General G-Max RS vs Nitto NT555 G2 tires

General Tire is a trusted American tire manufacturer with a history of over a century. It makes high-quality tires with innovative patterns and great value. Thanks to advanced engineering and optimized rubber compounds, the tire manufacturer offers suitable replacement and OE choices for use on passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, and commercial vehicles.

Nitto, on the other hand, is a Japan-based tire manufacturer that specializes in making enthusiast-centric lines that offer solid functionality and distinctive style. The tire manufacturer is admired for its unique design aesthetics and cutting-edge performance engineering. Nitto’s range of tires is used on a wide range of pickup trucks, passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, ATVs, and UTVs.

Both manufacturers have two awe-inspiring lines in the UHP summer category: the G-Max RS and the NT555 G2. While the G-Max RS is an ultra-high-performance (UHP) summer tire made for use on sports cars, performance sedans, and sporty coupes, the NT555 G2 also joins the same league of tires and comes as an enthusiast-focused choice for sports car drivers. The G-Max RS aligns with the needs of those who want to get a sense of athletic feel, precise steering, and solid wet-weather grip, while the NT555 G2 is tuned to provide solid dry grip and great cornering stability.

If you are looking for a reliable set of ultra-high-performance summer tires, this G-Max RS vs NT555 G2 tires comparison should help you pick the right tire based on your driving needs, preferences, budget, and our proprietary tire rating system, SimpleScore. Here, we will analyze both tires to understand how they perform overall and in areas like traction, handling, and longevity on a scale of 0-10. Read on!

General G-Max RS tires

Let’s first talk about the General G-Max RS, which is suitable for use on sports cars, coupes, and performance sedans that want to enjoy spirited performance in warmer weather conditions. This ultra-high-performance summer tire is optimized for exceptional grip on dry and wet roads, improved wet braking, long-lasting wear, and great controllability on dry and wet roads. Additionally, this tire also features optimized visual alignment indicators to alert drivers of misalignment issues to prevent uneven tread wear.

Overall, the G-Max RS is rated a strong 8.2 SimpleScore, thanks to its great responsiveness, reliable surface grip, and long-lasting tread life.

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

Nitto NT555 G2 tires

The Nitto NT555 G2 is also an ultra-high-performance summer tire suitable for use in warmer weather conditions and is optimized to offer solid control and response during high-speed performance. The tire fits the needs of high-horsepower sports cars and performance sedans and features an aggressive directional tread pattern for enhanced performance during straight-line stability, better cornering performance, improved braking ability, hydroplaning resistance, and solid dry traction.

Overall, the Nitto NT555 G2 scores a great 8.4 SimpleScore, assuring responsive handling, strong traction, and long-lasting tread life.

Get Nitto NT555 G2 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

General G-Max RS vs Nitto NT555 G2 tires on traction

Now, let’s talk about the traction performance of both tires and find out which of the two maintains better surefootedness in warmer conditions on dry and wet surfaces.

Commencing with the G-Max RS, the tire earns a respectable 8.2 SimpleScore in traction, assuring solid grip in summer conditions. Thanks to the high-grip compound and asymmetric tread blocks, the tire offers solid traction in dry weather. The wide circumferential grooves resist hydroplaning, whereas the wide and flat contact patch allows a larger portion of the tread to establish solid grip.

On the contrary, the NT555 G2 achieves a great 8.4 SimpleScore for its solid traction performance. The presence of deep, high-void taper grooves optimizes water channelling, whereas the advanced rubber compound optimizes performance and ensures smooth drives on warmer roads for enhanced dry traction and consistent grip under hard accelerations.

No doubt, both tires are great on the traction front, but it is the NT555 G2 that beats the G-Max RS to secure a win in traction.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto NT555 G2

General G-Max RS vs Nitto NT555 G2 tires on handling

Moving on to handling performance, let us now help you find the UHP summer tire with better handling abilities. Here, we will determine, based on SimpelScore, the tire that leads in areas like ride control, stability, steering response, braking efficiency, and cornering performance throughout the year.

The G-Max RS secures a solid 8.6 SimpleScore rating for its reliable handling performance. The footprint is rigid enough to provide overall sturdiness, much-needed for a responsive handling performance. The outer blocks are also optimized to resist driving pressures for a confident cornering performance. The continuous center rib on the tread is tuned for enhanced steering response while driving at high highway speeds.

Comparatively, the NT555 G2 achieves a better 8.8 SimpleScore for its superior handling performance. The twin center ribs are massive enough to significantly increase structural stiffness for better steering precision and straight-line stability. Similarly, the outer shoulder blocks come with increased reinforcement and bigger sizes to absorb heavy cornering pressures. This contributes to track-like controllability on dry and wet roads.

In handling, it is again the NT555 G2 that takes the lead, offering better lateral stability and steering precision.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto NT555 G2

General G-Max RS vs Nitto NT555 G2 tires on longevity

Longevity analysis in this section will help us find a better tire out of the two from a value standpoint. So, let’s find out which tire is better at controlling wear and covering more miles.

The G-Max RS secures an 8.0 SimpleScore in longevity, and its compound is, although a bit softer, like a typical UHP summer tire, but that doesn’t mean that it wears faster than normal. It misses out on the tread life warranty part like standard UHPs, but features like visual alignment indicators alert if there’s any alignment issue, thus preventing premature or uneven wear.

Contrarily, the NT555 G2 is rated an 8.1 SimpleScore in longevity, going marginally ahead of its peer. The use of an advanced high-rigidity compound resists heat generation and friction for fast maneuvers. The flat contact patch helps in even pressure distribution to reduce the chances of irregular wear for an extended service.

Both tires are competitive in longevity, but as we see in the traction and handling categories, the Nitto tire takes the lead again.

ADVANTAGE: Nitto NT555 G2

When to use each

Both tires are ultra-high-performance (UHP) summer tires, and therefore, they are designed exclusively for use in warmer weather conditions, in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It is to be noted that none of these tires are all-season specific and should not be considered for driving in mild to extreme winter conditions.

As far as rim sizes are concerned, the G-Max RS is offered in 16- to 20-inch choices, while the NT555 G2 is available in an extensive range of 17- to 22-inch rim options.

Which one should you choose?

Looking at the overall SimpleScore, the NT555 G2 is undoubtedly a better option than the G-Max RS (8.4 vs 8.2). However, both tires come with exceptional strengths, and your selection of tires should be based on the vehicle and budget.

Talking about prices, the G-Max RS is available at an initial price of at least $139 per tire, while the NT555 G2 is offered at a starting price of at least $166 per tire. This means you get a set of four G-Max RS tires at a starting price of at least $556, while a set of four NT555 G2 tires will cost you at least $664.

Based on SimpleScore, you should pick the General G-Max RS if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Volkswagen Golf GTI
• Need a tire that’s more affordable
• Need a tire that’s offered with built-in visual alignment indicators to monitor tire wear patterns
• Need a tire that’s offered in a rim size range of 16- to 20-inch

On the other hand, you should choose the Nitto NT555 G2 if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Corvette, or BMW 3 Series
• Want a tire that’s better in traction (8.4 vs 8.2)
• Want a tire that’s better in handling (8.8 vs 8.6)
• Need a tire that’s long-lasting (8.1 vs 8.0)
• Need a tire that can be used on high-horsepower vehicles with larger rim sizes up to 22 inches
• Are comfortable paying more to buy an overall better UHP summer tire

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.