The BF Goodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S PLUS and the General G-MAX AS-05 both fall under the Ultra High Performance All-Season category, targeting enthusiasts of sports cars, performance sedans, and sporty coupes. Let’s see which tire suits you better.
So, when I tested these tires, guess what I found? The General G-MAX AS-05 offers excellent braking, enhanced wet surface traction, and durable tread for extended wear. Moreover, it’s also offers great “value” in UHP AS category. In contrast, the BF Goodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S+ outperforms in handling and steering feedback thanks to superior lateral grip, excels in winter conditions, and provides a smoother ride with better impact absorption.
Table of Contents
Overall Construction
The BFG g-Force Comp 2 A/S+ stands out with its striking directional tread pattern.
Now the whole structure of this tire consists of 2 shoulder ribs.
And together they make a single circumferential channel running down right in the middle.
These shoulder blocks come with thick “plus-shaped” grooves or should I say, in-groove notches.
Moreover, they also have linear siping slits and chamfered edges (towards the middle).
And yes, to enhance stability, all these lugs are sitting on a secondary rubber layer, which act as reinforced foundational supports for all blocks.
Speaking of the tire’s internal construction, the BF Goodrich’s tire integrates a single-ply polyester structure.
Moreover, you also have dual steel belts on top, and a spirally wound nylon cap ply, adding to the tire’s durability and handling stability.
Moving to the General G-MAX AS-05, this tire flaunts a totally different design, with it’s asymmetric tread layout.
Unlike the BFG, this tire comes with 5 ribs, where the middle most one is continous running.
Moreover, this rib also features three different types of notches and curved siping.
Adjacent to the middle, are unique ribs, where one forms squared off blocks, with lateral slits (joining shoulders).
This rib is actually similar to the shoulder rib on it’s side.
Though towards other side, the tread becomes more aggressive.
Both ribs here have multiple in-groove notches, of various angles, and a lot of linear siping.
Internally, the tire is composed of 2-ply polyester, reinforced by two steel belts and capped with a single nylon ply.
Size Selections
Knowing sizes is one of the most important thing to note, when comparing tires, so let me simplify it for you.
| Specs | BF Goodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS | General G-MAX AS-05 |
|---|---|---|
| Rim Size (inches) | 16 to 20 | 16 to 22 |
| Speed Ratings | W, Y | W |
| Load Ratings | SL, XL | SL, XL |
| Tread Depth (32″) | 9 | 10 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 20 to 38 | 16 to 32 (Lighter) |
| Treadwear Warranty/Mileage | 45k miles | 50k miles |
| UTQG Rating | 400 A A | 500 AA A |
Wet Traction
When it comes to wet traction, its all about how well a tire clears off water from it’s tread (primarily with sipes and grooves).
Grooves are critical in channeling away most of the water from the tire’s surface. However, a small amount of moisture can still linger under the tread blocks, which causes a potential for slipping.
And that’s where sipes come in.
These are tiny slits, which act as small water containers, removing residual water particles by absorbing them.
Now in terms of wet traction, both tires exhibit excellent performance.
I mean, they’re pretty neck-and-neck. But if we’re splitting hairs, there are some points to consider
The General G-MAX AS-05 has a bit of an edge with its siping pattern, which are running in almost all directions, and that’s all about maximizing grip from every angle.
That means when the road’s slick, this tire has a little more bite, and those lateral/angled “biters” it has aren’t just for show, they’re working overtime to keep you glued to the road.
On the other hand, the BF Goodrich is slightly behind in the wet traction department, it still offers superior resistance to hydroplaning.
The tire’s groove design is just a tad more efficient at shooing water out, and that means there’s burden on it’s sipes to begin with.
So what’s the verdict here? Well, let me just say this, you’re not going to see any difference with them in the real world, but it’s this extensive testing that show minor differences in both.
Overall Dry Performance
Dry performance can be segmented into three key areas: two centering on traction—directional and lateral grip—and the third on steering responsiveness.
Let’s talk all these one by one.
Directional Grip
Directional grip is influenced by several elements such as tread composition, contact patch, and the tire’s overall weight. Moreover, it gets evaluated based on the tire’s braking efficacy.
Now, out of both tires, the General G-MAX AS-05 excels, showcasing faster braking (on tests).
But what’s making it’s grip better? Well there are 3 main things here.
- The tire has 3 longitudinally aligned ribs, with continuous-running designs, so it’s rubber always stay connected with the road.
- It’s innovative design, enriched with multi-directional in-groove slanted notches, amplifies its braking performance.
- And lastly, with it’s lighter weight, and all it’s lugs having reinforced foundations, that grip is further enhanced, as the tire generates a smaller momentum (when at high speeds). Meaning, it’s easier to slow down, relatively.
On the other side, the BF Goodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S+ although performs admirably in overall handling, its just a little shy of achieving the same average braking distance as that of G-Max, (with only a difference of 0.5 feet).
And it makes sense, since its more voided up in the middle especially, where there’s a circumferential grooves, instead of a rib, unlike the General’s tire.
Overall Handling
Handling is predominantly defined by two factors: lateral grip and the tire’s steering feedback. And in both these areas, the General G-MAX AS-05 doesn’t quite measure up.
It’s relatively more voided up shoulders aren’t able to deliver the same level of grip, as it’s counterpart’s.
(On tests, the BFG offers 0.3g greater lateral g forces on average).
