General Gmax AS03 Tires.

[spoonerDee]

A few months ago I began my search for a new set of tires. I was rolling around on the old snow tires that came with the car when I bought it. I could have made it one last winter with them but one developed a slow leak forcing me to go tire shopping.

I searched for weeks trying to find the perfect all season tire to throw on my stock 325i wheels. I wanted something that could be used year round, had little road noise, exceptional grip and handled well in the snow... All at a non wallet busting price.

I went on searching and thought I finally found what I wanted with the Continental Conti DWS tires. From the reviews they handled great, and had all the features I had been searching for.

However just as I was about to bite the bullet and snag a full set I learned of some of the horror stories of previous owners. Most of which had to do with the tires being made of soft rubber and people experiencing blow outs or bubble from hitting pot holes and having to replace the tire.

So that sent be back to the search. Around that time I remembered reading an article in a magazine a few years ago about the new lines from General tires that had just come out. The magazine went out and tried the tires on a number of different cars tackling a number of different tests and pitted them against similar competitors. Needless to say they surprisingly out performed all the competitors in almost every category, and this was from a budget tire company (who is owned by a bigger tire company that shares tech with them).

I went on a search for General tires and discovered that the Gmax (the tires they tested) had great reviews from real world people just about everywhere I looked. Feeling confident, I called up the local tire shop and ordered a set.

A few days later they were installed and I was on my way. My first impression was "man are they quiet". At first they seemed a little bouncy but after a few days of driving they settled and gave me a very comfortable ride. After a short while of getting used to them I took some sharp turns at high speeds and felt total confidence that they would hold and could be pushed even harder if I so chose.

A month into owning them I took them on a road trip and put several hundred miles on them in one day. The whole time I was completely pleased with how quiet they were, how great the gas millage was and how comfortable the ride was.

It's been about 2 months now of owning them and I must say I am impressed at what this budget tire can do. I have yet to test it in the snow but from the reviews that I have read they all stated that in light to moderate snow people had no issues getting around.

So if you are in the market for a daily use tire that will give you comfort and safety and allow you to do some spirited driving in both wet and dry conditions year round when your feeling spunky, check out the General Gmax AS03 tires.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&s_kwcid=TC|21263|general%20gmax||S|p|6941910613&tireModel=G-Max+AS-03

http://image.eurotuner.com/f/news/eurp_1105_general_tire_gmax_as03_tire/30900647++w750+ar1/eurp-1105-21-o+new-parts-accessories+general-tire-gmax-as03-tire.jpg

[VaTechZHP]

I've got the same tires on my car as well. They came with the car when I bought it and have loved them. A fantastic tire all around (although no winter testing really) but was pleasantly surprised with their overall performance.

[Washburn]

So are these available in the ZHP staggered sizes?

I am gonna take a look and read about these a bit..
2 months is way too early to tell for any tire, but happy to hear they're making you happy so far.

I have Conti DWS for about 4k miles now - also too early to tell, but they're fantastic in rain and dry weather, too. Not as 'sharp' as a summer tire, but i knew that already.

[pfr]

So are these available in the ZHP staggered sizes?


They seem to be...

Thanks for the info SpoonerDee, came at the right time!

- Peter

[kayger12]

Glad these are working out well. It was a toss up for me between these and the Kumho Ecsta 4X that I eventually went with.

[static667]

I have about 3k on these exact tires. I'm pretty happy with their performance so far.

Sent via Tapatalk 2 on my hacked Fascinate.

[spoonerDee]

It has been about 2 1/2 months since my initial review and I have put a lot more miles on these tires and have to say I am still very pleased.

I took a trip to Cape Cod and back this past weekend and the drive back was in pouring rain. I hit a massive puddle while doing aprox 65 mph. The car got squirrely for a second then quickly grabbed the road and held me on track to ride out the rest of the puddle requiring very little if any corrections. The whole ride home in the rain I felt very confident in the tires ability to siphon the water from the road and keep traction at highway speeds.

So in the end, dry handling phenomenal, wet handling just as good (not sure I would track them in the wet but you get the idea) and come next winter I will visit this thread again with some snow handling reviews.

Thus far I would give these tires a strong 9 out of 10 rating, but will hold off on rating them till I have driven in the snow.

[328ioc]

I just had these tires installed last week and now I am about halfway through a 1,000 mile trip from Central Florida to South Jersey and they are performing amazingly.

Will update as I drove more

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[danewilson77]

I just had these tires installed last week and now I am about halfway through a 1,000 mile trip from Central Florida to South Jersey and they are performing amazingly.

Will update as I drove more

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This absolutely can't be true.

