Pirelli Winter Tires

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
May 18, 2012

I have 18 inch Honda Ridgeline (5 spoke) wheels on my van. These tires are expensive, but I bought them because they had the best customer reviews in my size. I have put 6,000 miles on them and I couldn't be happier... I'm glad I spent the extra money! They are SUPER quiet; even my wife commented on how quiet the tires are. I recently drove through a torrential down pour and there was no hint of hydroplaning or skittishness from the tires. I could not say that about the Michelin MXMV4's that I replaced... even when they were new. I cannot comment on the winter performance of these tires, but I run Blizzaks anyway. My only complaint is the tires tend to flat spot over night, but they smooth out in about 5 miles. As long as they smooth out quickly, I don't mind. If you by these tires, have them re-balanced after the first 1,000 miles and make sure they balance them warm, and without the vehicle sitting for too long. You will not be disappointed with these tires.

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
May 09, 2012

These tires started out great with wet and snow traction superior to the OEM Continentals they replaced but at about 7000 miles the noise level at city driving speeds became unbearable. They have been rotated twice now and at 12,000 are nearly worn out. Inflation is proper so that is not a contributing factor nor is unusually spirited driving. I'll run them until this winter and likely go back to the original Continentals.

Initial Review, 46,000 Miles on Tires
April 24, 2012

Getting a lot more miles out of these than I thought. I replaced the OEM Bridgestones with these and am very happy with all aspects. They are smooth, quiet and track straight. Aggressive cornering with no squeals and a solid firm confident feel. I mounted and balanced them when new and have held balance. Alignment is still the factory setting. BMW does not recommend rotating and I haven't. Wear is even with a little less on the rear and no cupping. These are an all season and do not perform well in deep snow, even when new. If I lived in an area with consistent snowy winters (I don't) I would get a winter tire.

Initial Review, 17,000 Miles on Tires
November 18, 2011

Negotiated with M-B dealer to substitute these NON runflats for the factory set. I am glad I did.
In Colorado my biggest challenges are snowpacked and icy roads more than deep snow, with occasional bouts with the dreaded Black Ice. These tires are exceptional in those conditions, with much better road feel than my General Altimax studded, Michelin x-Ice2 and Blizzaks on other autos. I didn't pray for the day when I could finally get my winter tires off! Very impressive.
I started in November 2010 and experienced "all of the above" at a variety of temperatures from water on ice to powdery and frigid to black ice on I-80 at 75 mph with surprise BIG crosswinds. Exceptional tires that reduced the white knuckle cross country experience.
These tires are also pretty sporty in the dry, so I thought I'd wear them through the summer months because my 8-mounted-tires-per-vehicle habit has caused me to run out of winter tire storage.
We had lots more than usual 90+ temps, but the tread didn't melt away like other dedicated winter tires.
I have 6/32 tread left, which projects out to about 24,000 miles. Not bad for a winter tire pressed into hot summer service. We'll see if they get noisy when they get under 5/32, and how well they work in the wet.
We tow a 27' travel trailer and the tires are very stable with a load - inflated to the M-B recommended pressure of 38 lbs.
I also spent several days four wheeling on the legendary Ouray, Colorado extreme passes and I was really surprised how well the tread worked on rocks and other obstacles. Especially impressive on slick rocks in the rain! (Deflated to 28 psi.)
These are great tires for the difficult to predict Colorado driving conditions.

