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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 vs General G Max AS03 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Cooper

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Ultra High Performance All Season tire

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
89/100
195 owner reviews
Dry
85
Wet
92
Snow
62
Comfort
96
Noise
87
Treadwear
86
Handling
92

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B General

General G Max AS03

All Season Ultra High Performance tires

General G Max AS03 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
490 owner reviews
Dry
90
Wet
87
Snow
40
Comfort
85
Noise
78
Treadwear
84
Handling
93

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 — better snow, comfort and noise. Pick the General G Max AS03 if dry matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) G Max AS03 leads by 5
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
85
B — General G Max AS03
90
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Professional tests (TWG score) 78 –
Tire Rack owners 91 –
Tyre Reviews owners 78 80
America's Tire owners 95 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Zeon RS3-G1 leads by 5
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
92
B — General G Max AS03
87
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Professional tests (TWG score) 94 –
Tire Rack owners 85 –
Tyre Reviews owners 76 70
America's Tire owners 90 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Zeon RS3-G1 leads by 22
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
62
B — General G Max AS03
40
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Professional tests (TWG score) 59 –
Tire Rack owners 59 –
Tyre Reviews owners 50 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Zeon RS3-G1 leads by 11
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
96
B — General G Max AS03
85
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Professional tests (TWG score) 100 –
Tire Rack owners 85 –
Tyre Reviews owners 84 60
America's Tire owners 90 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Zeon RS3-G1 leads by 9
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
87
B — General G Max AS03
78
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
America's Tire owners 88 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Zeon RS3-G1 leads by 2
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
86
B — General G Max AS03
84
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Tire Rack owners 81 –
Tyre Reviews owners 68 80
America's Tire owners 87 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) G Max AS03 leads by 1
A — Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
92
B — General G Max AS03
93
Why this score
SourceZeon RS3-G1G Max AS03
Tyre Reviews owners 44 80
America's Tire owners 94 –

Scores at a glance

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 vs General G Max AS03: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryCooper Zeon RS3-G1General G Max AS03
Relative Score 86 81
Dry 85 90
Wet 92 87
Snow 62 40
Comfort 96 85
Noise 87 78
Treadwear 86 84
Handling 92 93

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 is widely regarded as a high-value, performance-oriented all-season tire that excels in dry and wet handling while maintaining a quiet, comfortable ride. While many users praise its affordability and grip, there is a notable divide regarding tread longevity, with some reporting premature wear, and mixed feedback regarding its capability in true winter conditions.

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry and wet pavement traction
  • Low road noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Responsive handling and cornering stability

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life with reports of premature wear
  • Limited performance in heavy snow or ice
  • Potential for slight decrease in fuel economy
  • Occasional reports of increased noise as the tire ages

Observations

  • Users with high-torque vehicles like the Mustang GT and Dodge Challenger report strong grip and confidence during spirited driving.
  • Some owners of front-wheel-drive vehicles noted significant noise increases as the tires wore down, emphasizing the need for frequent rotation.
  • Drivers of heavier or performance-oriented sedans occasionally reported a 1-2 MPG reduction in fuel efficiency.
Tire B General G Max AS03

The General G-Max RS is widely regarded as a high-value, ultra-high-performance summer tire that punches well above its price point. While it may not match the absolute peak grip or steering precision of premium tier-one brands like Michelin, users consistently praise its excellent wet-weather confidence, quiet ride, and impressive longevity for a performance-oriented compound.

Pros

  • Exceptional price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Surprisingly quiet and comfortable for a summer performance tire
  • Predictable handling characteristics during spirited street driving
  • Good tread life compared to more expensive competitors

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can feel 'mushy' or lack precision during aggressive cornering
  • Reported issues with flat-spotting after sitting for extended periods
  • Some users noted vibration or balancing difficulties, potentially due to quality control inconsistencies
  • Not intended for track-day abuse; can overheat and lose grip under heavy, sustained load

