Tests 54 · 2 tests Owners 52 · 25 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Firehawk SZ90 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 2 + 1 road tests and 25 + 567 owner reviews. How we score
G-MAX RS is ahead, 68–55
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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.
-
55
Dry
G-MAX RS +1368Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 58 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 51 69 Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 57.9 + 40% × 51.3 = 55
G-MAX RS: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 68
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).
-
53
Wet
G-MAX RS +1871Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 51 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 56 72 Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 50.8 + 40% × 56 = 53
G-MAX RS: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 71
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).
-
–
Snow
No comparison35Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 51 (est.) Reviews found online – 10 G-MAX RS: 60% × 51.3 (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).
-
52
Comfort
G-MAX RS +1264Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 45 62 Firehawk SZ90: 40% × 63.8 (est.) + 60% × 44.7 = 52
G-MAX RS: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61.6 = 64
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk SZ90. 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).
-
58
Noise
G-MAX RS +462Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 53 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) 54 Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 52.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 58
G-MAX RS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.2 = 62
No owner ratings of noise for Firehawk SZ90. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
No road tests of noise for G-MAX RS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
57
Treadwear
G-MAX RS +1370Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 51 65 Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.2 = 57
G-MAX RS: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 64.7 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk SZ90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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53
Handling (owners)
G-MAX RS +1063Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Reviews found online 53 63 -
62
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Firehawk SZ90 G-MAX RS Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 62 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Firehawk SZ90 | General G-MAX RS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 55 | 68 |
| Dry | 55 | 68 |
| Wet | 53 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 35 |
| Comfort | 52 | 64 |
| Noise | 58 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 57 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 53 | 63 |
| Efficiency | 62 | – |
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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not 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
55
/ 100
Firehawk SZ90
68
/ 100
G-MAX RS
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Firehawk SZ90 | G-MAX RS | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/9 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test | #3/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Firehawk SZ90
Pros
- Strong dry and wet surface grip
- Effective water displacement and braking performance
- Competitive price point
Cons
- Excessive road noise
- Rapid or uneven tread wear
- Unpredictable handling and stability issues
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Firestone Firehawk SZ90
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
General G-MAX RS
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 · Firestone Firehawk SZ90 | B · General G-MAX RS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger 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?
55
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk SZ90
68
/ 100
General G-MAX RS
Winner: General G-MAX RS — better wet, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
General G-MAX RS scores 71 vs 53 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
General G-MAX RS scores 68 vs 55 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
General G-MAX RS scores 70 vs 57 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
General G-MAX RS scores 64 vs 52 on comfort.
Tire A · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
Tire B · General G-MAX RS
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Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
Which is better in the wet, Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
General G-MAX RS, 71 vs 53 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
General G-MAX RS, 68 vs 55 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
General G-MAX RS, 62 vs 58 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
General G-MAX RS, 64 vs 52 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Firehawk SZ90 or G-MAX RS?
General G-MAX RS, 70 vs 57 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