Goodyear vs Pirelli
360 shared professional tests: Goodyear finished ahead in 223, Pirelli in 126 and 11 were drawn. Owners rate Goodyear 7.9 and Pirelli 7.2 out of 10 across 5,670 reviews.
The quick answer
Goodyear
Premium · 145 tyres on sale · Goodyear Group
Pirelli
Premium · 148 tyres on sale · Pirelli Group
Goodyear leads in more of the categories we measure. Built from every professional test both brands entered and every vetted owner review we hold for their tyres - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated October 28, 2026.
Goodyear vs Pirelli at a glance
Goodyear and Pirelli are both premium brands, but their strengths show up in different places once you look at like-for-like results from the same professional tests and large-sample owner feedback.
In the data here, Goodyear comes through as the more consistently strong all-rounder - particularly in winter and in value signals like wear and rolling resistance - while Pirelli most reliably differentiates itself on outright dry-road stopping and a more summer-heavy line-up.
| Category | Goodyear | Pirelli | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall test record | 223 wins | 126 wins | Goodyear |
| Wet Braking | 40.38 m | 40.39 m | Goodyear |
| Dry Braking | 39.1 m | 38.28 m | Pirelli |
| Snow Braking | 23.32 m | 24.21 m | Goodyear |
| Rolling Resistance | 7.88 kg/t | 8.05 kg/t | Goodyear |
| Noise | 70.9 dB | 70.98 dB | Goodyear |
| Tread life (wear tests) | 50,043 km | 39,208 km | Goodyear |
| Price | cheaper in 51 of 110 tests | cheaper in 55 of 110 tests | Pirelli |
| Overall owner score | 7.9 / 10 | 7.2 / 10 | Goodyear |
Head-to-head test record
Across 360 professional tests where both brands fielded a tyre, Goodyear finished ahead in 223 and Pirelli in 126 (11 drew).
By season
| Category | shared tests | Goodyear | Pirelli | draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 167 | 87 | 73 | 7 |
| Winter | 130 | 97 | 30 | 3 |
| All Season | 58 | 37 | 21 | 0 |
| All Weather | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The cleanest head-to-head signal is the shared-test record: across 347 tests where both brands appeared (each represented by its best-placed tyre), Goodyear leads 218-119 with 10 draws, and also finishes higher on average (75.6 percentile vs 61.7). That advantage persists in recent testing too: in the last 5 years Goodyear still leads 58-45 (6 draws) across 109 shared tests, suggesting this is not just legacy performance but an ongoing trend.
How we count: only tests entered by both brands are used, and each brand is represented by its best-placed tyre in that test. Owner-review and label figures cover the brands' full current ranges.
Performance by metric
Averaged across shared tests, which brand leads each measured discipline and by how much.
Goodyear won 93 of 182 tests · 4.6% typical margin
Pirelli won 109 of 174 tests · 3.4% typical margin
Goodyear won 72 of 143 tests · 3.1% typical margin
Goodyear won 71 of 126 tests · 7.5% typical margin
Goodyear won 55 of 113 tests · 1.4% typical margin
Goodyear won 87 of 102 tests · 4% typical margin
Goodyear won 48 of 81 tests · 2% typical margin
Goodyear won 45 of 80 tests · 1% typical margin
Goodyear won 44 of 77 tests · 8.2% typical margin
Pirelli won 33 of 62 tests · 1.8% typical margin
Goodyear won 18 of 52 tests
Goodyear won 27 of 49 tests · 1.7% typical margin
Pirelli won 43 of 75 tests · 2.3% typical margin
Goodyear won 38 of 75 tests · 4.4% typical margin
Goodyear won 35 of 56 tests · 2.5% typical margin
Goodyear won 28 of 50 tests · 8.7% typical margin
Goodyear won 26 of 42 tests · 1.6% typical margin
Pirelli won 20 of 32 tests · 2.4% typical margin
Pirelli won 17 of 31 tests · 1.2% typical margin
Pirelli won 18 of 30 tests · 1.9% typical margin
Goodyear won 14 of 26 tests · 5.6% typical margin
Goodyear won 15 of 24 tests · 1.1% typical margin
Pirelli won 8 of 24 tests
Goodyear won 9 of 21 tests
Pirelli won 40 of 45 tests · 6.3% typical margin
Goodyear won 23 of 45 tests · 5.6% typical margin
Goodyear won 39 of 40 tests · 5.5% typical margin
Pirelli won 26 of 38 tests · 4.1% typical margin
Goodyear won 19 of 35 tests · 7.3% typical margin
Pirelli won 17 of 32 tests · 1.3% typical margin
Goodyear won 12 of 24 tests · 9.5% typical margin
Goodyear won 15 of 24 tests · 4.8% typical margin
Goodyear won 14 of 23 tests · 0.8% typical margin
Goodyear won 20 of 23 tests · 1.8% typical margin
Goodyear won 15 of 23 tests · 2% typical margin
Goodyear won 11 of 17 tests · 1.8% typical margin
Goodyear won 30 of 58 tests · 4.1% typical margin
