General G MAX AS 05 vs AS 07

The General G MAX AS 05 and its successor, the G MAX AS 07 are both categorized as Ultra High Performance All-Season tires, designed specifically for sports cars, sporty coupes, and performance sedans. These guys are finely tuned to deliver superb handling and braking capabilities on wet, dry, and snowy terrain. But, which one takes the lead, and why? Let’s find out!

Main Highlights

So overall, the General G MAX AS 05 is better at:

• Dry-Road Performance: Providing superior traction and shorter braking distances.
• Fuel Economy: With its lighter construction, overall. Though it only goes for specific sizes’ comparisons.
• Winter Traction: Although it underperforms compared to the AS 07, it still maintains decent winter capabilities. In other words, the updated tire does offer a lot of significant improvements here.

Review G MAX 05 in detail.

Whereas the General G MAX AS 07 is better at:

• Wet-Road Performance: Excelling in handling, steering response, and resistance to hydroplaning.
• Noise Dampening: With its well optimized construction.
• Ride Quality: Providing a smoother ride overall, despite needing improvements in handling road bumps more efficiently.

Review G MAX 07 in detail.

Tread Features

The General G-MAX AS-07 stands out with its asymmetric tread pattern, featuring five distinct ribs.

Focusing the tread’s middle, the central-most rib is continuous-running, and is predominantly characterized by “L-shaped” notches and linear sipes.

Flanking this block column are two distinctly different ribs, where on one side, there are larger, squared-off lugs with pronounced L-shaped notches and cross-shaped sipes.

In contrast, the other side features smaller lugs with simpler linear sipes and small notches, shared with the middle rib.

As for the shoulder ribs, the lugs on each side are somewhat similar, incorporating linear sipes and lateral voids.

Yet, subtle differences are present here as well.

I mean one side has more offset edges, while the other is more streamlined, contributing to the tire’s balanced performance and aesthetic appeal.

Moving towards its predecessor, the G-MAX 05 also comes with a very biting asymmetric tread design, with similar 5 ribs.

Here the central most rib is also continuous-running and is equipped with notches, and curved siping.

And adjacent to it is a rib which is actually similar to the one seen on G MAX 07, showcasing laterally arranged small notches and linear sipes attached to them.

On the other side, you get a wider rib, with F-shaped blocks, and linear sipes.

And the shoulders?

Well, they also vary a lot from one another.

One shoulder rib has a more aggressive design, where you see thick prominent blocks with lateral and longitudinal sipes, as well as notches facing outwards.

In contrast, the other side, is relatively more packed up, and has small notches, and laterally oriented sipes.

Side Note: If you’re a new visitor on my site, and looking for best fit for your driving needs. I’ve got a perfect place for you to start. Head on down to my main all-season tires page.

Info on Sizes

The G-MAX AS-05 comes in 16 to 22 inches wheels. And all of those sizes have following specifications.

• Speed ratings: W only.
• Load ratings: SL and XL.
• Tread depth: 10/32″ on all.
• Weight range: 16 to 32 lbs.
• Treadwear warranty: 50k miles.
• UTQG rating: 500 AA A. Learn all about UTQG here.

On the other side, the General G-MAX AS-07 comes in 77 total sizes in 16 to 24 inches rims. And these sizes have following specs.

• Speed ratings: V, and W only. These are marketed by General as “ZR”, see what it means.
• Load ratings: SL and XL.
• Tread depth: 10 and 11/32″.
• Weight: 18 to 46 lbs.
• Treadwear warranty: 50k miles.
• UTQG: 500 A A (Also AA A).

Side Note: The G-MAX 07 is the updated version of both, the G-MAX 05, and the Grabber UHP. Actually both these tires are now unified in to a single product series.

Ride Quality

Driving comfort is primarily affected by two things: the sound level of the tread and how well the tire handles road imperfections. Let’s break down each of these factors.

Vibrations Comfort

The comfort of a ride on the road is greatly affected by a tire’s capacity to absorb bumps and imperfections.

