized tread design, which features a continuous center rib and stable shoulder blocks that promote even wear across the tread surface.

In addition to its impressive treadwear capabilities, the AS-05 also demonstrates excellent resistance to cuts, chips, and other forms of tread damage. The tire’s reinforced casing and robust sidewall construction help protect against road hazards, ensuring that the tire maintains its structural integrity even in challenging driving environments.

Furthermore, the AS-05’s advanced tread compound is engineered to resist excessive heat buildup, which can accelerate tread wear and compromise the tire’s performance. This heat-resistant compound helps maintain the tire’s integrity and prolongs its overall lifespan, even under demanding conditions or heavy loads.

Overall, the General G-MAX AS-05 tire offers outstanding treadlife and durability, providing drivers with a reliable and long-lasting tire solution that can withstand the rigors of daily driving while delivering consistent performance mile after mile.

Sizing Options and Fitments

The General G-MAX AS-05 is available in a wide range of sizes to fit most coupes, sedans, crossovers, and smaller SUVs. Sizing starts at 15 inches and goes up to 20 inches in diameter. Available widths range from 195mm to 275mm, with aspect ratios from 50 series down to 30 series low profile tires.

This tire comes as an OEM fitment on several mainstream models like the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Ford Escape. It’s a popular upgrade tire as well for plus-sizing, where you increase the tire’s overall diameter for better looks and performance.

For plus-sizing, General recommends going up one inch in diameter from the OEM size, combined with a smaller sidewall aspect ratio. This gives you a taller tire with a wider footprint for improved grip and steering response. Just make sure to stay within your vehicle’s limits for wheel width and overall diameter to avoid rubbing issues.

Warranty

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire comes with an impressive 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, giving you peace of mind and protection against premature wear and tear. This warranty is a testament to the tire’s durability and longevity, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment.

In addition to the treadwear warranty, General Tire also offers a road hazard protection plan for the G-MAX AS-05. This plan covers any damage caused by potholes, nails, or other road debris, providing you with a free replacement tire or a pro-rated credit towards a new set. This added protection gives you confidence on the road, knowing that you’re covered in case of unexpected incidents.

Furthermore, General Tire stands behind the quality of their products with a customer satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied with the performance of your G-MAX AS-05 tires within the first 60 days or 3,000 miles, you can return them for a full refund or exchange. This commitment to customer satisfaction demonstrates General Tire’s confidence in their product and their willingness to ensure that you’re completely satisfied with your purchase.

Value and Competition

The General G-MAX AS-05 tire offers exceptional value for its performance capabilities. Priced at the lower end of the ultra-high-performance all-season tire category, it delivers a compelling blend of dry and wet road traction, respectable snow and ice performance, and a comfortable ride quality that belies its affordable cost.

When compared to premium rivals like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, the G-MAX AS-05 can save you hundreds of dollars for a set of four tires. Yet, it still provides a driving experience that will satisfy most enthusiasts and sports car owners seeking year-round traction without breaking the bank.

Competitors in the same price range, such as the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 or Cooper Zeon RS3-G1, struggle to match the G-MAX AS-05’s well-rounded performance across diverse conditions. General Tire has struck an impressive balance between cost and capability with this model.

While the G-MAX AS-05 may not quite reach the lofty heights of the most expensive ultra-high-performance all-season tires, it offers 90-95% of their real-world performance for a significantly lower investment. For budget-conscious driving enthusiasts, the G-MAX AS-05 represents outstanding value and a smart choice in the category.

Conclusions

The General G-MAX AS-05 is an ultra-high performance all-season tire that delivers impressive dry and wet road grip, along with decent snow traction for its category. Its strengths lie in providing exhilarating handling and cornering stability, making it an excellent choice for performance-oriented drivers.

However, the tire’s sporty nature also means it sacrifices some comfort and treadlife compared to touring all-season tires. The ride can feel firm at times, and you may need to replace the tires sooner if you frequently drive aggressively.

Overall, if you prioritize dry and wet weather performance in your all-season tire and don’t mind a slightly shorter treadlife, the General G-MAX AS-05 is an excellent value option that punches above its price point. For drivers of sports cars, muscle cars, or performance sedans who still need some winter capability, this could be an ideal all-season upgrade from the lower-end original equipment tires.

List of Other General Tire Reviews

• General Grabber ATX Review
• General AltiMAX RT45 Review
• General Altimax RT43 Review
• General Grabber APT Review
• General Grabber X3 Review
• General G-Max AS-05 Review