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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk 900 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 7 + 567 owner reviews. How we score

Firehawk 900 is ahead, 74–68

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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. 73

    Dry

    Firehawk 900 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7669

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 75.6 = 73

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69

    No road tests of dry for Firehawk 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    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 0.42).

  2. 75

    Wet

    Firehawk 900 +4
    71
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7672

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 73.7 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 75

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71

    No road tests of wet for Firehawk 900. 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. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    35
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 51 (est.)
    Reviews found online–10

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 51.4 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 35

    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. 76

    Comfort

    Firehawk 900 +12
    64
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7962

    Firehawk 900: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 79 = 76

    G-MAX RS: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.5 = 64

    No road tests of comfort for Firehawk 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for G-MAX RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 71

    Noise

    Firehawk 900 +10
    61
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7854

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 71

    G-MAX RS: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 61

    No road tests of noise for Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 73

    Treadwear

    Firehawk 900 +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7765

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 73

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Firehawk 900 +16
    63
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900G-MAX RS
    Reviews found online7963
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk 900General G-MAX RS
Relative Score 74 68
Dry 73 69
Wet 75 71
Snow – 35
Comfort 76 64
Noise 71 61
Treadwear 73 70
Handling (owners) 79 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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Firehawk 900

± 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 Firehawk 900

Pros

  • Reliable and safe grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Good ride comfort and bump absorption on rough or uneven roads
  • Attractive aesthetic appearance

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, especially reported with run-flat versions at lower speeds or with windows down
  • Potential to receive older, pre-dated stock from retailers affecting rubber longevity
  • Dry grip can diminish as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Firehawk 900 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

Firestone Firehawk 900

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/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”
grassrootsmotorsports.com

“Darn, no 255/45R18, so I won't get to try these on the E38 for my next set of summers (it'll probably be the Kumho Ecsta Sport or Bridgestone Potenza Sport instead, but Tire Rack no longer has the Bridgestones in 255/45 even though they're still listed on the Bridgestone site). It seems like tire availability in that size is dropping way off. Conti dropped it in the ECS02 and discontinued the General G-Max RS in that size, now it's gone in the Indy 500 V2. So to run either of those tires I'd have to buy different front wheels and move to square 275s instead of the 255/275 stagger I'm running now. PS4S comes in a 255/45, but I'd have to move up to 285/40 in the rear (from 275/40) and they're rather expensive.”
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 · Firestone Firehawk 900 B · General G-MAX RS
CategorySummerSummer tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—48
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG300 A A360 - 700 A - AA A
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure42 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk 900

General G-MAX RS

Winner: Firestone Firehawk 900 — better handling, comfort and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score. Firestone Firehawk 900 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 79 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 76 vs 64 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 71 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 73 vs 69 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk 900
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Tire B · General G-MAX RS
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Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 75 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 73 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 71 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 76 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Firehawk 900 or G-MAX RS?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 73 vs 70 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