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Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR vs General G-MAX RS — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 14 + 567 owner reviews. How we score

G-MAX RS is ahead, 63–57

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General G-MAX RS
Tire BGeneral

G-MAX RS

Summer tire

± 7

Tests – · 1 test Owners 59 · 567 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“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. 57

    Dry

    G-MAX RS +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5169

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 57

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 68

    No road tests of dry for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for G-MAX RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 62

    Wet

    G-MAX RS +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5972

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 62

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 71

    No road tests of wet for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for G-MAX RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 56

    Snow

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +21
    35
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 51 (est.)
    Reviews found online4610

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 62.8 (est.) + 40% × 46.4 = 56

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 51.2 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 35

    No road tests of snow for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for G-MAX RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 49

    Comfort

    G-MAX RS +15
    64
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online3962

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 40% × 62.8 (est.) + 60% × 39 = 49

    G-MAX RS: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61.6 = 64

    No road tests of comfort for ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Level
    62
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5654

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 62

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.2 = 62

    No road tests of noise for ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    G-MAX RS +20
    70
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 57 (est.)73
    Reviews found online4065

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 56.7 (est.) + 40% × 39.5 = 50

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 64.7 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRG-MAX RS
    Reviews found online–63
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5 SSRGeneral G-MAX RS
Relative Score 57 63
Dry 57 68
Wet 62 71
Snow 56 35
Comfort 49 64
Noise 62 62
Treadwear 50 70
Handling (owners) – 63

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

ContiSportContact 5 SSR

± 7

G-MAX RS

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

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

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

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

Tire B

General G-MAX RS

Positive

Community sentiment toward the General G-MAX RS is broadly positive, with users frequently praising its exceptional value and strong dry and wet traction as a budget-friendly ultra-high-performance summer tire. While often favorably compared against premium alternatives like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Firestone Indy 500, some owners note compromises including elevated road noise and occasional handling inconsistencies on specific sports car platforms.

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!”
grassrootsmotorsports.com

“I've had General G-Max RS on the E36 M3 for the past two summers and have no complaints. Just normal/spirited driving. No actual performance driving. I know it's not the tire model but it's all I can offer.”
forum.miata.net

“I'm going to get the Firestones or General G-MAX RS tires when the previous owners Michelin all-season tires wear out. I want a summer performance tire. Leaning towards the Firestone since they have better dry performance than the Generals. The Generals do better in the wet according to the performance test they both were in.”
Top themes
#value and pricing#dry and wet grip#comparison to Michelin PS4S#comparison to Indy 500#road noise levels#treadwear and longevity#Porsche and Corvette fitment

Based on 53 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR B · General G-MAX RS
CategorySummer tireSummer tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2548
Rim diameters17″ – 20″16″ – 20″
Tread depth9/32″10/32″
UTQG280 - 420 A - AA A360 - 700 A - AA A
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common1515

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

General G-MAX RS

Winner: General G-MAX RS — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR if snow matters most to you. Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR scores 56 vs 35 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General G-MAX RS scores 70 vs 50 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

General G-MAX RS scores 64 vs 49 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

General G-MAX RS scores 68 vs 57 on dry.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
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Tire B · General G-MAX RS
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ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

Which is better in the wet, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

General G-MAX RS, 71 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

General G-MAX RS, 68 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 56 vs 35 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 62 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

General G-MAX RS, 64 vs 49 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or G-MAX RS?

General G-MAX RS, 70 vs 50 on our treadwear score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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