[jprime84]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Exclaim+UHP&partnum=145WR8EUHPXL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&place=8&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y)&minSpeedRating=Z

I came across this while shopping for replacements for the stock MS3 tires. It seems reasonably priced and was well reviewed, but I had never heard of the brand. Anyone tried this out? I was looking for something for decent handling in non snowy conditions (98% of the time i dont have to deal with snow). I dont do any autocross or anything anymore, so just need a road tire.

Considering this one is rated
UTQG: Treadwear: 380
Traction: AA
Temperature: A380 AA A
$118 each

and the stock is rated
# UTQG: Treadwear: 140
Traction: A
Temperature: A140 A A
$224 each


It seems like a no brainer from the numbers.

 

[dabears2k]

I had those on my 2004 6s and they were fantastic for over 40,000 miles.

 

[danielj]

I've been in the market for new tires. A couple locals have these and provided rave reviews. I've spent the last week reading probably a hundred reviews and decided to buy these yesterday. They seemed to be the best bang for the buck.

As info, General tire company has been in business for decades and was bought out by Continental awhile back. They have a lengthy history of quality tires.

 

[CHUNKY]

I have them in 225/40/18 and they grip well wet or dry and are quiet. I like them better than the hanook ventis k104's I had before. Only have 10k on them but very little wear.

 

[LAmazda3]

I have these with my RX8 wheels and they are great. The handling is awesome and they are very quiet. My only complaint is that the ride is a bit rough. I was expecting that with a bigger wheel/smaller tire combo. Next time I will get some touring tires.

 

[focuson03]

I've got these on my stock 17's. They're not a bad tire at all for what they are. I will say two things that I don't like about them.
1. SOFT sidewalls, I've got a 215/45/17 and have auto-x'd on them, even with my pressures WAY up I was getting a decent amount of roll-over.
2. Don't expect to drive on them in cold weather, once it gets to around 40F, they get really hard and tend to let go pretty quick.
Other than those two things, I've really liked them. The wear has been good. I've had them from ~25,000 and they still have about 50% life left in them.

 

[akaveli]

I currently have these tires on my stock rims and they are good. I'm currently running 215.45.17 and fully inflated the tires only weigh 18lbs.

 

[steven88]

i have these tires...size is 225/50/17

they are wonderful...very quiet and the price is killer....the only complaint i have about them is the sidewall is soft....I cranked up the psi to around 40 and that solves the problems...

 

[soilsample]

I just had a set mounted today.
They look very nice and feel good on the road.

I've only put about 100 miles on them so far, but I've read great reviews.

On Tirerack.com, they are rated 4th...... the price is great compared to the others in the top 5.

I put 225/40/18 on speed3 wheels.

 

[Anythncldhppn]

I have them and pretty much the same to say as everyone else.

Great tire in warm/dry weather. In cold/snowy/heavy rain, they like to let loose fairly easily. Soft sidewalls, as was already stated.

You said you use them in dry weather 98% of the time? If so they are a really good tire.

 

[steven88]

yup, if dry weather driving is all you will be doing...go general uhp...if you want a quiet tire? go general uhp

 

[jprime84]

I said i was not in snow 98% of the time - what do people do during the winter? It doesnt snow often but we certainly reach freezing often enough in NC. Am I supposed to buy some all season tires and have them put on when it gets cold?

 

[Anythncldhppn]

[quote author=jprime84 link=topic=138038.msg2977307#msg2977307 date=1236265182]
I said i was not in snow 98% of the time - what do people do during the winter? It doesnt snow often but we certainly reach freezing often enough in NC. Am I supposed to buy some all season tires and have them put on when it gets cold?
[/quote]

I'm in NJ and we just had 13 inches of snow. All of the back roads were not plowed, and were packed into ice. I went out to go to the store, and as long as a babied it, I was fine.

 

[qddave]

So I'm also in the market for new summer rubber this year. Reading the comments on tire rack, there's a few with complaints of soft sidewalls...even blowouts in one case. These particular drivers tout this tire as a touring, not a performance. Is this a matter of inflation pressure? I have a slew of tires in my radar but this one caught my attention for the low price, but need to know if my handling will go down.

 

[focuson03]

^^ IMHO, these should not be called an "Ultra High Performance" tire. MAYBE high performance.

 

[danielj]

I had these installed on Friday. I'm unable to test them as they have a bulky thread and I'm rubbing on all four corners now. I'm having to drive like a grandma until I can make some suspension changes.

 

[tjborillo]

[quote author=danielj link=topic=138038.msg2981554#msg2981554 date=1236526523]
I had these installed on Friday. I'm unable to test them as they have a bulky thread and I'm rubbing on all four corners now. I'm having to drive like a grandma until I can make some suspension changes.
[/quote]

thinking about buying a set of 225/40/18 general exclaims for some rx8 wheels i bought for my 2006 mazda3 GT hatch, you think ill run into the same "bulky thread rub" on stock suspension? saw that you had similar wheel size of 18x8 with an offset of +48 (rota torques) vs 18x8 +50 for rx8s.

how do you like the generals, 9 months later, btw?

first time poster to the site, but big fan of your mz3 and avid reader of this forum so far. so much useful info for my 3, its awesome

 

[danielj]

Im still really enjoying the tires. On stock suspension you will be fine.

I was having problems on my old shock/strut/springs combo. Now that I have new suspension and rolled fenders, I'm fine.

All in all, they're a great tire for the price. I can really push them hard and they stand up well. The sidewall is a bit soft which allows for a comfortable ride.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[tjborillo]

Cool, thanks man. The Generals seem like really awesome tires for the price. i like that they are light (21lbs for the 225/40/18), have soft sidewalls for a more comfortable ride- essential for a 40 series series tire i think, and the tread looks sick and handles well on dry and wet conditions according to several reviews online (ie tirerack.com), it even has a m+s rating which is a plus as well.

im debating between these and Hankook Ventus V12 Evos, which got great reviews and exposure thanks to that caranddriver article in august:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q2/tire_test_nine_affordable_summer_tires_take_on_the_michelin_ps2-comparison_tests/hankook_ventus_v12_evo_page_10

thanks again

 

[dbrier]

The Hankook is a much higher performing tire.