They're not Michelin PSS's.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[johnrando]

#iseewhatyoudidthere

[danewilson77]

#iseewhatyoudidthere

Hehe... Yeah. I did it.

Just playing.

Kinda.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[kayger12]

This absolutely can't be true.

They're not Michelin PSS's.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Hehe

[328ioc]

Hehe... Yeah. I did it.

Just playing.

Kinda.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Yeah im way to tired to get any jokes atm lol

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[JupiterBMW]

This absolutely can't be true.

They're not Michelin PSS's.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Coming from the guy running "BRICKstones".... :shifty

Yokohama S-Drive FTMFW! :biggrin


Sidenote- Devlin, glad you made it up to the dirty Jerz safe... :thumbsup

[danewilson77]

Coming from the guy running "BRICKstones".... :shifty

Yokohama S-Drive FTMFW! :biggrin


Sidenote- Devlin, glad you made it up to the dirty Jerz safe... :thumbsup

Hehe... You jabbin me about the parts that keep our car glued to the ground? :shifty

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[BimmerWill]

I just got done putting a set of federals on my car (all I had the cash for at the time)...pretty unhappy with the road noise I've been getting with anything over 40mph...next set will either be these or a set of kumhos...keep us updated on the treadwear and how they do in the snow. Im hoping these federals last for at least a year or so though.

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[JupiterBMW]

Hehe... You jabbin me about the parts that keep our car glued to the ground? :shifty

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Ahhh, ZING!!! Credit where credit is due... :rofl

[danewilson77]

Ahhh, ZING!!! Credit where credit is due... :rofl

#hugs

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[spoonerDee]

Okay it has been about 9 months on the tires (General Gmax AS03) and have experienced all 4 seasons with them.

Spring, summer and fall the tires do not disappoint. Phenomenal grip, nice quiet ride. not bumpy soft nor super stiff, just right.

Winter with ice and snow. These are all season tires, so obviously winter tires are the best bet, but it's not always an option for everyone. So how do they perform?

Loose fresh snow: great, very little if any slippage unless I get on the throttle. I drive cautiously so keeping control at all times is very easy and they feel grippy.

Hard packed snow: Decent grip, enough to feel confident that you can maintain a decent speed (say 25-35mph) and not worry about the car drifting off course do to uneven or slanted roads or bumps.

Packed snow with ice, getting over a bump: I think we all have been there. Your car is parked, its dry under your car but behind you is a few inches of snow and ice leaving you to back out, climbing up and over an incline of ice and snow. Obviously if your pulling out forward you have several feet of dry ground to get a running start, but if you can only back out it's not so easy. So the tires with the help of DSC fared pretty well. Again if they were snow tires it would have been easier, but for an all season it wasn't bad.

All in all with all the winter conditions I have faced with it I have yet to get stuck anywhere nor feel like I am going to lose control.

So how would I rate these tires.

Spring through fall they get a solid 9 out of 10. I base this on ride comfort, grip road noise and cost of the tire. For a budget "high performance" all season tire, they do not disappoint.

Winter they deserve a 7 out of 10. They are not designed as a snow tire so they don't grip and perform like one. But as an all season they perform within the margins or just above with what I would consider a safe travel tire when faced with winter elements.

So after 9 months would I still recommend them? Absolutely. Are they worth the cost? With out a doubt, heck I think they are worth more than what they cost. Can you keep them on and use them year round? Yes, but if you have the means I would still highly recommend snow tires, however if it's not possible, they perform well enough to get you home provided you don't drive like an idiot.

[328ioc]

Great review. I have about 2 months and probably 4k miles on mine so far and I love them as well.

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[Dave1027]

Nice review.

I like General tires. Have them on my truck and they do everything well. I really only have one thing against these Gmaxes. They are quite directional. This means that if you want to rotate sideways then you have to have them unmounted and turned around. Asymetrical and directional are worse though. Can't do a thing with those. That's the way my current Bridgestones are and the PO screwed up and put two lefts on the front.

That sucks. My ZHP has two left feet. :facepalm

[danewilson77]

Ha! Yeah.....we typically only rotate fronts to rears and vice versa.

[spoonerDee]

True they are directional so rotating is only front to back (or vice versa), unless you have staggered wheels. I don't (for now) so when the time comes it won't be such a big deal.

I should note the only thing I can't comment on now is tread life. I drive my car about 3,000-4,000 miles a year if I'm lucky and thus far in the 9 months I've had them I have only put about 2,500. So theoretically these will last me forever :rofl

[spoonerDee]

A little touch back on my "long term" experience with these tires. I actually did a lot of winter driving this year ( I no longer walk to work) so I had some more ice and snow time with them.