That’s why it makes sense, why for the most part, tires made from softer materials both inside and on the tread surface, tend to offer a smoother ride.

In this context, the General G MAX AS 07 excels, where its not only much better compared to its predecessor, but actually offers the best overall ride comfort, in ultra-high performance all season category.

This is mainly due to its pliant tread, and softer dual-ply polyamide layers, providing this tire with superb cushioning against bumps.

Moreover, as it offers sizes up to 11/32″, it adds additional buffer against road imperfections, providing vibrations more room to settle down, before reaching into the vehicles cabin.

For Your Info: Since GMAX 07 tops its category, I had to put it on my list of top UHP all-season tires, see here: https://tiredriver.com/best-ultra-high-performance-all-season-tires/

Noise Dampening

Road noise in tires is predominantly generated by the interaction of air particles with the tire tread, especially around the tire’s edge gaps. The process unfolds as air particles infiltrate through the shoulder grooves, striking the tread walls with force.

This impact is the main noise source, which is then amplified through echoing, thereby increasing the total noise output from the tire tread.

In this scenario, the General G MAX AS 07 excels due to its streamlined design and minimized edge gaps, effectively reducing the areas for air particles to hit and thus lessening noise production.

Moreover, the tire’s sophisticated design features closed tread voids at the shoulders, which significantly limits air particle entry.

And with impressive pitch sequencing technology, it varies blocks of the tread, subtly, so that they could create various tone (as air hit them), that could cancel out each other.

Another notable aspect of the General G MAX AS 07 is its relatively stiffer rubber composition, which plays a crucial role in reducing in-groove resonance. This phenomenon, known as the echoing of noise within the tire’s grooves, is significantly minimized, further enhancing the tire’s ability to reduce noise.

I discussed it more in – Are All-Season Tires Comfortable And Quiet Enough?

Dry-Road Performance

In dry performance, we primarily look at three aspects: dry grip, handling, and steering response. Let’s discuss each of these elements in sequence.

Linear Grip

The central part of the tread is super important for directional grip because that’s where most of the tire’s weight sits when it’s rolling straight.

And this is key to understanding why the General G MAX AS 07 could use some improvements in braking power (which is how we measure this kind of grip).

The G MAX AS 07 has these prominent central ribs, but with this updated version, they’ve made the lateral voids (the gaps) bigger. The downside? These bigger gaps mean less rubber is actually touching the road, which cuts down on the grip.

Now, if we look at its older sibling, the G MAX AS 05, it’s actually better at longitudinal or straight-line traction.

This shows up in shorter braking distances, and offers a better contact patch with the road, giving it more bite.

In the tests I ran, the difference between the two tires is although less than half a foot on average, but still, the AS 05 takes the lead here.

Lateral Grip and Steering

When we talk about lateral or cornering grip, it’s all about how well the tire’s shoulders stick to the road during turns.

But why?

Well, as a tire turns, the weight on it tends to saturate over shoulders, which then makes these lugs compress more against the road.

Simply, put the shoulders lug connect the road better, during cornering.

And this is where the General G MAX AS 07 comes in. It performs better in terms of lateral g-forces.

And the tire’s shoulder lugs make more rubber meet the road, and the biters there, like in-groove notches and multi-angled siping slits, boost its lateral traction further.

But overall handling is a slightly different story, where steering response have a bigger role to play, and that’s where, interestingly, the GMAX 05, despite being the older tire, steps up.

Even though it might not have as much lateral grip, its quicker steering response syncs better with the vehicle’s handling. So, surprisingly, the overall handling times are actually better with the AS 05.

Side Note: Learn on Improving Dry Performance From All-Season Tires

Wet-Road Performance

The efficiency of wet performance is primarily based on the tire’s effectiveness in removing water from its tread, which includes aspects like traction and resistance to hydroplaning. Let’s assess each part.

