The Advan dB came as the factory tyre on my Mazda3 BP. Mazda’s engineers have been pretty clear about their approach with the BP: they wanted stiffer bushings paired with a more deflecting sidewall compared to the last-generation Mazda3, so the suspension stays controlled while the tyre sidewall does the work of damping out bumps.
As an OE touring tyre, it’s just about OK dynamically—soft sidewalls and calm responses that suited the chassis as intended. Push on a bit and the Mazda3 shows some entry and mid-corner understeer, and the tyre wallows a bit like you’d expect from a touring tyre, but it’s progressive, predictable, and easy to read at the limit. Outright grip is fine for what it is.
Where the Advan db live up to the standard is comfort. It’s quite absorbent over terrible road surfaces in my city and fits Mazda’s engineering approach—keeps the ride settled and quiet. In the wet, it’s decent and safe, but feels average next to newer, more sporty tyres like the Michelin PS5 I had on other cars.
For daily commuting, it does the job and complements the car’s sporty yet refined for its class well enough. But I wanted a bit more sportiness from my tyres—which is why a move to a soft-sidewall performance tyre like the Michelin PS5 or Continental MC7 is next on the list.
