General G-Max RS vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

General vs Goodyear: Which American tire manufacturer's performance tire is right for you?

American tire manufacturer General is known for its range of high-quality tires. With over a century of making tires, the tire manufacturer is now a part of Continental and utilizes advanced compounding technology and structures to deliver consistent performance and everyday reliability across multiple vehicle categories.

Goodyear, on the other hand, is a tire giant with its inception dating back to 1898. With the pioneering of many breakthrough innovations in tire technology and safety, Goodyear stands firm as a key contributor in the passenger, racing, and aviation sectors. The excellent range of Goodyear tires is optimized to handle demanding environmental conditions while assuring solid handling and performance.

Coming from these two tire manufacturers, the General G-Max RS and the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate are the two capable ultra-high-performance (UHP) tires picked for the comparison here. The G-Max RS is an ultra-high-performance (UHP) summer tire tuned for solid performance in warmer weather conditions and allows sports car drivers to enjoy athletic handling and precise steering responsiveness in warmer weather conditions, on dry and wet surfaces. In contrast, the Eagle Exhilarate is a premium ultra-high-performance all-season tire designed to provide sharp tracking and handling along with year-round driving ability in dry, wet, and light winter conditions.

If you want to own a reliable set of ultra-high-performance tires, this G-Max RS vs Eagle Exhilarate tires comparison will help you decide which of the two you should buy. The summer season champ, the G-Max RS or the all-season compatible Eagle Exhilarate? Here, we will use our proprietary tire rating system, SimpleScore to determine each tire’s overall ability and its traction, handling, and longevity potential.

General G-Max RS tires

First, let’s discuss the G-Max RS, which is made for use on sports cars, performance sedans, and sporty coupes for driving enthusiasts who seek punchy acceleration in warm weather conditions. This tire is tuned for increased stability in wet and dry conditions and is good at resisting hydroplaning. Likewise, the tire is great on the features front and sports specialized Visual Alignment Indicators (VAIs) on the tread shoulders to alert drivers to vehicle alignment issues, ensuring long-lasting performance.

Overall, the G-Max RS earns an 8.2 SimpleScore, thanks to its great highway responsiveness, solid summer traction, and longer tread life.

Get General G-Max RS tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires

The Eagle Exhilarate comes as a versatile option to offer solid handling and sporty performance for luxury sports cars and high-output vehicles. The biggest edge comes in the form of its ability to perform year-round. Thanks to an all-season rubber compound and pattern, the tire offers excellent ability to drive in dry, wet, and light winter weather. Its asymmetric pattern is tuned for sharp braking response and reduced braking distance. It is tuned for solid strength to withstand driving pressures and accelerations, and comes with a tread life warranty to double the joy of ownership.

Overall, the Eagle Exhilarate scores an exceptional 8.9 SimpleScore, assuring outstanding handling, excellent traction, and great service life.

Get Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

General G-Max RS vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on traction

Now, let’s take a deeper analysis of this tire by evaluating its abilities in traction, handling, and longevity. In this section, we will compare traction performance and find out which one is better at maintaining surefootedness during high-speed performance.

Starting with the G-Max RS, the tire secures an 8.2 SimpleScore for its solid traction performance. Thanks to the high-adhesion summer compound and asymmetric pattern, this tire maintains solid grip on dry surfaces during warmer weather. Likewise, for optimum defence in the rainy season, it features wide circumferential grooves that optimize water channelling to resist hydroplaning.

On the other hand, the Eagle Exhilarate establishes sheer dominance with an excellent 9.5 SimpleScore in traction. All thanks to the highly advanced pattern design and optimized rubber compound, the G-Max RS offers solid traction year-round, in dry, wet, and light winter conditions, by remaining flexible in different temperatures. Additionally, the high-density siping of the G-Max takes responsibility for increased grip on wet roads and light winter slush by providing multiple biting edges.

While the General tire is a great option for summer driving, the Goodyear tire is the true leader as it offers better grip in all seasons.

