Driver feedback on the Avon ZV7 is split: many owners praise it as a great-value mid-range tyre with strong dry and wet grip, low noise and good ride comfort. However, a large portion of reviews report premature cracking/perishing in the tread grooves (often with plenty of tread left), alongside uneven centre wear and shorter-than-expected life. Overall, the Avon ZV7 is often liked for how it drives when new, but is frequently rejected due to durability and wear-pattern concerns.
What owners mention most counted across 141 reviews
Reporting back on all four ZV7 tyres after 10,000 miles. Overall these tyres are a good purchase for the price. Dry and wet grip are good but not outstanding, feedback and handling are ok but the really good aspects are comfort and wear. This is a really quiet tyre for long journeys such as motorways and after 10,000 miles are only half worn, down to about 5mm which is not bad at all. Good value for the price, and will consider buying again.
I bought these as a "trial" tyre after my 2016 Kia Rio 3 ate through the factory fitted fronts in 9K miles. From new this car had Continental Sport Contact 5's on, presumably chosen due to the size of wheel rather than the sporting credentials of the car (ie none to speak of). I have never had a car get through tyres so quickly (the rears lasted 14K miles and were replaced with Dunlop SportMaxx RT2 thanks to a promotion) so I was keen to identify if the car was hard on tyres or if the Conti's just don't last. I am a bit of a tyre snob and stick to premium brand tyres but the Avon's had a better EU tyre label on them and were £40 a corner cheaper than the Conti's so I thought I'd give them a try.
At 22K miles I would be doing a front to back swap were it not for the passenger side having suffered some premature wear due to a pothole related tracking fault that went undetected for a couple of weeks. For my style of driving and on the same roads I can honestly say I can't tell the difference on this car between the Avon and the factory fit Continental. My fuel economy improved by approximately 2 mpg over 22000 miles however and the wear rate has clearly been much better. On this car, they were my two main criteria so considering I'm no turbo nutter who thinks speed limits don't apply to them I'm going to give a conservative 90% as a whole as I am sure someone will complain they're no good on some luxury sports car that originally wore rubber that easily cost three times as much as these.
Likewise, 90% for "buy again". The partly worn Avon tyres are being replaced next week for Dunlop Sportmaxx RT2's to match those on the rears due to that tyre snobbery I was on about earlier and another good deal from my local tyre rep that means I am getting them for only £10 a corner more than the Avon. The RT2's are even better on fuel economy than the Avon according to the tyre label for this size so on this occasion I will be buying Dunlop but my experience of the ZV7 has certainly made me consider my stance on expensive premium tyres on a car that doesn't scream performance. They wear well, handle just fine and did I mention the £40 a tyre cost saving... ?
Check out how the BEST all seasons tyres perform against premium summer and winter tyres!
Very good tyre for the money, car felt solid and stable in the dry stops well and steers with good precision, can't comment on grip at the limit, as it's a SUV.
Wet grip doesn't have a noticeable drop in performance from dry grip, doesn't aquaplane badly.
Wear I think was pretty good they lasted over 12k miles on the front and the rears are at about 4mm.
Quiet and comfortable. Must have a stiffer sidewall than the Toyo cf2 SUV tyres I've replaced them with as the Toyota feel lazy on turn in.
Which tyres do you drive?
Researching the Avon ZV7? Rate the tyres you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
215/55 R16 97W XL: Punches above weight! Although this is a mid-range tyre it easily felt equal to bridgestone T001s i had on before. The did not feel as responsive in the dry as the Dunlop Blu response that came on the car when i bought it but they are quite a bit cheaper and have better wear. In the wet is where i feel this tyre comes into its own. It gives me plenty of confidence on well soaked roads and really seems to love damp or greasy roads with so much grip. As i drive a mondeo estate i always purchase the extra load rated tyres. (New ZV7s fitted to front 3 months ago. Rears are 1 year old ZV7s with 7mm tread left) Excellent wear.
I fitted these to the front our B7 Passat to replace the dreadful Continental Contisport 5s that came with it new. The car used to hop around corners but became fluid and smooth. I put ZV5s on the back 3 years ago and they have 4mm of tread left after doing 20000miles. The ZV7 on the front is showing faster wear, down to 4mm after 12,000 miles. They are a comfortable tyre and the rim protectors seem good, contradicting another reviewer. One important factor though is that you MUST get the tracking spot on after fitting these. This will apply to any tyre but these seem particularly sensitive. The Passat was really suffering road noise with the Continentals but is noticeable quieter now.
Put two of these on the rear at the end of Jan 18. Took the car to Germany and covered over a 1k miles and very happy with performance. The tyres have now covered about 2.5k miles. They replaced Michelin tyres and were perfect in our recent poor weather down south. So impressed have just had another two fitted after rotating and the remaining Michelins were almost down to the wear bars. Good price at £52 + VAT for a good mid range tyre better than half the price of the premium originally fitted. So far worth the difference in price to the budgets on offer at the same fitting outfit. Would buy again (and have) based on experience so far.
Member
Toyota
215/45 R17
15,000 miles
Mostly Country Roads
Average
Good all round performance. Nothing spectacular bit will do it's job
Wear is poor, front tyres down to wear markers on less than 15k.
Had 4 of these on my Focus Zetec S and have now covered over 16000 miles ,,great all rounder ,,just drive sensibly and they wont let you down ,,will buy again
Fitted to front these tyres have done 6000 mls and coming to end of life.
Grip on wet and dry good, low noise level, wear is very poor,would not buy
These tyres again for this car.
Had 2 of these fitted to the front of my car, previously having continental sport contact 5 which I found to be rubbish nearly running me off the road a few times, these were a pleasant surprise I did about 10k with them and Ive not had an issue in dry or wet. One thing I was very unhappy about was the low rim protection compared to the Continentals there was none. Overall would recommend these tyres but not if you care about your wheels.
