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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

General G-MAX RS vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — 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.

General G-MAX RS tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
491 owner reviews
Dry
90
Wet
87
Snow
40
Comfort
85
Noise
78
Treadwear
84
Handling
83

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer Max Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tread pattern
Objective (60%)
94/100
28 professional tests
User signal (40%)
93/100
2,091 owner reviews
Dry
91
Wet
87
Snow
–
Comfort
86
Noise
84
Treadwear
90
Handling
95

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better handling, noise and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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) Pilot Sport 4 S leads by 1
A — General G-MAX RS
90
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
91
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Professional tests (TWG score) – 87
Tire Rack owners 90 95
Tyre Reviews owners 80 92
SimpleTire owners 96 –
America's Tire owners 95 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100)
A — General G-MAX RS
87
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
87
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Professional tests (TWG score) – 83
Tire Rack owners 87 88
Tyre Reviews owners 80 87
SimpleTire owners 90 –
America's Tire owners 89 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — General G-MAX RS
40
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
–
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
SimpleTire owners 40 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 S leads by 1
A — General G-MAX RS
85
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
86
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Professional tests (TWG score) – 82
Tire Rack owners 85 87
Tyre Reviews owners 50 84
SimpleTire owners 88 –
America's Tire owners 93 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 S leads by 6
A — General G-MAX RS
78
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
84
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Professional tests (TWG score) – 78
SimpleTire owners 78 –
America's Tire owners 88 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 S leads by 6
A — General G-MAX RS
84
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
90
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Tire Rack owners 84 80
Tyre Reviews owners 60 80
SimpleTire owners 85 –
America's Tire owners 91 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 S leads by 12
A — General G-MAX RS
83
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
95
Why this score
SourceG-MAX RSPilot Sport 4 S
Tyre Reviews owners 65 86
America's Tire owners 94 –
DriverReviews owners – 92

Scores at a glance

General G-MAX RS vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGeneral G-MAX RSMichelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 85 89
Dry 90 91
Wet 87 87
Snow 40 –
Comfort 85 86
Noise 78 84
Treadwear 84 90
Handling 83 95

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.

Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A General G-MAX RS

The General G-Max RS is widely regarded as a high-value, ultra-high-performance summer tire that offers impressive dry and wet traction at a significantly lower price point than premium competitors like Michelin. While most users praise its daily driving comfort, quietness, and predictable handling, some enthusiasts note that it lacks the razor-sharp steering response and ultimate track-day grip of more expensive, top-tier performance tires.

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong wet and dry traction
  • Good ride comfort and relatively low road noise
  • Predictable handling characteristics for daily and spirited driving
  • Good tread life compared to other summer performance tires

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a 'squishy' or less precise feel during aggressive cornering
  • Reports of flat-spotting after the vehicle sits for extended periods
  • Some users report increased road noise as the tire wears
  • Not intended for track-focused use; can overheat or lose grip under extreme conditions
  • Occasional reports of balancing issues or out-of-round tires

Observations

  • Users with high-horsepower vehicles (400+ hp) often note that the tire can struggle to maintain traction during hard acceleration compared to dedicated track compounds.
  • Owners of vehicles transitioning from run-flat tires consistently report a massive improvement in ride quality and comfort.
  • Drivers on 16-inch or smaller wheels appreciate the availability of this tire in sizes where other performance options are limited.
Tire B Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is widely regarded as a benchmark ultra-high-performance summer tire, consistently praised for its exceptional wet and dry grip, confidence-inspiring handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM run-flat alternatives. While most users laud its versatility and safety, some enthusiasts note that its relatively soft sidewalls can result in slightly less steering precision or feedback compared to more track-focused or stiffer-walled competitors.

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction
  • High levels of ride comfort and reduced road noise
  • Predictable handling and stability at high speeds
  • Excellent rim protection design
  • Strong longevity for a high-performance tire

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can feel vague or sluggish during aggressive steering inputs
  • High price point compared to competitors
  • Performance can degrade significantly as the tread wears down
  • Reports of sidewall cracking or perishing in some climates
  • Not suitable for cold weather or snow

Observations

  • Users transitioning from OEM run-flat tires on luxury and performance vehicles (e.g., BMW, Mercedes, Tesla) report a transformative improvement in ride quality and noise reduction.
  • Drivers of high-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive vehicles frequently highlight the tire's ability to put power down effectively, though some note faster wear on rear axles.
  • Some users with heavy vehicles or specific performance setups noted that the tire's soft sidewall can lead to a 'bouncy' or less precise feel during rapid direction changes.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

General G-MAX RS

Positive

The General G-Max RS is generally praised by community members as a high-value, budget-friendly alternative to premium summer tires like Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Drivers report strong dry grip and cornering confidence, though some note drawbacks such as tire noise compared to more expensive options. Overall, they are viewed as a compelling choice for daily driving and enthusiastic street use without breaking the bank.

