When we purchased our “bought not built” modified 2005 Subaru Forester XT (with the 5-speed manual), we knew the first thing that had to be changed: wheels and tires. This fact was hammered home as the Subaru would easily turn into a drift missile around corners, especially in the rain. Admittedly, the low grip was kind of fun, but if I wanted a drifter, I would’ve bought something else. The old, hard all-season touring rubber in the stock size had to go. My first stop? The BFGoodrich website to check out the g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus tires.

Why The g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus Tires

We’re unabashed BFGoodrich fans. We have 255/85/16 Mud-Terrain T/A KM3s on our Pajero and 30×9.50×15 All-Terrain T/A KO2s on our Delica and 215/75/15 KO2s on the Crosstrek. The last on-road corner carver we had, our 2007 Toyota Yaris, even wore BFGoodrich Advantage Control rubber.

The Forester will be driven all year round here in the Pacific Northwest, so I wanted all-season tires. Yeah, I know: dedicated summer tires and dedicated winter tires are optimal for maximum performance. Frankly, I just wanted one wheel and tire set. Yes, there are all-weather tires, but they don’t offer the grip I wanted, so an ultra-high-performance all-season tire fit the bill. Thankfully, BFG had just the right rubber, its g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus. This is an ultra-high-performance all-season tire available in the size we wanted, 235/50ZR17. These would also fit my secondhand Enkei RPF1 wheels.

BFGoodrich advertises the g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus as offering excellent wet and dry performance, which is exactly what I need in Portland, which is soggy in the winter and dry in the summer. Plus, the tires have a 45,000-mile warranty. Those looking for time-attack rubber should check out the g-Force Rival S, but the Forester isn’t going to be a track car—it’s a street machine and occasional road-rallier.

Style and Performance

The tires have a distinct look with squared-off shoulders and a directional v-pattern with 9/32” of tread depth. My 235/50ZR17 weighs in at 28 lbs. a tire and have a 400 A A UTQG rating.

Once installed on the car, these tires look meaty. In this size on the 7.5”-wide wheels they’re big chonky rubber. They almost look like some sort of unique all-terrain or something; it’s a distinct style, but it works well with the Forester’s Lego-brick shape.

My first time putting the tires to the grip test was on a time-speed-distance (TSD) rally with our local club, the Cascade Geargrinders. There were tight corners and, much unlike the factory-sized 16” tires that came with the car, these stuck like glue. There was no drift-missile action anymore, it was now a grip monster. Try as I might, I wasn’t able to break traction even under throttle in hairpins. What a difference.

Recently, I hit up my favorite backroads outside of town. There, I was able to fling the Forester in repeated corners, and again, the tires offered up tenacious grip, especially when paired with the Subaru’s all-wheel drive. Only under the sharpest corners and under throttle did I experience a bit of understeer. And, granted, this Forester has a host of go-faster mods and handling upgrades (coilovers and sway bars). Plus, the coils were set to full-stiff at the time.

The tires seem quiet; I certainly can’t hear them over the Forester’s Strömung exhaust (which is also quiet). The couple times I’ve had them in the wet, the traction is far better than the narrow, hard touring rubber the car previously wore. That’s critically important once the rain turns back on in Oregon. It’s extremely unlikely these tires will ever see snow, but heaven forbid it does, at least we won’t be on summer-only slicks which can also turn into a compound that feels like it was made from recycled bowling balls.

A Big Upgrade

The g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus tires are a massive upgrade on our Forester. The look might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like the fat, aggressive sidewall design and tread pattern. Thankfully, the tires appear to have the performance to match their athletic style.

BFGoodrich continues to be a top choice for us. They have a wide range of tires and sizes, they support motorsports, and offer a quality product. These tires are made in the USA, too.

BFGoodrich sent us these tires at no cost in exchange for an honest review.