Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

Initial Review, 7,000 Miles on Tires
December 23, 2012

I put these tires on a Mazda Protege5 wagon based on price and consumer rating. They handle, sound and ride great on dry pavement. No vibration, not sloppy, yet not harsh. They make the car fun to drive, ...until it snows or get icy.

In nearly 30yrs of Minnesota driving these are probably the worst winter traction tires I've owned. Maybe it's a combo of the tire and light car??? They are categorized as ultra-high performance all-season. I wouldn't call them "all-season". I hit the ditch after the first snow (first time ever), and have trouble driving up my driveway where my other vehicles have no problem.

It was a toss-up between the General G-Max and Ecsta-4X for me and I went with the 4X due to being non-directional. I made the wrong choice. I have a set of General directional tires on another car and there is night and day difference in winter traction.
I don't have enough miles on them to comment on wear. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, nice riding and handling tire and don't encounter ice & snow it's a good choice. If you are planning on winter driving, get a set of snow tires or pick a different all-season tire.