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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs General G-MAX RS — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

G-MAX RS is ahead, 70–65

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Tire ABridgestone

Potenza S-04 Pole Position

Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 4 in 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BGeneral

G-MAX RS

Tests – · 1 test Owners 62 · 567 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (overall ranking)

“G-max rs I put 7k miles on these tires and this is the front how many miles would you say I have before problems occur I plan on replacing in a few weeks Read more”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 69

    Dry

    G-MAX RS +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online7073
  2. 69

    Wet

    G-MAX RS +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online6973
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    34
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online–10
  4. 66

    Comfort

    G-MAX RS +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online6266
  5. 66

    Noise

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position +2
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online6560
  6. 56

    Treadwear

    G-MAX RS +14
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online5066
  7. 69

    Handling

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online6967
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole PositionGeneral G-MAX RS
Relative Score 65 70
Dry 69 71
Wet 69 72
Snow – 34
Comfort 66 68
Noise 66 64
Treadwear 56 70
Handling 69 67

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Potenza S-04 Pole Position

G-MAX RS

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryPotenza S-04 Pole PositionG-MAX RSΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/4 · 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test 90% #3/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires −40.5 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Potenza S-04 Pole Position

Pros

  • Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
  • Competent performance in wet conditions
  • Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear rate
  • Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
  • Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
All owner themes in the Potenza S-04 Pole Position review

Tire B G-MAX RS

Pros

  • Outstanding price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry and wet weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality for a performance tire

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to some squirm or less crisp steering response during hard cornering
  • Prone to temporary flat-spotting or vibration when sitting overnight in cooler weather
  • Unpredictable or slippery performance if driven in cold temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit
All owner themes in the G-MAX RS review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

General G-MAX RS

Positive

The General G-Max RS is widely regarded by community members as an excellent budget-friendly summer tire that offers strong dry and wet grip, comparable to more expensive options. While most users praise their cornering performance and value, some note drawbacks such as noticeable road noise compared to premium alternatives like Michelin.

r/mazda3 ·19 upvotes ·2019-07-04

“Been driving on the General G-Max RS 225's for about a month now and it feels like I'm glued to the road. Now I just need to install my Corksport rear sway bar for even more cornering fun!”
r/GolfGTI ·3 upvotes ·2023-04-12

“Price no object? Michelin 100%. I have the Generals right now and while they're fine for grip and what not, they are very noisy. I have Michelin X Ice winter tires, and even with the aggressive winter tread, they are considerably quieter than my g-max rs. However I paid about 700 CAD for my set of g-max a couple years ago. So for a price like that, I'm happy. Like anything, expect to get what you pay for.”
r/370z ·2 upvotes ·2018-03-31

“General G-Max RS tires I know they just came out in February 2018 but was wondering if anyone else has had experiences with them yet. From what I’ve dug up, they’re OEM on the new Saleen Mustang. Rated at 360AA. I bring this up because that’s what the dealer has given me after an unfortunate alignment issue with my old tires. Yes I went to the dealer because I trust very few people to work on my car and can afford a little extra. So far these tires haven’t disappointed me but it’s day 1. Highway driving felt very smooth and I hugged the corners going faster than... everyone else. Later today I’m going to take my empty backroad and see how they are in tight turns. General announced these tires are UHP Summer tires meant to attract customers for track and autocross. The only thing that holds me back a little on the throttle is the price tag is SOOO cheap, which is exactly what they wanted. If you have experience with them go ahead and post up please. Read more”
Top themes
#Budget performance value#Dry and wet grip#Road noise levels#Comparison to Michelin#Daily driving comfort

Based on 13 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position B · General G-MAX RS
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—48
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—360 - 700 A - AA A
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position

General G-MAX RS

Winner: General G-MAX RS — better treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General G-MAX RS scores 70 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

General G-MAX RS scores 72 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
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Tire B · General G-MAX RS
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

70

Leads

G-MAX RS

Amazon