Goodyear won 45 of 58 tests · 2.7% typical margin
Pirelli won 25 of 50 tests · 2.3% typical margin
Goodyear won 25 of 47 tests · 3.1% typical margin
Goodyear won 24 of 39 tests · 5.7% typical margin
each won 18 of 37 tests
Goodyear won 18 of 26 tests · 0.9% typical margin
Goodyear won 16 of 26 tests · 1.6% typical margin
Goodyear won 20 of 26 tests · 1.5% typical margin
Goodyear won 18 of 25 tests · 9.9% typical margin
Goodyear won 16 of 25 tests · 2.4% typical margin
Pirelli won 11 of 17 tests · 1.2% typical margin
By individual test metrics, Goodyear leads more categories and tends to be strongest in wet and winter-relevant performance plus efficiency and durability: wet braking is 91-77 with a slightly shorter average (40.16 m vs 40.3 m), rolling resistance leads 65-45 (7.87 vs 8.04), and snow braking is heavily Goodyear-favoured at 77-12 (23.22 m vs 24.16 m). Goodyear also edges aquaplaning measures (straight aquaplaning 69-63, and curved aquaplaning 41-28) and shows a big advantage on wear in tests (34-3, 50,203.14 km vs 38,388.05 km). Pirelli's standout performance lever is dry braking where it leads 101-58 and posts the shorter average distance (38.17 m vs 38.99 m), and it also tops a few niche or subjective categories like wet handling measured in seconds (30-28), subjective comfort (14-13) and subjective noise (7-5).
Typical margin is the average gap between the two brands within a single test. Test conditions vary, so it can be larger than the difference between the overall averages shown. Judged scores use a different scale in each test, so only the win record is comparable.
Which brand wins each season
Head-to-head test wins by season.
Goodyear leads 87 to 73 here
- Goodyear strongest at
- Wear
- Pirelli strongest at
- Subj. Comfort
Goodyear leads 37 to 21 here
- Goodyear strongest at
- Wear
- Pirelli strongest at
- Subj. Comfort
Goodyear leads 97 to 30 here
- Goodyear strongest at
- Subj. Comfort
- Pirelli strongest at
- Subj. Dry Handling
Season-by-season, Goodyear's advantage is most pronounced in winter: across 123 shared winter tests it wins 95 to Pirelli's 25 (3 draws), matching the winter metric picture where Goodyear leads wet braking (30-20), snow braking (39-10), rolling resistance (20-12), dry handling (17-6) and wet handling (15-8), with dry braking and noise split evenly (21-21 and 16-16). In summer, the overall head-to-head is much tighter - Goodyear leads 87-73 with 6 draws in 166 tests - and the performance character flips in places: Pirelli leads summer dry braking (43-30) and also leads wet handling (18-12) and dry handling (17-13), while Goodyear leads wet braking (38-36), straight aquaplaning (35-20), rolling resistance (28-19) and noise (26-15). In all-season tests Goodyear leads 35-19 across 54 tests, driven by snow braking dominance (36-1) and edges in wet braking (22-19) and rolling resistance (17-13), while Pirelli counterpunches in all-season dry braking (36-5), straight aquaplaning (24-11) and noise (16-10).
What owners say
Owner reviews, vetted by hand before publication and weighted by how many reviews each tyre has. Ownership is not verified.
Owners broadly align with the test story: Goodyear's weighted overall score is 7.94/10 from 3,199 reviews versus Pirelli's 7.17/10 from 2,351 reviews. The ownership signals most tied to living with a tyre favour Goodyear - wear is rated 7.68 vs 6.95 and 'buy again' is 7.56 vs 6.28 - and Goodyear also leads on reported wet grip (8.22 vs 7.13) and comfort (7.99 vs 7.12). Pirelli owners still rate dry grip well (8.24), but Goodyear's dry grip is higher again at 8.63, making the user feedback more one-sided than the dry-braking lab advantage might suggest.
Price & value
How long each brand lasts, and how they compare on price.
Tread life (wear tests)
Goodyear lasted longer in wear testing, winning 37 of 42 tests by an average of 32.7%.
Price
Pirelli was the cheaper of the two in 55 of 110 shared tests.
On tread life, Goodyear is clearly the stronger value proposition in controlled wear testing: across 37 wear tests it averages 50,203.14 km versus Pirelli's 38,388.05 km, winning 34 tests to 3 with an average gap of 35.8% - a difference big enough to outweigh small purchase-price swings for many drivers. Those price swings are, in fact, small in the shared-test pricing sample: across 101 tests Goodyear is only -0.3% versus Pirelli on average, with Goodyear cheaper in 48 tests and Pirelli cheaper in 51, so you are not consistently paying more for either brand in like-for-like comparisons.
