May 4, 2020
The Ultra High Performance All-Season category continues to evolve with every new generation of tires. What was once a group of tires primarily focused on providing performance vehicles a small measure of wintertime capability has changed to something with much broader appeal. As more everyday automobiles are being offered with large rim diameters and tire sizes that were once reserved for performance products, the Ultra High Performance All-Season tire has evolved to be more versatile. Although touring tires typically offer better light snow capability, Ultra High Performance All-Season products have become more well-rounded in all aspects of performance.
An example of this evolution can be found in the BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS. The "PLUS" version takes a proven construction and tread design and improves upon it with an updated compound designed to elevate the wet and light snow traction.
The Yokohama ADVAN Sport A/S+ uses the same strategy, applying a new, high-silica tread compound to an existing design in order to increase the tire’s wet traction.
To see how these two evolutionary products perform in the real world, we compared them to an existing, very strong performer on the market, the General G-MAX AS-05. Our evaluation used 2020 BMW F36 430i Gran Coupes 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.
Though all three tires in our test come from the Ultra High Performance All-Season category, they all had quite different personalities on the road.
The BFGoodrich was the middle ground of the group, with a satisfying balance between sport and comfort. The firm ride handled impacts of all sizes as a singular event, with no jiggle or continued motion following the bump. Tread noise was present, though the low tone and moderate volume weren’t a concern in the cabin. The steering was responsive, but it required a deliberate effort that didn’t feel as eager as the other tires in the test. Even so, the nice weight, solid self-aligning torque and natural build-up of response earned significant favor with our team. Yokohama’s entry felt the most comfort-focused in the test. The ride was surprisingly supple and cushioned for a UHPAS tire, and still it managed to feel composed at all times. The noise comfort followed suit. The primary sounds heard in the cabin were distant, light tones, though some impact noise was noticeable. On-road handling and steering feel were appropriate for the category, but the Yokohama didn’t feel as precise or confident as the other tires in the test. On-center feel was a little vague, with relatively quick response to inputs but not much resistance. Despite these small criticisms, our drivers were still able to dial in the exact amount of steering required to place the car where desired through turns. The General was the most extroverted tire of the group, and it felt like it was tightly-wound and always ready to go. The ride was taut. While it never felt harsh, it could be seen as a little stiff, and it revealed nearly every imperfection on the road’s surface to the driver. The tread created some high-pitched, distinct tones at a medium volume that, while not offensive, ultimately hurt the tire’s score. Immediately responsive steering made the tire feel alert at all times, with precise reaction to the driver’s input.
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.
While Ultra High Performance All-Season tires aren’t engineered for track use, they are very capable and typically fun to drive in an aggressive fashion.
The g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS led the way in our dry track testing, earning the highest subjective score from our team in addition to producing the top objective figures, as well. The precise steering and strong mid-corner grip meant the tire faithfully pointed the vehicle exactly where the driver intended, though it didn’t feel particularly light on its feet or ultra-responsive. Even so, the positives outweighed the negatives, with confident braking feel and deceleration, nice balance with just a hint of understeer, and impressive traction to power away from turns. Similar to what we found on the road, the G-MAX AS-05 responded quickly to inputs and had excellent front-end authority, particularly through small transitions like the slalom. Around the 90-degree turns of our track, the tire required a little more deceleration than expected based on the overall sporty feel, which sometimes could lead to too much speed at corner entry and result in stubborn understeer. Overall the dry traction was very strong, and the balance was neutral to slightly oversteer-biased. One small criticism from our team centered on the fact that some care was needed when accelerating hard out of turns, as the rear end could get a little loose if the vehicle wasn’t already pointed in the desired direction. Objectively, the ADVAN Sport A/S+ was very close to the other two tires in the group, which means it has the capability expected from an Ultra High Performance All-Season tire. Subjectively, it didn’t feel as confident or adept around the track as the other tires. The Yokohama wasn’t as happy being asked to do two things at once, requiring the driver to separate inputs and try not to hustle the tire so much. While it didn’t have any bad habits or unsettling handling traits, ultimately it felt like a performance-tuned street tire, which realistically is what Ultra High Performance All-Season tires are.
