Tire Test Results

Tires Tested

• What We Liked: Its longitudinal traction and overall performance characteristics are strong.
• What We'd Improve: It could improve ride quality and needs more winter grip.
• Conclusion: An impressive tire with ambitions above its weight class that still has opportunity to grow.

• What We Liked: It was well-cushioned on the road, well-balanced at the limit, and had test leading winter traction.
• What We'd Improve: We'd appreciate more precision in steering and a bit less bounce on the road.
• Conclusion: An all-rounder with few real weaknesses.

• What We Liked: Comfortable and quiet on the road, and competent on the track.
• What We'd Improve: It needs more snow and ice traction, and its performance-oriented characteristics could use some work.
• Conclusion: An ideal commuter tire that values comfort over performance.

• What We Liked: Its on-road noise characteristics and capable winter performance.
• What We'd Improve: Most attributes would benefit from a qualitative bump.
• Conclusion: A decent tire that could be great with some additional work.

What We Learned on the Road

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.

Once we set out on the road ride portion of our evaluation, it became clear the S FIT AS was well suited to the street, with a concise, well-cushioned attitude over imperfections. The mixture of control and composure earned it top marks among our testers for subjective ride quality overall. Tire volume wasn't loud in general, but the way it mixed tones needed improvement, with a persistent resonant growl and sharp, basketball-like reverberation over impacts. Steering and handling were nicely weighted and balanced, proportional to building effort during a turn and reactive in sync with inputs. The HTR A/S P03 made an excellent case for itself on the road as well, leaning toward a taut, firmer ride more characteristic of the category. It was able to provide very good damping over bumps while maintaining composure. Noise management kept the volume low and merged into a civilized blend. The steering possessed appropriate effort building into turns, though it was precise and quick to respond. A little more mixed on the road, the G-MAX AS-07 enjoyed good cushioning that was nonetheless plagued with vertical travel; it simply felt like a slightly bouncy tire to drive. There were some middling noise levels droning over coarse surfaces and higher volume multi-tones over smooth roads. Steering was quick and reactive, but imprecise. Finally, the Cobra Instinct brought what some people might expect from a tire in this category: firm, taut, communicative - a tire that would let a driver count the cracks. Regardless, it was composed and steady over imperfections. The noise variety was less impressive, with multi-tonal feedback, tread pattern vibrato and even when it was lower volume, each surface presented some form of noticeable sound. The steering was light, quick and could use additional heft, but felt good to drive on the road.

What We Learned on the Test Track

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.

Rainy, damp conditions create a number of subtle traction traps for ordinary drivers. Thanks to modern innovations in tire manufacturing, rain-slicked roads can feel as grippy as a dry surface during ordinary driving, but a little extra speed or the sudden need to make a sharp maneuver and everything can change in a heartbeat. That's why we drive hard in the wet.

The Cobra Instinct had an extremely strong showing on the track, taking every objective score we test for with authoritative certainty. It could brake with indisputable traction, it could lay down that traction for power, and it could use it all to hold tight in a turn, but it wasn't perfect. The steering could stand to be quicker and more responsive in the wet, while braking and turning simultaneously was better avoided. The G-MAX AS-07 made its own case on the wet track, with bright steering that could have benefited from additional resistance to keep it from overwhelming the front end if you weren't careful. Regardless, our testers felt it possessed terrific balance that, alongside the aforementioned steering and better-than-average grip, made it a superior athlete in this environment. The S FIT AS offered a good steering experience, albeit one we couldn't fully enjoy thanks to its limited traction which combined with weaker braking, created a strong tendency toward understeer. It could be coaxed into a sort of "zone" where it would slide around the track in a smooth, connected, controllable way, though any additional input that nudged it beyond would result in understeer. Finally, the HTR A/S P03 showcased a competent turn around the track, but one with some caveats. It was slower to steer than our testers liked, plagued with a dull response and a consistent tendency to push the vehicle into understeer. This was compounded by its wet traction, notably finishing last in objective braking distance, a full twenty-five feet behind the leading tire.

