August 10, 2018
For drivers of sporty or performance-focused vehicles who want crisp, responsive handling, high-speed traction and all-season capability, an Ultra High Performance All-Season tire is the best choice. It’s a competitive category, and nearly every manufacturer has an entry. It seems every new release uses the current leader in the segment as a benchmark for development, so it’s a constant game of leapfrog, and we always look forward to testing the newest, latest and greatest.
We wanted to find out how the two newest entries stack up against the current segment leaders, so we decided to compare the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 and Kumho Ecsta PA51 to the BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S and General G-MAX AS-05 in a full test. Our evaluation used 2017 BMW F36 430i sedans fitted with new, full tread depth 245/40R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
Ultra High Performance All-Season tires typically score very favorably with our testers on the road, thanks to their engaging personalities, agile handling and taut, composed ride quality.
The G-MAX AS-05 has fast reflexes that are likely to satisfy drivers looking for a performance tire. Rapid response to inputs imparts a sporty demeanor, and the firm ride feels right for the category. Tread and impact noise is always present, though the General has the highest score for noise comfort in the test. Urgent steering response is a trait the Zeon RS3-G1 shares as well, but the Cooper isn’t quite as linear and feels a touch vague on-center. Noise characteristics are acceptable, and there is some excess up-and-down motion over road imperfections. With solid on-center feel and direct, nicely-weighted steering, the g-Force COMP-2 A/S leads the test in light handling. The firm and controlled ride is a positive, but noticeable tread growl over all road surfaces drags down the score for noise. The Ecsta PA51 feels somewhat softer than the rest of the group out on the road. The ride does a nice job absorbing impacts but could be more controlled after the bump. Light steering has a small dead spot directly on center, and the tread makes a broad, white noise that doesn’t have any glaringly distinct tones but occurs at a noticeable volume.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
Sometimes the light handling we feel during our road ride tells one story and the on-track performance reveals something completely different. With this test group, however, the lessons learned on the road translated directly to our experience on the track.
The g-Force COMP-2 A/S feels stable and planted thanks to impressive grip and balanced handling. Response to steering inputs is deliberate and precise, and the tire exudes controlled competence on the track. As something of a counterpoint, the G-MAX AS-05 seems alive and eager, with quick reflexes and a nimble feel. Some mild oversteer requires concentration, but it is easily controllable and rewarding to drive quickly. The Zeon RS3-G1 is another lively tire, though there is a slight delay between the fast turn-in at the front end and when the rest of the vehicle follows through. Steady-state lateral grip is very strong, as evidenced by best-in-test skidpad figures, and braking is easily modulated. Just like on the road, the Ecsta PA51 feels softer than the other tires, but it’s no less capable. It’s more critical to look far ahead and use smooth inputs because the Kumho doesn’t respond well to being rushed, but driven this way it produces lap times on par with the best here.
Our team prefers the locked-down feel of the BFGoodrich in the wet. While you can provoke the rear end to step out by applying too much throttle, the tire’s general nature is balanced with a slight lean toward understeer. Again mirroring our earlier findings, the General has an authoritative front end, with matching grip in the rear that builds confidence and allows the driver to really push through all sectors on the track. The Cooper feels similar to the General, but with slightly less grip in all aspects. Turn-in is sharp, and where the front points, the rear obediently follows. Sure-footed directional changes set a fast pace through the slalom, and braking is strong, if not quite as abrupt as the leaders. Kumho’s entry is a step behind the rest of the group in the wet, with lower limits and a tendency toward oversteer through the fast turns.
Winter weather is often unpredictable, and snow-covered roads change with every passing vehicle as they churn snow into slush or pack it down to polished ice. For accurate results we use a dedicated winter testing facility in Northern Sweden with acres of groomed snow that provides the consistency needed for reliable acceleration and braking comparisons. A groomed handling course allows us to evaluate stability and control during abrupt maneuvers. To simulate the icy conditions found at intersections or the black ice experienced out on the highway, we use ice at a local hockey rink and measure acceleration and braking traction.
The g-Force COMP-2 A/S led this group in snow traction, with good straight-line grip levels to start and stop our test car. The Ecsta PA51 followed at a noticeably lower but still reasonable traction level and delivered predictable handling. The G-MAX AS-05 and Zeon RS3-G1 both struggled to find traction on the snow-covered track, taking considerably longer to start and stop our test car versus the test-leading g-Force COMP-2 A/S.
Performance on ice was very similar across all four tires in our test, and at a level not close to dedicated winter tires, or even regular passenger all-season tires.
Our Real World Road Ride features a relatively flat 6.0-mile loop of 65 mph expressway, 55 mph state highway and 40 mph county roads along with three stop signs every lap. Our team drove each tire approximately 500 miles over the course of several days. Since we wanted to compare fuel consumption results that typical drivers would experience, our drivers were instructed to maintain the flow of traffic by running at the posted speed limits and sustain the vehicle’s speed using cruise control whenever possible. They did not use hypermiling techniques to influence vehicle fuel economy.
| Tire | Test MPG* | Gallons/Year @ 15,000 Miles |
% vs. Most Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S | 29.8 | 503.4 | -1.0% |
| Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 | 30.1 | 498.3 | -- |
| General G-MAX AS-05 | 29.9 | 501.7 | -.7% |
| Kumho Ecsta PA51 | 29.3 | 511.9 | -2.7% |
| *Our evaluation used Race Technology DL1 data loggers to record true distance travelled. | |||
Fuel economy is a consideration for most drivers, and within this group, we found a minimal, .8-mile per gallon disparity between our lowest and highest observed fuel economy. This difference would result in an additional 13.6 gallons of premium gasoline used per year for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles annually.
It’s important to note our test’s fuel consumption measurements follow consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence the results; however, they do not represent an exhaustive long-range fuel consumption study. While our procedures require the test vehicles in each convoy to run under the same prevailing conditions, the week-to-week differences in ambient temperatures, barometric pressures and wind speeds that we experience over a season of testing can influence vehicle fuel consumption and prevent the absolute mpg values of this test from being compared directly against those of others.
Larger differences in consumption between tires may indicate a difference that might be experienced on the road, while smaller differences should be considered equivalent. As they say, your mileage may vary.
The General G-MAX AS-05 feels athletic in everything it does, from the immediate and precise response to the driver’s inputs, to the taut ride, to the easily-managed oversteer around the track. Test-leading wet traction helps complete the package, but this tire falls well short when it comes to winter capability. The BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S is equally capable, but has a more reserved and buttoned-down persona. The linear steering is direct and nicely weighted, with a deliberate feel to the response. The ride is composed and appropriate for the category, and some noticeable tread growl is always present. Test-leading winter traction adds to the equation. The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 meets expectations for the market segment, feeling sporty and competent on track in the dry or wet combined with on-road manners that are acceptable, but that would benefit from some refinement. It falls well short of expectation in winter conditions. The Kumho Ecsta PA51 takes a slightly different approach, with a softer feel that isn’t as overtly performance-focused, but responds adeptly when pushed. The softest ride in this group rounds over impacts well, but has some continued reverberation after the initial hit. Wet traction is good enough for the daily drive, but lands at the back of the pack here, while solid winter traction provides a counterbalance for drivers in the snowbelt.
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