Initial Review, 7,000 Miles on Tires
March 11, 2012

I have now read plenty of the other reviews for this Yokohama ENVigor tire. And I was specifically looking for reviews on the same car as mine, the Volvo XC70, of which I have now owned 3 different new XC70's. So I know this vehicle as well as anyone! I am also a skier so I need AWD, and I have driven through the worst snow storms in the Sierras you can imagine. I can tell you flat out, this tire is much superior to the Original Equipment tire, the Pirelli Scorpians. Those tires used to piss me off, as they would lose good tread after about 10,000 miles, and even the last time I bought a set, the tire dealer even told me they would only be good for 25,000 miles. So you people that think you are going to get 50,000 miles on your tires for any AWD vehicle are dreaming. 4WD or AWD vehicles just go through tires. It's the nature of the beast. But with that said, the Yokahamas ride much nicer on my car than Pirellis and handle just fine in the rain. I have to admit, I have not yet had them in deep snow, as it's been a mild winter this year in California. But I do know how to drive in the snow, now 40 years, and I bet they will do just fine.
Those other reviews that I have read here where you people say they ware out or your car skids....1. take care of your car, proper alignment, tire pressure, etc etc...it all counts. Those light Japanese cars should get plenty of mileage with this tire, if not, it's NOT the tire, it's your car..or YOU ! and 2. learn how to drive in adverse conditions...like slow down a bit, and break early.

So I do like these tires...and will maybe update this after the next major storm, which might be next week here, March 2012.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
March 09, 2012

Had these tires installed in the Spring 2011 to replace the OEM Pirelli. I had to trash the Continentals when I installed my winter tires in Fall 2011 after 10,000 miles. Treadwear rate is extremely poor when one drives a high torque rear wheel drive car. I do not recommend these tires if you drive a high performance car.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2012

Great in the snow and on the ice, on warm dry days you can hear them a little more than your average all season tire. Great tire for harsh winter roads, especially if your an aggressive driver. Keep in mind this performance does come at a cost! Wish they were a little closer in price to some of the competing winter tires.

Initial Review, 7,500 Miles on Tires
March 18, 2012

After getting stuck in my driveway last year I wanted to make sure it will not happen this year. But this year we didn't get any snow worthy of these tires. On ice and snow they felt like OEM tires did on wet pavement and on wet pavement they felt like OEMs on dry pavement. Finally on dry pavement these tires stuck to the road much better than the OEM all seasons on all surfaces.
I believe it's a perfect tire for places where heavy snow is occasional and roads are cold and dry most of the winter.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
March 12, 2012

I bought this as a winter tire in the New York City metro area. The winter has been very mild with almost no snow. As a result, the tire is hard to evaluate as a winter tire. As a performance tire for a Porsche Panamera 4 it is outstanding. I have found overall performance to be very close to my Pirelli P Zero summer tires and superior to any all-season tire I have used in the past on other performance cars. If not for excessive wear, I would run these all year round. Handling, steering and road feel are all at a level far more similar to a max performance summer tire than a performance all-season or winter tire. Strongly recommended.

Initial Review, 4000 Miles on Tires
February 12, 2012

An amazing tire hands down!I have them on my csx types in 225 45 17,this tire grips wet road like no other it allows me to corner without slight slippage under a high speed.It stops on a dime without abs activation,the only slight downside is acceleration where they tend to hop(I am at 350whp though which sorta explains it)Dry performance is an amazing attribute which is rarely seen with an all season tires,I heard reviews where people describe them as not soo good since the sidewalls are too thin and soft,but I never felt it.For me its an ultimate fighter especially in vancouver weather!!!I have not tested them in ice or snow(I tend to switch to my winter setup when it comes closer to winter)I would highly suggest this tire for your high powered vehicle which also carries an amazing price tag.I have ridde on pirelli pzeros,micheling pilot sports a/s and bridgestone potenza re40 but never felt soo confident in both dry and wet weather.