The finishing order remained the same in the wet as it was in the dry, with the wet creating a bit more separation in the objective results. The BFGoodrich again swept the field in braking distance, cornering traction, and lap times. Clear communication with the driver revealed exactly where the limit was and the tire didn’t punish small mistakes. Combined with the high levels of ultimate grip, the result was driver confidence and the highest subjective score. The General had the same personality in the wet as it did in the dry, with strong traction that could sometimes be overpowered by the ultra-responsive steering. The resulting, slight imbalance between lateral ability and longitudinal ability made the tire more difficult to predict and work with, but was still very strong for the street. Yokohama’s entry would also be completely adequate for most drivers most of the time, but it didn’t deliver the traction provided by the other two tires in the test. Fortunately, there was nothing objectionable about the tire’s performance, it simply required our drivers to slow down a bit in order to match the tire’s capabilities to what they were asking it to do.
The updated compound of the g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS seems to have paid big dividends in winter performance, delivering traction that was on par with some decent touring tires in our testing. Longitudinal snow traction was particularly strong, reaching 12mph from a standstill in 10 fewer feet than the next-closest competitor and stopping from 25mph in about 9 feet less distance. The ADVAN Sport A/S+ lacked the outright traction of the BFGoodrich, but it earned some favor with our drivers thanks to being balanced and easy to drive within its modest limits. The G-MAX AS-05 was a noticeable step back from the Yokohama and significantly so from the BFGoodrich. The vehicle relied heavily on the traction control and ABS to accelerate and brake, and during the laps on the handling course, our drivers had to be delicate with inputs for both steering and braking/acceleration.
On the ice, the g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS again stood out above the others in our measured objective tests. The ADVAN Sport A/S+ was in the middle of the pack, and the G-MAX AS-05 trailed by a small amount. As we have always found, even the best all-season tires can’t provide ice traction that is close to that of a dedicated winter tire.
Due to the limited number of drivers participating in our 2020 testing as a result of the global pandemic, the sample size was not large enough to provide reliable fuel consumption data.
The BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS improves upon an existing design by adding an updated compound, and the result is a product that performs at a high level across the board. On the road the ride is firm and controlled, with a small amount of audible tread noise and steering that is deliberate and precise. The dry track performance is impressive, with test-leading figures in all categories. Around the wet track, the tire feels confident and sure-footed, and once again delivers the top figures in the group. The new compound also provides improved light snow traction, and the COMP-2 A/S PLUS leads the test in that discipline, as well. The General G-MAX AS-05 feels overtly sporty, with an extroverted personality that leaves no doubt to its intentions. The ride is taut and perhaps a little stiff, but still acceptable for the category. Sound quality is an area of slight concern for our team, with some distinct, medium-volume tread noise over all surfaces. The steering is immediately responsive and direct, and will likely add urgency to the reflexes of a street-driven vehicle. In dry track testing, the G-MAX AS-05 feels equally athletic, but some additional outright traction would help the grip match the responsiveness. Similarly, in the wet the tire reacts deftly and has very good overall grip, but the strong front-end authority can sometimes promise more than the available traction can deliver. This time around, we found light snow traction lacking, and that is one area the G-MAX AS-05 has some room for improvement. Yokohama’s ADVAN Sport A/S+ feels more relaxed and comfortable than the other two tires in the test. The ride is relatively soft and still nicely controlled, and the sound quality overall is commendable. The steering is fast, but without much resistance to inputs it can feel slightly vague. Testing on the dry track reveals the tire has very good grip and is quite capable, but doesn’t feel as natural being hustled. The behavior on the wet track is balanced and easy to drive, but overall the tire could use a small increase in outright traction to keep up with the Ultra High Performance All-Season competition.
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