r/mazda3 ·19 upvotes ·2019-07-04

“Been driving on the General G-Max RS 225's for about a month now and it feels like I'm glued to the road. Now I just need to install my Corksport rear sway bar for even more cornering fun!”

r/GolfGTI ·3 upvotes ·2023-04-12

“Price no object? Michelin 100%. I have the Generals right now and while they're fine for grip and what not, they are very noisy. I have Michelin X Ice winter tires, and even with the aggressive winter tread, they are considerably quieter than my g-max rs. However I paid about 700 CAD for my set of g-max a couple years ago. So for a price like that, I'm happy. Like anything, expect to get what you pay for.”

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2024-09-10

“G-max rs I put 7k miles on these tires and this is the front how many miles would you say I have before problems occur I plan on replacing in a few weeks Read more”

r/370z ·2 upvotes ·2018-03-31

“General G-Max RS tires I know they just came out in February 2018 but was wondering if anyone else has had experiences with them yet. From what I’ve dug up, they’re OEM on the new Saleen Mustang. Rated at 360AA. I bring this up because that’s what the dealer has given me after an unfortunate alignment issue with my old tires. Yes I went to the dealer because I trust very few people to work on my car and can afford a little extra. So far these tires haven’t disappointed me but it’s day 1. Highway driving felt very smooth and I hugged the corners going faster than... everyone else. Later today I’m going to take my empty backroad and see how they are in tight turns. General announced these tires are UHP Summer tires meant to attract customers for track and autocross. The only thing that holds me back a little on the throttle is the price tag is SOOO cheap, which is exactly what they wanted. If you have experience with them go ahead and post up please. Read more”

Top themes
#value and pricing#dry and wet grip#compared to michelin#daily driving comfort#road noise levels#cornering performance

Based on 12 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is widely praised by the community as a premier max performance summer tire, offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and refined road manners for daily driving and spirited street use. While some users note higher pricing and relatively quick wear on heavier vehicles or hot tracks, it remains a benchmark choice that many enthusiasts gladly return to despite alternatives like Continental or Kumho.

r/CarTrackDays ·97 upvotes ·2026-05-04

“Tire condition after 1st track day. PS4s on a GR86 First 2 pics are drivers front, rest pass front. This was at CMP, temps mid 70s, mostly cloudy. Lowered TP to 31psi. Highest I saw on track was 36 psi. The driver side l thought looked good, but passengers side inner looks like they melted. Is this track rubber I picked up or due to mostly turning right on this clockwise circuit?? Also was pleasantly surprised to only have used 1/16 of tread depth after 110 minutes on track. Given what I have read, thought the ps4s would be all used up. Maybe on a hot track surface they would have been eaten up. Read more”

r/TyreReviews ·41 upvotes ·2026-03-17

“Am I the owner of the newer PS4s?😁 Hello everyone, new in the sub and just want to share my love for the Pilot Sport 4s. This is the third set and I love it. To me they are the perfect compromise beetween performance anche tyre wear. Last set last me 43k km, I do lot of highway and some spirited drive when possibile. I also had a set of Sport Contact 7, awesome grip, to me better than the PS4s, almost too much for my stock Golf. They also wear out faster. I saw yesterday the review of Potenza Sport Evo and they promise very week, maybe next time I’ll try!”

r/cars ·4 upvotes ·2018-08-21

“I’ll say this. Going from the Pilot Super Sport to the Pilot Sport 4 S of the same size, I’m disappointed in the soft sidewall of the 4 S. This is an 8.5” wide wheel with 235/40/18 tires. The left-right fast slalom action got a bit mushy like the weight transfer was slowed down when I switched to the 4 S. I think a shorter sidewall 4 S would perform better in this way, or the same tire on a 9” wide wheel too. That said, the dry and wet grip is exceptional. To save money, I’d recommend the Continental ExtremeContact Sport.”

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2023-06-01

“Depending on the size they are absolutely overkill for street use on stock motor. I just installed a set of 245 ps4s on 17x9 rpf1s and its almost impossible to trigger the abs and traction co trol. The car is on absolute rails. That being said, if you have the money, there is not really any negatives from that. I intend to use mine on track days. Felt the cup 2s were overkill for 2 to 3 track days a year.”

Top themes
#Dry and Wet Grip#Tread Life and Wear#Price vs Value#Track Performance Limits#Daily Comfort and Noise#Alternatives Comparison

Based on 104 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General G-MAX RS B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Category—Summer Max Performance tires
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available48—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG360 - 700 A - AA A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

General

Michelin

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better handling, noise and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 95 vs 83 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 84 vs 78 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 84 on treadwear.

Tire A · General G-MAX RS
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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.