Initial Review, 400 Miles on Tires
March 03, 2012

This is a very high quality tire. The compound used in making the tire is very good as to it has great dry traction as well as wet/snow. many snow tires have terrible dry traction. Also, it does very well in light snow and wet situations. However, it is not meant for deep snow driving, as to the tread style is not meant for this. This is a perfect tire for those living in larger cities with alot of snow (and snow removal abilities). It is not good for countryside, as to the snow removal might be limited. Tires also have rim protection which keeps your rim safe in case you scrap a curb while parking. Tires are also very quite (same as my all-season tires) and create no extra fuel consumption. Overall the price premium is worth it as to not only does this tire perform well, it also looks good.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
March 02, 2012

This tire is by far the best winter tire i have had.
It rides well, has great traction, quiet, and good tread life.
What's not to like?
It is almost no difference between these and my summer tires.
They are a little soft in the corners but for a winter tire, you can't go wrong with these.
I'll post another review after my second season on them.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
February 03, 2012

THEN: I had Pirelli's P6 Four Season's when I initially purchased my Audi A4, but the tread was almost ¾ gone on the rear tires, and probably ½ depleted on the front. Nothing particularly impressive about the Pirelli's I owned. They did look visually appealing, but they were quite loud on the freeway; actually the noise was almost unbearable! They could have been usable for another year easily, but I couldn't deal with the noise. The dealer recommended I get Pirelli's again. I didn't.
NOW: Kumho's are visually stunning (which is a mild factor I consider). They are relatively affordable (they had a promotion which gave me $50 in rebate). 500 miles plus driven on the tires and as such, they are technically "broken-in" So now I guess I can offer my thoughts about them.
I have 235-45-17 Ecsta 4X on 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro. Performance in the snow is the ultimate measure for me and so far, no regrets. NO spinning at all, braking in the snow and wet weather has improved considerably! I do have Quattro, so you would expect that the Pirelli's I owned previously would perform somewhat decently in the snow and wet weather, but they left a lot to be desired! This was another reason why I wanted new tires.
(Just a stray thought..DO get some Bridgestone Blizzaks if you are looking for some nice, non-compromising winter tires. I had them on my previous vehicle, and they were absolutely phenomenal in the snow and ice and winter in general).
Winter tires on Quattro are not necessary for me; the Ecsta 4X works harmoniously with Quattro and ESP.
The tires feel firm and secure on the road (I highly recommend getting them aligned). Noise level is noticeably lower than previous Pirelli's. Road grip is impressive on all surfaces; this translates to smooth, yet responsive handling. Though not typical of me, I can be somewhat of a spirited almost aggressive driver depending on my mood, and these tires are yet to disappoint

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 29, 2012

i did a lot of research including tirerack.com for review of this specific tire. i wanted a tire that can haul through snows,ice,wet,n dry without the use of specific season tires. so i opted for the pirelli p4 all season. the pirelli had excellent review based on consumer results. before i ran with kumho solus kr21. The Kumho solus performed excellent on dry and overall a good tire but "LACK" the traction on ice and snow roads. As the tread wears out on the kumho the noise levels were becoming more apparent and the treadwear only met 40k miles before needing to replace. Cornering were wobbly with the kumhos and must be used with cautions. Overall the Kumho could use some improvement on cornering and snow,ice traction. Immediately after i switch to the Pirelli i felt how quiet the tire is and the comfortable ride it absorbs through bumps. i can now hear my passenger and music on the highway without them raising their voice. i ran the tire through our first minnesota winter and i had to say these felt like the actual winter tires. really no kidding i can actually felt the dig of the tire through the 4 inch deep snow to the pavement. Ive tried stepping brakes firmly on snow covered roads and i was surprised my ABS hardly kick in. Cornering is a lot more stable and steering is very responsive compare to the Kumho. On slush and ice pack road the tire cuts through it without hydroplaning. Overall i rate this tire a 9/10. Possibly the best all season tire ive had n its ranked 1st for my tire size. The only negative i had to say about this tire is that i felt the car is somewhat slower than before but b/c of the excellent traction in return it's well worth the money. Overall the tire is solid handles snows predictably excellent and cornering is more precise and very comfortable tire and very low noise level. I recommend and will buy this tire again.

