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Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT vs General G-MAX AS-05 — 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 800 + 805 owner reviews. How we score

Discoverer AT3 XLT is ahead, 78–69

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Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
Tire ACooper

Discoverer AT3 XLT

All-Terrain tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 82 · 800 reviews

“New shoes this week, Cooper Discoverer At3 XLT. I’m really impressed so far.”

General G-MAX AS-05
Tire BGeneral

G-MAX AS-05

All Season

± 7

Tests – · 1 test Owners 68 · 805 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“18 ST on freshly refinished snowflakes and general g-max as-05 tires. Tire rack mobile install is awesome.”

Category by category

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

  1. 79

    Dry

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8571

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 60% × 75.1 (est.) + 40% × 85.3 = 79

    G-MAX AS-05: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 71.2 = 70

    No road tests of dry for Discoverer AT3 XLT. 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 AS-05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 83

    Wet

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +12
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 80 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8771

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 60% × 79.7 (est.) + 40% × 87.2 = 83

    G-MAX AS-05: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 71

    No road tests of wet for Discoverer AT3 XLT. 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 AS-05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 71

    Snow

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +12
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7251

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 71.8 = 71

    G-MAX AS-05: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 59

    No road tests of snow for Discoverer AT3 XLT. 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 AS-05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 77

    Comfort

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8066

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 80.3 = 77

    G-MAX AS-05: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 65.8 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 73

    Noise

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8268

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 82.4 = 73

    G-MAX AS-05: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 74

    Treadwear

    G-MAX AS-05 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)77
    Reviews found online7973

    Discoverer AT3 XLT: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 79.4 = 74

    G-MAX AS-05: 60% × 77 + 40% × 72.7 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for Discoverer AT3 XLT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 78

    Handling (owners)

    Discoverer AT3 XLT +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 XLTG-MAX AS-05
    Reviews found online7870
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper Discoverer AT3 XLTGeneral G-MAX AS-05
Relative Score 78 69
Dry 79 70
Wet 83 71
Snow 71 59
Comfort 77 67
Noise 73 67
Treadwear 74 75
Handling (owners) 78 70

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Discoverer AT3 XLT

± 7

G-MAX AS-05

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Discoverer AT3 XLT

Pros

  • Significantly lower road noise than comparable aggressive all-terrain tires
  • Excellent wet weather, snow, and slush traction
  • Sturdy sidewalls and stable performance when towing heavy loads

Cons

  • Some users report difficulty with balancing, leading to vibrations or a rough ride
  • Tread life occasionally falls short of expectations for certain drivers
  • Can struggle or get gummed up in deep mud
All owner themes in the Discoverer AT3 XLT review

Tire B G-MAX AS-05

Pros

  • Exceptional value and price point compared to premium brands
  • Low road noise and quiet operation
  • Sharp steering response and sporty handling

Cons

  • Slightly mushy or delayed response at the absolute cornering limit for aggressive drivers
  • Mediocre performance in deep snow
  • Occasional reports of highway tramlining or a firmer ride due to stiff sidewalls
All owner themes in the G-MAX AS-05 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT

Positive

Community members report high satisfaction with the Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, highlighting its quiet ride, long tread life, and strong winter performance. Several owners praise its smooth ride quality and durability under towing conditions compared to rival all-terrain tires. Discussion also commonly centers around sizing, fitment, and snow ratings.

r/Offroad ·1 upvote ·2025-10-02

“I’ve run Hankook dynapro’s, BFG ko2, Nokian outpost nat, and fallen wild peaks. Currently running Cooper discoverer AT3 XLT - they are definitely the quietest all terrains I’ve had. I would recommend them if they are available in your size - many places like simpletire or priority tire carry them.”
r/ram_trucks ·22 upvotes ·2021-11-19

“New Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT 275/75R20 these ride way better than my old Open Country A/T II”
r/f150 ·51 upvotes ·2021-12-30

“New shoes this week, Cooper Discoverer At3 XLT. I’m really impressed so far.”
Top themes
#low road noise#tread longevity and wear#snow and winter traction#tire sizing and fitment#ride quality and comfort#towing performance

Based on 13 community posts

Tire B

General G-MAX AS-05

Positive

Community members widely regard the General G-Max AS-05 as an outstanding value for an ultra-high performance all-season tire, often praising its responsive steering, strong dry handling, and wet grip as a cheaper alternative to Continental and Michelin. However, opinions on road noise are polarized, ranging from quiet to noticeably loud, and snow/winter performance is frequently cited as mediocre or limited to light conditions.

r/BoltEV ·7 upvotes ·2019-03-16

“General Tire G-MAX AS-05 I just ordered a set of General Tire G-MAX AS-05 for my Bolt. Tirerack.com says that this is an "Ultra High Performance All-Season" tire. With 28,000 miles of wear on the factory tires, I can feel it starting to hydroplane in heavy rain. I'm swapping before something worse than "starting to hydroplane" happens. And I'm looking forward to it being a lot more fun to drive. :-) General Tire G-MAX AS-05”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2018-05-16

“I had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's on my GTI and didn't care for them much. Overrated, period. The + version might be better? I have 4 Continental SureContact RX's on my GTI and they are the best UHP all-season tires I've had. They aren't known for being superb in class in the snow like the Conti DWS06's are. But they grip excellent in the rain and perform great cold or hot. Every other all-season I've had gave up traction in hot summer weather except for the Conti's on my car and the Generals Gmax AS-05 on my wifes Audi. Those Generals are made in Portugal by Continental. They have a tad more road noise than my tires but are better otherwise. I'm done assuming Michelin and top tier high dollar tires are always better.”
subaruoutback.org ·5 upvotes ·2021-10-05

“I'm a tire dealer. If you can get the General GMax AS05 in your size... Get them. They are so underrated. Im on my 2nd set. That is the only time I've repeated a tire purchase. The most interesting thing about them is the noise at extreme cornering. There isnt any squeal. They make a low pitched hum. And they are cheap. General is a sister of Continental .”
Top themes
#value and pricing#wet traction performance#road noise levels#light snow capability#steering response handling#Continental brand relationship#tread wear longevity

Based on 88 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT B · General G-MAX AS-05
CategoryAll-Terrain tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available41
Rim diameters16″ – 20″19″
Tread depth16 - 18/32″10/32″
UTQG—500 A - AA A
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi50,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised White LetteringBlack Side Wall
Max pressure35 - 80 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT

General G-MAX AS-05

Winner: Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT — better wet, snow and comfort. Where the General G-MAX AS-05 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT scores 83 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT scores 71 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT scores 77 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT scores 79 vs 70 on dry.

Tire A · Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
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Tire B · General G-MAX AS-05
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Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Which is better in the wet, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, 83 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, 79 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, 71 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, 73 vs 67 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, 77 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Discoverer AT3 XLT or G-MAX AS-05?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 75 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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