How'd they do? Really well for an all season tire. I currently live on top of a long steep driveway and when it snows it can be almost impossible to get up unless you have 4wd/awd. I managed to make it up this driveway on many occasions, a few times stuck halfway then eventually would get some grip and get me going.

Driving about on plowed (but still covered) as well as non plowed roads they performed very well. So long as you don't drive like an idiot. I only experienced one time where I almost lost control, but that was due to an idiot in a pickup truck flying around a turn in my lane forcing me to swerve out the way. My rear slid out a little but I was able to easily regain control.

So I still stand by my recommendation on these tires, they have yet to disappoint me.

[Washburn]

Thanks for the review - I am also very interested in these tires
Any feedback on dry / Sumer driving and handing on normal dd driving situations ?
How do they compare to DWS? Are the side walls stiffer ?
Any flat spotting when parked overnight ?


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[danewilson77]

Thanks for getting back Spooner.

[Fat-Ham]

I had these tires on my e90 330i. For the price, you can't beat em. My buddy has the car now and there is still ample tread left after about a year of them being on. I know he puts her through hell too


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[Oli77]

Yes, tell us more, how is road noise 2 years later? much feathering?

[spoonerDee]

Thanks for the review - I am also very interested in these tires
Any feedback on dry / Sumer driving and handing on normal dd driving situations ?
How do they compare to DWS? Are the side walls stiffer ?
Any flat spotting when parked overnight ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've yet to find any issues like flat spots or the sidewalls being to soft/stiff. I've often left my car sit for days then get in and go with out any feelings of anything being off.

As for dry performance, Fantastic! I take fairly sharp turns at 50 or higher and not even a chirp. They just dig in and hold the road. Daily driving couldn't be more comfortable.


Thanks for getting back Spooner.

:)


Yes, tell us more, how is road noise 2 years later? much feathering?

Road noise is (to me) non exsistant. Windows up or down I can't hear anything or if I do its nothing that would bother me or that I could point out. I've done long road trips from CT to VA and to ME and have always enjoyed the ride. Heck my wife even falls asleep in the car. :rofl

Can't say I noticed any feathering or wear on them. To me they still look fairly new but again I'm still driving less than 10k miles a year.

[Oli77]

Thanks Spooner.

[spoonerDee]

More than welcome.

:keith

[static667]

I'm on my second set of them. I would recommend them to anyone. I'm currently running 235/35-R19 on the front and 255/30-R19 on the rear. Next to no road noise and great performance. The tread life is pretty good, too. Price vs performance? Definitely worth every penny.

[Washburn]

More than welcome.
:keith
Thanks again for all the info.
One more question: Can you check country of origin on your Gmax tires? I think earlier batches were German made, but then they vanished and were made in other countries and I saw a post on some other forum that the quality was not as good... ?? probably not correct, but just curious.
Oh and where did you get them from? Tire Rack?

[spoonerDee]

Mine state Made in U.S.A. :fistpump

I ordered them through a local garage. Would have used tirerack, but at the time my mechanic wasn't set up with them, and the local place wouldn't install them unless they bought them. Now my mechanic works with tirerack, so when I need another set (or any tires) I'll most likely do that.

[Washburn]

Per some people on various tire forums Gmax tires made anywhere other than in Germany have lesser quality - just what I read online, may or may not be true; I do remember very early on TR when Gmax was first available country of origin was always Germany...


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[328ioc]

Thanks again for all the info.
One more question: Can you check country of origin on your Gmax tires? I think earlier batches were German made, but then they vanished and were made in other countries and I saw a post on some other forum that the quality was not as good... ?? probably not correct, but just curious.
Oh and where did you get them from? Tire Rack?

I believe mine say made in France......but I will double check tonight.

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[spoonerDee]

Welp, mine are from muricah! and are fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if people are just touting crap for the sake of touting crap.

[Washburn]

I also sincerely hope that's what they're doing, and that they have the same quality regardless of country of origin.
The one thing that bothered me was how they first appeared on TR German made, then vanished for a few weeks, and was again available with other countries of origin with a lowered price

I am still pretty certain that this will be my next tire though.
It seems to offer a lot of the DWS performance if not the same, for a lesser price .,,

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[spoonerDee]

I also sincerely hope that's what they're doing, and that they have the same quality regardless of country of origin.
The one thing that bothered me was how they first appeared on TR German made, then vanished for a few weeks, and was again available with other countries of origin with a lowered price

I am still pretty certain that this will be my next tire though.
It seems to offer a lot of the DWS performance if not the same, for a lesser price .,,

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When did they disappear and reappear?