Fuel economy & EU labels
Current range
How broad each brand's current line-up is.
Goodyear
| Passenger Car | SUV / 4x4 | Motorcycle | Van | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 35 | 7 | - | 2 |
| All Season | 32 | 32 | - | 1 |
| Winter | 20 | 8 | - | 1 |
| All Weather | 2 | - | - | - |
Pirelli
| Passenger Car | SUV / 4x4 | Motorcycle | Van | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 49 | 8 | 20 | 3 |
| All Season | 17 | 16 | - | 2 |
| Winter | 24 | 5 | - | 1 |
| All Weather | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Both brands offer broad coverage, with Pirelli having slightly more active tyre lines (147 vs 139) and sizes (5,045 vs 5,011), but their mix differs. Pirelli is much more summer-weighted (80 summer tyres vs Goodyear's 43), which suits drivers prioritising warm-weather performance and sporty fitments, while Goodyear leans heavily into all-season (65 vs 35) and also has more all-terrain options (14 vs 6) and more EV-marketed tyres (5 vs 3), which can make it easier to find a Goodyear match for mixed-weather, crossover and light off-road use-cases.
Recommended picks per category
The top-rated current tyres from each brand, by season.
Summer
All Season
Winter
All Weather
Popular Goodyear vs Pirelli tyre matchups
Head-to-head comparisons between specific tyres from these brands.
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3 vs Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Pirelli P Zero PZ5
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Goodyear Vector All Season 4 vs Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 vs Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Pirelli Scorpion
Frequently asked questions
Is Goodyear better than Pirelli?
Across 360 shared professional tests, Goodyear finished ahead of Pirelli in 223 (11 drew), and holds a higher owner-review score of 7.9 vs 7.2 out of 10. Pirelli leads on value.
Which is better in the wet, Goodyear or Pirelli?
In Wet Braking, Goodyear averaged 40.38 m versus 40.39 m, winning 93 of 182 shared tests. In Wet Handling, Goodyear averaged 76.54 km/h versus 76.29 km/h, winning 48 of 81 shared tests.
Which lasts longer, Goodyear or Pirelli?
In independent tyre wear testing across 42 shared tests, Goodyear lasted longer, averaging 50,043 km versus 39,208 km (about 32.7% further) and winning 37 of them. Owner-rated tread life agrees, at 7.7 vs 7 out of 10.
Which is cheaper, Goodyear or Pirelli?
Pirelli is usually the cheaper choice, coming in lower in 55 of 110 shared tests, on average about 0.2% less than Goodyear.
Which is better in winter, Goodyear or Pirelli?
Across 130 shared winter tests, Goodyear finished ahead in 97. 41% of its current range is 3PMSF winter-certified, versus 34% for Pirelli. In Snow Braking, Goodyear averaged 23.32 m versus 24.21 m, winning 87 of 102 shared tests.
Which brand is more fuel efficient, Goodyear or Pirelli?
Fuel economy and EV range come down to rolling resistance. In Rolling Resistance, Goodyear averaged 7.88 kg/t versus 8.05 kg/t, winning 71 of 126 shared tests. 43% of Goodyear's current range earns an A or B EU fuel-efficiency grade, versus 36% for Pirelli.
Which is better for electric cars, Goodyear or Pirelli?
For an EV the priorities are low rolling resistance for range and low noise for a quiet cabin. In rolling-resistance testing, which directly drives EV range, Goodyear led 71 of 126 shared tests. Goodyear also currently lists 4 EV-specific tyres versus 3 for Pirelli.
Which brand is quieter and more comfortable, Goodyear or Pirelli?
Owners rate Goodyear higher for comfort, at 8 vs 7.1 out of 10. In Noise, Goodyear averaged 70.9 dB versus 70.98 dB, winning 55 of 113 shared tests.
Would owners buy Goodyear or Pirelli again?
Goodyear owners are more likely to buy the same brand again, scoring 7.6 vs 6.3 out of 10 on would-buy-again across 5,670 combined reviews.
Final verdict
Category verdicts: Goodyear leads the professional head-to-head overall and is the safer bet if you want consistent multi-metric performance, particularly in winter and all-season use, plus it has the strongest value indicators thanks to much longer wear in tests. Pirelli's clearest performance win is dry braking, and its summer-leaning portfolio and handling-oriented seasonal metrics will appeal more to drivers focused on warm-weather dynamics.
Overall lean: Goodyear leads in more areas (shared tests, winter results, wear, rolling resistance and owner 'buy again'), while Pirelli is the more specialist choice if dry-road stopping and a summer performance bias are your priorities. Choose Goodyear for mixed UK conditions, mileage and all-season convenience; choose Pirelli if your driving is primarily summer-biased and you want the brand profile that aligns most strongly with dry braking outcomes.