Anyone else noticed this? The General UHP tire is ranked #1 in it's class in Tire Rack's online user survey.
Some of the best rated tires from Car and Driver don't fare so well on the same survey.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&url=%2Ftires%2Fsurveyresults%2Fsurveydisplay.jsp%3 Ftype%3DUHP">Ultra High Performance Summer tire survey</a></li></ul>

I think you find many times tires that are value leaders - and the consumer base that buys them are astounded at the level of performance they get for relatively little cost when shopping Tirerack's selection.

Those Exclaim UHP's sure to blow the doors off 4 for $100 at your local value house! Its all in perspective.

Alex

The money I saved buying them went toward getting better wheels (I now trade back and forth betweeen summer and winter wheels) and getting better, (i.e., higher performance) dedicated summer tires instead of going with more expensive all-season tires.

Those user reviews/surveys should be taken with a grain of salt. They may come from people who've driven on nothing but those 4 for a $100 tires that alex mentioned and then suddenly get these General UHPs and think that they are the best thing that ever happened since the invention of peanut butter, not knowing that there may be still better tires out there. It's all about the point of reference.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&amp;url=%2Ftires%2Ftests%2FtestResultsMode l.jsp%3FtireMake%3DGeneral%26amp%3BtireModel%3DExc laim%2BUHP">http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testResultsModel.jsp?tireMake=General&amp;tireModel=Ex cla

Tire Rack's test have favorable tires, Car and Driver's test have different favorable tires, and users survey's favor yet other tires.

I feel the D3's are in a different category of performance, particularly hydroplaning resistance.

The Exclaim UHP has allot of performance for the price - its just in a category with different priorities.

Alex

I went from the Toyo TR1 to the Kumho MX. Then read the C and D test and really liked the Eagle F1 GS-D3, but they are kinda pricy.
Now I've got the UHP's in mind as well as the Yokohama ES100, and the BFG KDW-NT. Still keeping the Eagle in the back of my mind.

I'm sure any of those tires would be just fine though.

If you read the text of the article, they are pretty complimentary. Also, Gary and Alex of tirerack have also made several statements that they're good tires. Not the best out there, but certainly one of the best values.

For people who are trying to keep things on a budget, they're a great option that lets them get better performance than they're going to get out of nearly any all-season tire while not breaking the bank to run a tire that's going to have the quicker wear associated with a dedicated summer tire.

They're not for everybody, but for those of us trying to spread our car dollars around (I put my money into getting dedicated summer wheels and good winter tires) they're a pretty solid option.

My $.02.

It can get overwhelming. I decided to not get too carried away and went the value of the Generals.

Another one to keep in mind is the KUMHO ECSTA SPT. When I asked Gary about the Generals, he said that they'd be a good choice with the Kumhos as a solid alternative with a little better dry grip. They also have the advantage of being not too much more expensive then the Generals.

I opted for the Generals because of the lower price, ability to run them in very light snow (in case I get caught before the change-over to dedicated snows), and the good reviews.

Good luck and rest assured, you will certainly be happy with any of the options you're entertaining. Dedicated summers, while they wear quicker, do offer a boatload of grip.

You can either divide it into great, greater, and the greatest, like TR did, or you can divide it into bad, average, and good. Whatever you call it, the General came in last (not counting the OEM tire which was a different size) in that test.

I'm not saying it's a bad tire, but calling it "the best" as the OP stated based on user reviews is a bit out there. "Best" and "best value" are not exactly the same.

Personally, seeing as there is only a few bucks difference (depending on size) between the General and the Kumho SPT , I think I'd go for the latter, but again, we all have different priorities, preferences, and budgets. I'm sure there's a market out there for a tire like General UHP.