Pirelli P Zero PZ5

I replaced my worn Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires with the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 after watching a video review. Given that the PZ5 is a newer-generation tire, I had slightly higher expectations.

Comfort has notably improved—especially over small surface imperfections—compared to the PS4. However, the overall feel is more subdued. While the PS4 had a distinctly sporty, almost go-kart-like character, the PZ5 leans more toward a touring-oriented experience. That sharp, immediate connection to the road is something I miss with these tires.

Steering response is noticeably softer in the initial degrees off-center, and the tire takes a moment to settle into corners. Cornering grip is excellent, but due to the muted feedback, I actually felt slightly more confident with the PS4—though this could vary depending on whether the car is front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive.

The compound feels very soft, which is apparent both in the ride quality and performance. In high temperatures (sunny weather above 30°C), grip deteriorates somewhat in very tight, low-speed corners, resulting in mild understeer as the soft compound starts to give way.

I can't compare it to other tires of the same generation, but compared to the PS4, the PZ5 is clearly better suited for daily commuting and long-distance driving. For spirited driving, however, I expected a bit more precision and engagement. That said, I wouldn’t say it's worse than the PS4—just different, particularly in my current AWD setup.

I’ve always bought Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (PS4S), on a track-spec BMW 335i and then on my Audi S4 Avant. I tried Continental SportContact7 (SC7), I was blown away by the difference vs PS4S; but only I got 6k miles out of them - the rear treads on 275/30ZR19 cracked and were at 3mm of tread, my front toe settings/suspension setup also caused inner tyre balding. So I used PS4S on the S4, I managed 18k miles out of them but always felt they lacked feedback, ultimate grip and progressiveness. The PZ5 came out and after watching the review, I decided to try them. The S4 is stage 1 tuned at 450BHP//550NM with a tastefully modified adaptive suspension (springs, bushings, roll bars and drivetrain inserts) - to test these tyres, this review is based on a trip to North Wales and now recently back from the Swiss/Italian Alps, German Autobahns (including a top speed run) and finally the Nurburgring. The car was given hell in a variety of road conditions, albeit mostly hot, dry and twisty - though I was very impressed even in the cold, wet and very wet - they were still very sticky and better than PS4S without question, leagues ahead even (realistically not a even the real competition). Now... these are better than SC7, they’re more progressive and the front and rear axles in my Sport Diff’ed Quattro really felt in synch, it was far more difficult to get the back to step out vs PS4S. These Pirellis overall offer more steering feedback, feel more responsive and also more agile when making inputs at any speed. They're slightly stickier but definitely more comfortable vs SC7. And, after a lap of the Nordschleife they were fine - the SC7 let go earlier for sure (tested in the Scottish Highlands & even more local spirited driving - at least 3000 miles of driving them at ten tenths to prove them). After 2756 miles, the fronts are at 5.9mm and rears at 6mm - giving them a projected range of at least 11000 miles with this manner of driving and assumed higher rolling resistance due to higher temperatures abroad. I’d estimate greater longevity in the UK being daily driven with occasional spirited driving. Highly recommend this tyre, definitely my go-to, Pirelli have gotten their act together and taken down the SC7 (I didn’t think this was possible) whilst also doubling the range? Just a final thing to note - the PZ5 got better after a few hundred miles, they lost the softness and gained a sharpness when it came to the steering, I also felt they required less heat to feel like you were on rails. I am also directly comparing these most recently to PS4S which were worn down to 2mm which, at that tread depth, felt so much sharper vs when they were new.

This is probably the first review anywhere as these tires are brand new and just came out on the EU market. I bought the PZ5s completely blind so I wanted to provide some preliminary opinions for others.

In the dry these have loads of grip. Their overall feel is very sporty and firm. There is a nice degree of stiffness that makes turning on winding roads really fun. They feel safe and stable - there is no significant tendency to oversteer or understeer and predictability is good. I like the balance. At the limit, on the border of understeer, these bite-in nicely and tighten the trajectory. On bumps and uneven surfaces the PZ5s feel solid and impeccably comfortable.

I like their overall feel, responsiveness, comfort, sportiness and stability much more than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires I had previously. The launching traction provided by the Pirellis is also miles better than that of the Michelin set. This is very important in a 204HP FWD car.

I can't say anything about wear or wet performance yet, as we've had a very sunny and dry early spring this year and I haven't covered enough distance on these tires thus far.

Have YOU got experience with the Pirelli P Zero PZ5? Help millions of other tyre buyers

Review your Pirelli P Zero PZ5 >

I have now completed 9k miles - my fronts are at 3mm treads and rears are at 4mm. I would say everything in my original review stands. I'll be changing out the set when my fronts hit 2mm. I estimated 11k miles out of these, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

The last 2k miles have been completed with a full track suspension setup, with lightweight alloys and a full 2-piece J-hooked racing brake system - under heavy braking the tyres give way before the brakes. With the heavily reduced unsprung mass and increased damping performance, I can't provide a direct 1:1 comparison to my initial review. However I feel the steering response is even better, it has excellent precision and feedback - this has come at the expense of increased road noise (with the extra wear), overall I can confidently say this is better that Pilot Sport 4S at the same tread levels.

Fuel economy is worse now than when I first got the tyres, I guess this is the tradeoff for excellent grip, I would say definitely more rolling resistance vs PS4S. Ultimately, they are perfect blend between total grip, road feedback/handling and wear characteristics. It is just a shame that the sidewall isn't a bit stiffer, there is an ounce of flex - SC7 seemed to have been firmer, as did PS4S. It could also look a bit better!