[Washburn]

Oh quite a while ago- I don't remember exact time, but it was when they first appeared on TR as a new tire.


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[328ioc]

I will say that I have worn through my rears incredibly fast than I did the fronts. To the point that I am considering buying new rears soon.

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[Washburn]

^ How many miles did you get out of the rears?


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[328ioc]

^ How many miles did you get out of the rears?


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Can't say exactly. But its has been about a year so 15k plus.....probably closer to 20k though.

Which isn't bad but the fronts still look brand new and that's the part that had me confused.


EDIT: Tires were installed first week of December 2012.....so easily 20k miles ago.

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[spoonerDee]

Can't say exactly. But its has been about a year so 15k plus.....probably closer to 20k though.

Which isn't bad but the fronts still look brand new and that's the part that had me confused.


EDIT: Tires were installed first week of December 2012.....so easily 20k miles ago.

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Huh, I bought mine in March 2012, have put about the same amount of miles, if not more on mine and they still look brand new, all four of them. Perhaps because you're staggered?

[328ioc]

Possibly, but they are still stock sizes.....oh well. 20k miles still isn't bad and there is still some life left.

Just won't be able to do very many autos sessions (first one next weekend)

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[Washburn]

Yeah 20k seems pretty low...but it was not only regular DD...
Gonna be a lot of thinking to do when the time is right for the next set of tires
My DWS set now has about 28k I think...


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[328ioc]

Mine has been regular DD. I have not done any tracking yet.

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[Washburn]

Ah- sorry, I must've misunderstood.

[328ioc]

Ah- sorry, I must've misunderstood.

No worries. :-).

I am doing my first auto X tomorrow so we will see how they fair now.

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[05Imola]

Ill bump this old thread. I just bought my zhp and it came with a brand new set of these tire. I went autocrossing this weekend and I was honestly surprised at how good they were. They were not squishy as most all seasons were and they broke away progressively. My car is completely stock btw. I wanted to sell them to buy a set of summers but I am surprised at how well they handle so I might just keep them until they wear out.

[slater]

i hope they wear well for you. i had a set that i ran for not even a full summer (they came on my 135Ms), and i was not impressed, at all. they wore unevenly, flat-spotted easily and one became a little out of round. i also did not like their breakaway or ultimate grip level (very low).

needless to say, i was happy to see them go. :) replaced them with OE M3 Conti take-offs that are much, much better.

peter

[spoonerDee]

Ill bump this old thread. I just bought my zhp and it came with a brand new set of these tire. I went autocrossing this weekend and I was honestly surprised at how good they were. They were not squishy as most all seasons were and they broke away progressively. My car is completely stock btw. I wanted to sell them to buy a set of summers but I am surprised at how well they handle so I might just keep them until they wear out.

Glad to hear it.


i hope they wear well for you. i had a set that i ran for not even a full summer (they came on my 135Ms), and i was not impressed, at all. they wore unevenly, flat-spotted easily and one became a little out of round. i also did not like their breakaway or ultimate grip level (very low).

needless to say, i was happy to see them go. :) replaced them with OE M3 Conti take-offs that are much, much better.

peter

It's been three years now that I've had these tires and they still ride just as good as the first day I had them. I would say I average about 10k miles a year on my car and haven't had one issues yet other then getting a nail in one. But I got it plugged and it still rides fine.

[spoonerDee]

Well it has been 5 years and I def got my money worth. Will be getting new tires this spring as the old general tires are finally worn and starting to show cracks between some treads.

Keep in mind I only put at most 10k miles a year on my car, average 7-8k, but 5 years and no expenses other than plugs for flats, can't complain. And yes they still grip and handle very well, though snow isnt as good do to tread depth.

Any way, 5 year, long term review, still happy!!

[ELCID86]

That's impressive. Total miles on them?

[Tatarin]

Well it has been 5 years and I def got my money worth. Will be getting new tires this spring as the old general tires are finally worn and starting to show cracks between some treads.

Keep in mind I only put at most 10k miles a year on my car, average 7-8k, but 5 years and no expenses other than plugs for flats, can't complain. And yes they still grip and handle very well, though snow isnt as good do to tread depth.

Any way, 5 year, long term review, still happy!!

How many miles did you log in 5 years of use?

[spoonerDee]

Sorry for the long delay. Actually still have them on my car. Getting new tires in the next month or so. But I got easily 40k plus miles out of this set.

Sadly they no longer make this tire, at least not in my size (so tire rack says) so I will be found with Continental extreme contact DWS.

Sad to see them go but hey 6 plus years and 40k miles.