Wet Grip and Handling

Siping is super important for getting a good grip on wet roads. These sipes might just look like tiny cuts in the tire tread, but they’re actually little heroes.

They open and close, creating a suction effect that helps the tire slurp up water. So, it’s easy to see why these sipes (and the tread in general) need to be flexible.

Enter the G MAX- 07, with its well-engineered updated siping and flexibility. This tire is a star in all the important stuff: traction, handling, and steering. And its significantly improved over its older variant, where wet traction was that tire’s weakest point.

It offers a more sporty steering feel, which is pretty obvious when you see it acing slalom tests, (actually in my testing, I use slalom time tests, to analyses tire’s steering response.

Plus, it yields impressive overall traction, that perfectly complements its sporty character. And there’s more, this boy has quicker wet braking capabilities, adding to its all-rounder performance.

And it’s especially nimble when handling corners, allowing for swifter entry into each turn.

Now, the G MAX 05, while it’s a beast on dry roads, it kind of struggles in the wet, where it just doesn’t grip as well, leading to some noticeable slip-and-slide moments.

According to my tests, I found these tires understeering for the most part, and when it gets out of the control, its pretty hard to get it back on track.

Basically, this tire uses a harder rubber mix, which means the sipes can’t flex as much as they should. So, they don’t create that awesome suction effect you need for top-notch wet traction.

Resistance to Hydroplaning

In wet conditions, quick water evacuation from the tire is crucial. This is because water isn’t compressible, so if it isn’t removed in time, it’ll slip between the tread and the road, causing tire-floating and a loss of traction.

That’s why tires have these grooves to help push most of the water out.

Now, the G Max AS 07 really rocks at this, especially when we talk about keeping the car steady in a straight line on wet roads. It’s got these wider channels running lengthwise that do a great job.

But when you compare it with the older tire for curved hydroplaning, which is all about how well water gets pushed out sideways, the difference isn’t huge.

In this aspect, the older tire has an advantage with its well-designed lateral voids between shoulder blocks, allowing water to escape easily.

Meanwhile, the G Max 07 benefits from a well-engineered contact patch, which creates pressure points that compensate for the more closed-up shoulder voids, achieving similar resistance to curved hydroplaning.

But yes, since the newer tire is more efficient at overall water evacuation, there’s less reliance on the sipes, adding to its edge in overall wet performance.

Winter Traction

All-season tires generally offer appreciable performance in winter conditions, particularly when it comes to critical steering, and aggressive braking and acceleration, (on both snow and ice).

However, when testing out these boys here, you see a lacking overall performance on both, particularly when it comes to steering responsiveness on ice.

Though still out of both options, the General G MAX AS 05 lacks more, ending up with smaller overall winter scores (concluding this from all the performed tests).

So what’s going on here?

Well, the tire’s weakness lies in it’s relatively rigid rubber composition, which hampers the effectiveness of its biters.

Whereas the General G MAX AS 07 excels with its softer rubber, allowing for better maneuverability.

It’s central rib, designed with staggered edges and flanked by ribs with versatile biters, ensures superior snow-to-snow adherence, as they stay more flexible.

(This contact is significant here, considering the fact that snow sticks more seamlessly with itself than with rubber).

So overall, G MAX AS 07’s tire leads, showcasing sharper steering feedback and consistent/faster lap performances.

Side Note: you can improve snow performance of all-season tires, by following these points.

Take Home Points

Now just like any all-season tire, these two also have their pros and cons.

So out of both boys, the General G MAX AS 07 demonstrates improvement in wet-road performance, particularly in handling, steering response, and resistance to hydroplaning, over its predecessor.

Additionally, it outperforms in winter conditions with better maneuverability, as well.

Though it can improve its overall dry handling, though it lacks very marginally in terms of dry braking.

The G MAX 05, on the other hand, offers (slightly) better fuel economy, and overall ride comfort, in terms of bumps absorption.

Though it lacks to its successor in terms of noise reduction performance, and overall tread longevity.