Moreover, the tire’s less composed structure also lacks in terms of steering responsiveness, where it struggles to provide you with a precise sense of grip and wheel positioning, (relatively speaking).
On the other hand, the BFG g-Force showcase exceptional steering feedback, particularly during mid-cornering, and exhibits a notable on-center feel, post cornering.
This translates to superior handling, as evidenced by its consistently better lap times (on tests).
Tread Longevity
For a tire to have an impressive tread longevity, it must have robust construction, where it’s crafted with a harder rubber compound.
Moreover, tread depth is also a factor here, as greater it is, the longer the tire would take to reach down to replacement levels, though it’s up to some extent, as it also directly adds to rolling resistance too, ironically.
Now, looking at all these factors, it can be seen why General G-Max is a better tire here. And this greatly adds to the tire’s value, as it’s technically a budget pick, when it comes to ultra high performance all season tires.
It comes with a 1/32″ greater tread depth (on average), and since it’s a relatively stiffer rubber, having slightly deeper tread doesn’t affect it’s rolling resistance too much.
On the other side, the BF Goodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus exhibits marginally higher rolling resistance. And that because it has a larger weight pushing down on (relatively) smaller rubber area.
And yes, it’s narrower section width (comparing all sizes), and softer rubber, aren’t helping it either.
Though the tire is saved with it’s firmer internal construction, and solid foundational supports underneath it’s lugs, so overall the difference is low (in terms of miles each tire provides during their life times).
That’s why there’s also only a difference of 5k miles in terms of their tread warranty, with BF Goodrich giving less, 45k miles.
Impact Comfort
When assessing ride comfort, one considers the tire’s capacity to mitigate the harshness of road irregularities.
And here the BF Goodrich G-Force Comp 2 A/S+ is a better pick.
The tire incorporates a robust nylon cap ply underneath its rubber layer within its internal structure, expertly crafted to dampen road shock and vibration while also enhancing stability.
Moreover, you also get a rounded contact patch with this tire, which means, the weight transfer form the center to the shoulders (and vice versa), is smoother, when the tire corners, for example.
And yes, it’s rubber is more pliant and softer, which is self explanatory here.
On the other hand, the General G-MAX AS-05, where it offers decent tread life, with it’s stiffer rubber, has to pay off here.
Side Note: The G MAX 05, has been updated now, with General MAX 07 (review), which now tops in my list of top ultra high performance AS tires. See the list here: https://tiredriver.com/best-ultra-high-performance-all-season-tires/
Winter Performance
When the snow starts to stick, the BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus is the kind of tire you want on your team.
I mean just like majority of winter tires, it features a directional pattern, so it’s able to “scoop” up the snow, and throw it back, while it rolls, creating a forward momentum against it.
Moreover, it’s thicker in-groove notches (shaped like a “plus” sign), and curved lateral voids, work together to capture snow particles, forming a better snow-to-snow contact.
And that is further helped by the tire’s relatively heavier weight, and narrower design (they both put pressure on the ground, picking up snow particles).
But wait, you must be wondering, why that “contact” is important?
Well, snow actually grips best with itself, so this design gets more snow to cling onto snow, which is way better than rubber hugging snow.
On the other hand, the General G-MAX AS-05, doesn’t have that same flair for snow-packing, but the tire is better when it comes to ice, at least in the handling department.
It features a lot more biting edges, basically, which just “stick” better on packed up snowy, or icy roads.
So overall, BFG is better on snow, while General’s tire offer better performance on ice.
Side Note: Neither of these boys has the 3PMSF symbol, which is label given to tires, which are at-least 10% better at snow acceleration compared to standard touring AS tires (without this rating).
Noise Comfort
The pattern of a tire’s tread is crucial in determining the level of noise it produces, (while in motion). This noise is primarily a result of air particles striking the rubber’s surface.
Air typically enters the tread through shoulder voids, and upon contact, these particles create sound waves that echo within the tread grooves, producing what is known as in-groove resonance.
Now given the BF Goodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus’s tread design, which includes significant voids (between shoulder blocks), it’s not unexpected that this tire not a quieter option.
I mean at best both tires are equal here, as seen by their decibel readings.
Basically, the General G-MAX AS-05, produces almost similar noise, with it’s biters giving off a lot of growling sounds.
Of all the tires in their category (of both boys here), the Kumho Ecsta PA51 ranks as a quietest tire. You may review the tire here: https://tiredriver.com/kumho-ecsta-pa51-review/
To Wrap Things Up
Both tires here shine in different areas, so selecting one depends on what you value most and the roads you’ll travel.
The General G-MAX AS-05 excels in the following:
- Directional Grip: It has superior braking performance due to its three longitudinally aligned ribs and multi-directional in-groove slanted notches, alongside its lighter weight.
- Wet Traction: The innovative siping pattern offers enhanced grip on wet surfaces, maximizing traction from every angle.
- Tread Wear: It offers a greater tread depth and stiffer rubber compound that contributes to longer tread life, making it a value pick in its category.
While the BF Goodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S+ takes the lead in:
- Lateral Grip and Steering Responsiveness: It provides better handling due to superior lateral grip and on-center steering feedback, which translates to consistently better lap times.
- Winter Performance: The design features are more effective in snow, with directional patterns and thicker in-groove notches that optimize snow-to-snow contact.
- Impact Comfort: It has a construction that better absorbs road irregularities and provides a smoother ride, due to its robust nylon cap ply and rounded contact patch.