Observations

  • Owners of heavier vehicles or high-torque sports cars (e.g., Corvettes, Mustangs, BMWs) frequently report that these tires are a significant upgrade over factory run-flat tires in terms of ride comfort and noise.
  • Users with smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Mazda3, VW Golf) often find the tire's performance to be more than adequate for daily driving and occasional spirited canyon runs.
  • Some drivers running wider, low-profile setups noted that the tires can be prone to 'tramlining' or following grooves on uneven highway surfaces.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Mixed

Community opinion on the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 is generally mixed, leaning positive due to its competitive pricing and value compared to premium alternatives like the Continental DWS06+. While many users appreciate them as an affordable, high-performance all-season option, others question how they compare in cold or wet weather or note distinct changes in steering feel and handling.

r/CrownVictoria ·31 upvotes ·2024-01-17

“Treated my land yacht to some new rubber to keep it anchored in the snow. Cooper Zeon RS3-G1”

r/mazda3 ·3 upvotes ·2021-11-15

“New tires made car steering different I recently replaced my all my tires on my 2017 Mazda3. All of them are basically brand new (original owner of tires did not like it after installing it and took it off right away). However, after installing them I noticed the handling just doesn't feel as nice as before. The steering feels lighter and I feel like have to put in more input on the steering wheels. I don't know if it's the size of it (225/4OR18XL instead of the P215/45R18), brand (cooper zeon rs3-g1 ( supposed to be all season/ high performance tires)), tires aren't broken in yet, or where I got my tires installed at (Firestone). Is this normal with new tires? Read more”

r/ShopCanada ·3 upvotes ·2020-03-02

“[Canadian Tire] [Canadian Tire] Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire $109.73 Certain Sizes YMMV Deal Link Price: $109.73 Savings: 40% Expiry: March 26, 2020 Retailer: Canadian Tire Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire CLEARANCE (ON SELECT STYLES/SIZES) Copper Zeon RS3-G1 is a high-performance tire tuned for three-season and light snow conditions providing exceptional grip, handling and durability to your sports sedan or coupe. FEATURES Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire is for high performance vehicles and enthusiast drivers The tread compound and design features great grip, stability and durability Delivers great performance on dry and wet pavement 3-D Micro Gauge sipes improve the stability of tread elements providing enhanced handling in wet and dry roads Asymmetrical tread pattern provides grip and stability during cornering maneuvers and reduced tire noise Made with a silica tread compound that is specially formulated to provide maximum dry and wet traction Cooper’s trademarked visual wear indicator provides peace of mind through informing drivers how worn their tires are ... 80013.html CLEARANCE (ON SELECT STYLES/SIZES) 225/40/18 for example, $109.73 EACH Stocktrack for 225/40/18 TireRack Review ... eon+RS3-G1 Stack with the SDM Can Tire $300 for $325 GC for more savings! Happy Hunting”

r/Mustang ·2021-08-04

“Are Cooper ZEON RS3-G1 - SIZE: 275/40R19 enough for an ecoboost? I got a flat rear tire and only changed 1 tire. I ended up with a cooper zeon RS3. The other 3 tires are fairly worn Michelin pillot sports of the same size. No one near me had the pilot sports and I needed to get this done fast as I had to go to work still. Now my car veers to the left when accelerating and to the right when I left off the pedal. Would replacing the other rear tire with the same cooper zeon solve the issue or do I need to change all 4 tires? Are the coopers good enough? The guy at ford said he'd never put a cooper on a mustang but maybe he though I had a GT?”

Top themes
#Price and Value#Continental DWS06 Comparison#Wet and Cold Traction#Handling and Steering Feel#Tread Pattern Design

Based on 14 community posts

Tire B

General G Max AS03

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 B · General G Max AS03
CategoryUltra High Performance All Season tireAll Season Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available8—
Rim diameters17″ – 20″—
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
UTQG500 AA A—
Treadwear warranty45,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper

General

Winner: Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 — better snow, comfort and noise. Pick the General G Max AS03 if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 scores 62 vs 40 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 scores 96 vs 85 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 scores 87 vs 78 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 scores 92 vs 87 on wet.

Tire A · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
Tire B · General G Max AS03

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.