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

General G-Max RS vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on handling

In the case of ultra-high-performance tires, handling plays a key role. Let’s now evaluate the handling performance of both tires to find out which tire leads in areas like ride control, high-speed stability, steering response, braking, and cornering.

The G-Max RS achieves an 8.6 SimpleScore in handling, which is admirable enough to prove that it can respond to the driver’s commands in no time for better controllability. The block stiffness, which includes a robust outer shoulder block, keeps the tire in shape for faster maneuvers while cornering. Likewise, the solid center rib offers great steering response and predictable tracking control at highway speeds.

Conversely, the Eagle Exhilarate achieves next-level performance in handling, as indicated by its 9.5 SimpleScore. All thanks to the internal carcass rigidity that assures instant steering response for track-like performance. The wide shoulder blocks provide additional contact with the surface to handle high cornering pressures and increased stability. Additionally, there are sipes across the tread for improved braking response.

In handling, it is yet again the Eagle Exhilarate that surpasses the G-Max RS and leads 2-0.

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

General G-Max RS vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on longevity

Moving to the longevity analysis, we will compare the long-lasting abilities of both tires to find out the leader in terms of wear resistance and covering more miles.

First, let’s talk about the G-Max RS, which earns a respectable 8.1 SimpleScore in longevity. The tire comes with a summer compound that is comparatively softer to offer high-temperature grip and wears faster. The tire also doesn’t come with a tread life warranty and loses the mark here. However, General’s visual indicators come as an advantage, allowing you to monitor wear patterns and catch alignment issues.

Contrarily, the Eagle Exhilarate earns a better 8.6 SimpleScore in longevity. It also comes backed by an impressive 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, assuring additional trust to buyers on the long-lasting ability. The robust compound and flat contact patch keep the tire in its original shape during high accelerations to resist the chances of uneven wear.

Here, in the longevity race, it is again the Eagle Exhilarate that excels and beats the General tire 3-0.

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

When to use each

The G-Max RS and the Eagle Exhilarate are both UHP tires, but made for different seasonal needs. The G-Max RS is a pure summer performance tire, which means it should be used only when temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The rubber compound of this tire will not adapt to cold weather, and therefore, it should not be considered for use on snow or ice.

The Eagle Exhilarate, on the other hand, is an ultra-high-performance all-season tire. The name clearly defines its utility. It is made for driving enthusiasts who want an athletic steering feel in rain, shine, and light winter conditions. This tire allows them to enjoy performance year-round. That being said, it is not a dedicated winter tire and should not be used in moderate to severe winter conditions.

As far as rim sizes are concerned, the G-Max RS is available in 16- to 20-inch options, while the Eagle Exhilarate is available only in a 20-inch rim size, limiting compatibility.

Which one should you choose?

Based on overall SimpleScores, the Eagle Exhilarate is a better choice than the G-Max RS (8.9 vs 8.2). However, your purchase decision should depend on your seasonal preference, tire category preference, vehicle compatibility, and budget.

In terms of price, the G-Max RS is available at a starting price of at least $144 per tire, which means a set of four will be available at a price of at least $576. The Eagle Exhilarate is available at a starting price of at least $123 per tire, which means a set of four will cost you at least $492.

Looking at SimpleScore, you must choose the General G-Max RS if you:

• Drive a sporty car or muscle car like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Volkswagen GTI.
• Need a tire that’s suitable for use in summer weather conditions, in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Need a tire that comes with built-in visual alignment indicators to alert you of the alignment issues well in advance.
• Are comfortable paying more to buy a summer-compatible UHP tire.

On the other hand, you should choose the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate if you:

• Drive vehicles like the BMW 3 Series, Audi S4, or Dodge Challenger.
• Need a tire that’s good for year-round use in dry, wet, and light winter weather.
• Want a tire that’s better in traction (9.5 vs 8.2).
• Need a tire that’s better in handling (9.5 vs 8.6).
• Prefer a tire that’s better in longevity (8.6 vs 8.1).
• Need a tire that’s also backed by a 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.