The car has seen many speedways on the continent, it is completely planted on the Autobahn, it also dealt with very heavy rain as well as some ice and snow effortlessly - no loss of grip whatsoever, even if accidentally hitting standing water in the dead of the night on an unlit road (though this could be Quattro with Sports Diff). Everything else from my original review stands and I'll be buying these again, unless Michelin brings out the aftermarket Pilot Sport S5 - these are undoubtedly the best UUHP tyre available to buy for a passenger car.

I've always placed a lot of importance on the tires of my cars (the importance I believe they deserve). Until now, I've always been a loyal customer of Michelin and Continental, which for me are the best tire brands on the market. However, after wearing out the Continental Ecocontact 6 tires that came on my Mercedes C220d, I wanted to switch to tires more suited to my spirited driving style on country roads and highways.

Regarding the Continental tires I had before, I can't fault them at all, as they did their job well. They were very comfortable (although a little soft for my taste), they achieved good mileage and offered spectacular fuel efficiency, but they fell short when driving spiritedly on winding roads.
I was clear that my next tires had to be more sporty. I had previously tried (on other cars and sizes) the Michelin Primacy 4 (which gave me very good results and I liked their semi-sporty feel), the Michelin PS5 (excellent, although a little soft) and the Continental SP5 (also excellent), in addition to some other All-Season models, which don't quite convince me. As I said, I was looking for options from these two brands. I had already decided that I would have to choose between the PS5 and the SP7, but then I saw the test in this very publication of the best UHP summer tires, which clearly declared the Pirelli PZ5 as the winner.
I, a loyal customer and consumer of Michelin and Continental, had to try this for myself, especially since the new PZ5 has a beautiful sidewall and would look great on my car. I'm telling you all this because I want you to understand that I've always fitted what I consider to be the best tires. Well, once my new PZ5s were fitted, I couldn't wait to try them and corroborate what many were starting to say about the new Pirelli tires. That same weekend I prepared a short trip to a mountain village. The first impressions were... a complete shock. They were unlike anything I had ever tried before. As the young people say these days... it blew my mind.

The first thing that surprised me is how quickly they reach optimal temperature (I know this from the wheel sensors, which also measure temperature). I was pushing harder and harder in the corners, and it seemed like the tires had no limit; they just kept asking for more and more and more... It was an amazing feeling; they truly are ultra-high-performance tires. To make the tire slip or squeal, you have to do some really crazy things and you need a lot, a lot of horsepower. In corners, it feels like you have Velcro under the wheels. At high speeds on the highway, they're also impressive; they go straight as an arrow (provided the car is properly aligned, of course) and you can practically let go of the steering wheel at very high speeds. Regarding comfort, we must remember that I came from the Ecocontact tires, so they seem a bit noisy to me. And in terms of fuel consumption, well, more of the same; that level of grip is noticeable at the gas pump, but it's something you gladly accept when you try tires with this kind of performance and you enjoy spirited driving. In wet conditions, I haven't tried anything like them either. Simply put, I've never experienced the level of confidence and safety that these tires provide.

I currently have about 15,000 km on them and I'm more than delighted. I hardly notice any wear, so it seems they will have good mileage. I'll keep updating on this, to see how they age and if they are still as good in the wet at the end of their lifespan.

Much better in all conditions than the Bridgestone tires that came on the vehicle

A tire that is better than potenza sport, f1 supersport, michelin 4,4s, cupsport 2

Purchased these tyres off the back of Jonathan's YouTube review. Replaced a set of Pilot Sport 4S star marked tyres.

Despite the overwhelmingly good review, I was still a little skeptical about getting some Pirelli tyres. I'm glad I pushed through my prejudice and got them.

My god do they stick you to the road. Same corners, same speed with the PS4S the car would step out on me, even with traction control fully on. With the PZ5, not a hint of oversteer unless you turn off traction control and try to put down more power.

I haven't had much chance to try performance in the wet due to the dry weather we've been having in the UK, but I have no doubt it is excellent given Jonathan's review.

Steering responsiveness is a noticeable improvement from the Michelin's and they just overall feel a lot more predictable and has given me complete confidence in the car.

Only downside I have experienced is that fuel economy is about 5% worse on a long run, but that's a non-issue considering the performance.

I replaced my Continental Sportcontact 7 with Pirelli P Zero PZ5s. The Continentals were very good in the dry and wet, the Pirellis are better.
I've had Goodyear Asymmetric 6, Michelin Pilot Sport 4, Falken Azenis 520.
But the Pirellis are very, very good.

Initial thoughts on PZ5 compared to SportContact 7 which I had previously fitted on 235/35R19 size.

The PZ5 sits a lot more square on a 8.5 inch wheel on this size. Previous SportContact 7 almost had a slight stretched look whilst the PZ5 looks like it fits a wider rim more comfortably.

PZ5 is significantly more comfortable on small bumps and unevenness of the road and quieter and than SC7. There is a slight "howling" noise at around 80-90kmh on the PZ5 that I didn't notice on SC7 but they also were significantly louder all around.

Steering feel I find on the PZ5 to be a lot poorer on the initial input. The SC7 felt super sharp almost go-karty whilst the PZ5 feels you need to load the tire a lot more to get the same reaction. This feeling is amplified at highway speeds 120-140kmh where the PZ5 feels way more unstable on sharp direction changes compared to the SC7. Once the PZ5 is loaded to its side after the poorer initial reaction during cornering the grip feels to be the same.

Conclusions: If you want a tire that offers the best feel whilst sacrificing comfort and noise choose the SportContact7. If you want a more comfortable and quieter tire and you are willing to sacrifice initial steering feel go for the PZ5.

Just had them fitted, replacing SportContact 7. Really like the steering and the grip seems endless. Will update with wear soon but so far so good.