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
March 12, 2011

I replaced my OEM Bridgestone RE050 summer tires with these Pirellis and have been generally happy with them. I knew I was trading some performance for winter weather traction and have not been disappointed in that regard--these are excellent performers in both sloppy slush and cold, dry snow. They have been very safe and predictable in the rain with very little hydroplaning through standing water. At 20,000 miles they're a little noisy at low speeds and a bit more worn than I anticipated. I need to replace them before 30,000 miles, not at 40,000 as I had hoped.



On dry pavement when compared with the OEM summer tires, there is minimal but notable lateral "swim" as the vehicle's weight shifts in turns and In quick lane changes, feeling more like flex within the tread blocks than within the sidewall, but grip remains quite high and ultimately secure, just not as immediate as with the summer tires. My confidence in spirited driving suffered initially, but with familiarity and a few thousand miles of tread wear, this effect has largely diminished.



My biggest disappointment has been some loss of grip when accelerating compared to the summer tires. After a gear change under hard acceleration, these tires bite well initially but can then break free as the turbo spools up and more power is put down. That said, it's usually not enough to engage traction control, perhaps because my car has a limited slip differential. This behavior at the limit might be different in a RWD or AWD car.



In retrospect, I underestimated how important summer tires are to maximizing performance, but given this is my daily driver, and that I have to get around in the frozen stuff, I'm happy with my choice. In the end, I can say that for the spirited driver these are an excellent compromise between performance and winter practicality.

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
February 14, 2012

I bought four Pirelli P4 tires to replace the new Hankook tires on my new Sonic. The Hankook H428 were the worst tires I ever experienced for winter traction and braking. The P4s work very well, and I have had them on another vehicle I own. A very good ALL season tire.

Initial Review, 51000 Miles on Tires
February 09, 2012

Oem tire on my Mustang was great when new. With 50k I still have no complaints with dry traction, ride or noise. I baby my baby and very rarely stick my foot in it. I park it in the winter so I'm considering a summer tire. Wet traction isn't as good as it once was. If I wasn't planning a long trip in the spring I would keep them through this summer too. I'm curious to try a tire that people think is better than this for ride and handling in wet and dry. It would have to be one heck of a tire to convince me it's better.

Initial Review, 32000 Miles on Tires
January 31, 2012

The first 2 years, the tires were awesome. Tires are now a little under 1/2 tread remaining and on their 4th winter and starting to show their age with decreased winter performance.

As soon as the tires hit the 1/2 mark last Fall, the first set of wear strips started making the tires noticeably noisier. It wasn't the tread, but the indicators that made them noisy. Since they don't owe me anything, I'll likely replace them before next winter. I actually drive them year-round, but I don't drive this vehicle a lot in the summer or on long trips.

Overall, these tires have been a great value for my purposes.

Initial Review, 3000 Miles on Tires
January 30, 2012

We purchased these tires to get the most out of our 4-wheel drive system this winter on our 2012 full size Supercharged Range Rover. So far, a remarkable difference versus the stock Michelin Latitudes, which are fine for Summer. These tires immediately give you a heightened sense of confidence in wet, ice and snow. Inclement weather of any sort with these tires is now a non-issue. With the Supercharged Range Rover there is still some wheel-spin (a result of a ton of engine torque), but nothing like what we had with the Summer tires. I would definitely recommend the Pirelli's for winter driving.

Initial Review, 1000 Miles on Tires
January 30, 2012

While the winter has been mild with only one snowfall I have had the opportunity to test them in snow and freezing conditions. Simply a great tire - but you get what you pay for with these - run flat snows are not inexpensive. Most shocking was how quite the tire is in normal conditions, far less noise than the OEM run flats. I have not driven them long enough to comment on tread wear. This was one of the only size options available for the car. Handling is very good. Some slight slippage on really icy conditions, but nothing that is major. With traction control and a modest pedal they seemed to pull or push the car through the snow with ease. Backing up is very good with this tire - some snows have an issue in reverse-these do not. I would buy them again-they are impressive beyond expectation for a snow tire.