After giving the track some time to dry off, our team gathered for round 2 to see just how these tires would change from their performances in wet conditions. The Cobra Instinct once again showcased domineering numbers with a sweep of the objective metrics, albeit significantly closer this time. As for how it actually felt to drive, our testers largely agreed it suffered from a slower steering response. Some felt it was easier to sync up with than others, though the undeniable consensus remained that it had the best traction available here. The G-MAX AS-07 continued to showcase bright, eager steering that complemented its sporty handling around the track with precision. It would rotate willingly with a light touch, gliding around at the whims of the driver, with just enough traction to retain control, but not quite enough that it could maximize its athletic freedom. A slight bump in braking and grip would have transformed this into a stellar contender. Steering was the strong suit of the S FIT AS around the dry track. It responded to inputs directly, accurately, and was well-balanced enough to take throttle without overpowering the rear-end to carry speed from maneuver to maneuver. Unfortunately, its longer braking and lower traction made it difficult to maximize its otherwise enjoyable equilibrium, resulting in an understeer-heavy experience. Finally, the HTR A/S P03. The dry track offered it a chance to close the gap with the other tires in objective metrics, and at least in braking, it succeeded in narrowing its distance to only four feet from the leading tire. Our testers' subjective evaluations communicated numb, lethargic steering that maintained a consistent level of resistance throughout as a chief complaint. Even if the wheel could be woken up and wrangled into place, traction remained comparably lower at the limit. The tire's nature was to understeer through corners, which required adjustments when pushed.

Driving in Winter Conditions

In the snow, the G-MAX AS-07 was able to not only accelerate faster but brake quicker than the rest of the group. Its traction advantage was further complemented by quick steering response and strong front end authority that made changes in direction simple and effective. Not only was the front end well sorted, but it never managed to upset the rear axle which made evasive maneuvers predictable and easy to handle. Right behind the General, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 delivered similar objective metrics as well as a similar light handling feel. Once again, our drivers were greeted with positive turn in characteristics and strong lateral traction with easy to find limits. The Cobra Instinct and S FIT AS were a further step behind the two front runners, taking significantly longer to get the car up to speed and both taking over 90 feet to bring it to a stop from 25mph. The Cooper seemed to offer a little more front end bite, but with limited lateral grip, it would oversteer with ease. The Laufenn on the other hand didn't snap into oversteer as quickly without significant front end grip but would default to terminal understeer that took some time and effort to bring back into line.

On the ice, the General and Sumitomo once again led the group, but this time the Laufenn and Cooper weren't as far behind, all delivering the modest acceleration expected of this category of tire on our rear wheel drive test vehicle. Braking found the General and Sumitomo once again neck and neck, taking 60 feet to bring the car to a halt from 12 mph. The Cooper and Laufenn once again trailed the pair, both taking over ten feet further to complete the task.

Summary

Communicating exactly how and why tires are worth considering and for what purpose can be a difficult task. Every one of these tires has something to contribute. Despite existing in the same category and largely serving the same function for size and weight, when put under the proverbial microscope, we see drastically different characteristics. It may not always be obvious when we start breaking them down critically, examining what's wrong with them, and taking a step back to appreciate what the tire offers positively can make all the difference.

Laufenn's S FIT AS enjoys the unique distinction of being neither our subjective favorite nor objective best in almost any category, and yet, on average, it was just a good tire in most situations, particularly on the road. While it could benefit from more winter traction, in a way, it personifies the jack of all trades necessity of the category: by mastering nothing, it achieves everything. The Cooper Cobra Instinct is a dominant force on the track; if the only critical factors were objective scoring or raw traction, this would be a very short report. Considerations like road comfort or driving dynamics matter, both to enthusiasts like our team and especially to the average driver looking for a daily performance tire. However, the Cobra Instinct's prowess can't be overstated; for its positioning, or perhaps even a little beyond, it performs remarkably well. The General G-MAX AS-07 deserves particular mention for serving as a more performance-focused entry. Its acceptable on-road profile and limber, reactive athleticism make it, in many respects, the ideal Ultra High Performance All-Season tire. The General is good, above average in most respects, and arguably felt the most balanced to drive across the test set. Its test leading snow performance was impressive and if winter weather is an important factor in a customer's decision, it will most likely rise to the top. Finally, while Sumitomo's HTR A/S P03 was capable of unhappily hustling around a track with some extreme coaxing, its snow and road performance made the case for this tire. Boasting the second-best winter grip and the most comfortable cabin in the group for sound, it seems well-suited for a more highway-focused commuter or vacation application.