Subaru BRZ Tyres
On this page you will find the best real world tyre reviews from owners of the Subaru BRZ.
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| Tyre Reviewed | Dry Grip | Wet Grip | Feedback | Handling | Wear | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 (8) | 91% | 95% | 91% | 76% | 96% | 86% |
| Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 (2) | 100% | 75% | 90% | 95% | 80% | 65% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 (250) | 93% | 90% | 86% | 88% | 79% | 80% |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport (14) | 92% | 85% | 82% | 80% | 83% | 86% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (148) | 92% | 87% | 84% | 86% | 80% | 85% |
| Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus (5) | 84% | 86% | 78% | 86% | 80% | 78% |
| Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08R (45) | 95% | 73% | 91% | 93% | 72% | 70% |
| Westlake SA 57 (7) | 86% | 77% | 81% | 84% | 90% | 67% |
| Vredestein Quatrac Pro Plus (10) | 86% | 89% | 89% | 84% | 75% | 80% |
| Yokohama Advan Sport V105 (44) | 90% | 81% | 83% | 83% | 76% | 77% |
| Falken Azenis FK510 (150) | 88% | 88% | 82% | 81% | 71% | 77% |
| Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS (14) | 94% | 74% | 85% | 96% | 65% | 59% |
| Hankook Ventus RS4 (20) | 87% | 72% | 84% | 88% | 86% | 61% |
| Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 (34) | 86% | 85% | 74% | 78% | 85% | 85% |
| Kumho WinterCraft WP72 (6) | 83% | 82% | 72% | 72% | 80% | 83% |
| Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 (67) | 84% | 79% | 81% | 81% | 77% | 76% |
| Vredestein Quatrac Pro (44) | 87% | 88% | 84% | 78% | 78% | 90% |
| Continental WinterContact TS 850 P (20) | 84% | 85% | 83% | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 (32) | 90% | 90% | 79% | 87% | 73% | 75% |
| Bridgestone Potenza RE71R (14) | 99% | 81% | 84% | 92% | 52% | 41% |
| Petlas Velox Sport PT741 (42) | 84% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 85% | 71% |
| Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (16) | 84% | 69% | 81% | 83% | 65% | 75% |
| Dunlop Direzza ZIII (2) | 85% | 75% | 80% | 85% | 90% | 60% |
| Michelin Primacy HP (201) | 84% | 75% | 77% | 74% | 77% | 76% |
| Hankook Kinergy 4S2 (59) | 81% | 81% | 72% | 74% | 77% | 75% |
| Accelera 651 Sport (26) | 82% | 70% | 78% | 76% | 73% | 73% |
| Toyo R888 (37) | 90% | 63% | 80% | 78% | 59% | 55% |
| Davanti Protoura Sport (32) | 75% | 53% | 67% | 62% | 70% | 68% |
| Laufenn S Fit AS (14) | 83% | 66% | 80% | 76% | 72% | 84% |
| Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 H457 (11) | 69% | 47% | 55% | 67% | 73% | 69% |
| Zeta Ztr10 (33) | 60% | 44% | 48% | 47% | 61% | 59% |
Subaru BRZ Tyre Review Highlights
Writing about the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 given 86% (215-45-17)
Driving on a combination of roads for 30000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 30000 spirited miles
Has these on my 20216 Subaru BRZ and loved them! I ran summer and winter tires, and rotated every 6,000 miles. I got almost 30,000 miles on them. They have a great tread pattern, and huge improvement over the OEM tires. I did not track the tires, but drove spiritedly with them when ever I could.
Writing about the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 given 82% (215-45-18)
Driving on a combination of roads for 8000 average miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 8000 average miles
This is my second season on these tires, and they work well on my 2024 BRZ tS. No issues at all. We generally don't get a huge amount of snow in one go, and if it's that bad, I don't travel. Anything up to 10 cm of snow and the tires are fine.
Writing about the Continental ExtremeContact Sport given 73% (215-45-17)
Driving on track for 8825 spirited miles
Driving on track for 8825 spirited miles
I purchased the Conti ECS after enjoying it on a GTI Mk7, but unfortunately it was a poor match for the BRZ. The ECS feels like its construction is too soft for its grip level, so it lacks precision and struggles with mid corner adjustments. I felt like I had to drive far ahead of the tire and anticipate its grip capability. While this was good for reinforcing the need to steer the BRZ with the rear axle more than front and I learned to drive the car better from my experience with this tire, it did not make the car more enjoyable and was barely faster on an autocross course than the notably low grip stock Michelin Primacy HP tires. Also reinforcing the impression the tire's construction was not stiff enough to match its lateral grip is the accelerated wear from 7 autocross events.
As a street tire I appreciated the ECS's excellent wet grip and actually enjoyed driving this tire in the rain as its normally delayed steering response felt much more suited to wet conditions. It also has a comfortable ride with good damping and was nearly as quiet as the stock Primacy HP tires. In dry street driving conditions the ECS still could not match the precision of the Primacy HP tires, making the car feel heavier and less agile. I think the ECS simply is not a good match for the BRZ, despite having many strong performance characteristics for a street tire.
As a street tire I appreciated the ECS's excellent wet grip and actually enjoyed driving this tire in the rain as its normally delayed steering response felt much more suited to wet conditions. It also has a comfortable ride with good damping and was nearly as quiet as the stock Primacy HP tires. In dry street driving conditions the ECS still could not match the precision of the Primacy HP tires, making the car feel heavier and less agile. I think the ECS simply is not a good match for the BRZ, despite having many strong performance characteristics for a street tire.
The long wearing reputation of the Hankook RS4 does not disappoint. I got 9500 miles out of mine including 14 track days and a couple autocross events, with minimal change in dry grip all the way to the end. I likely could have done a couple more track days with this set of RS4 tires, but was ready to try something new. The RS4's endurance will most likely draw me back for my next track tire.
The consistency is the highlight of the RS4's performance. It takes 2 laps to warm up typically, but any variation in pace after that was always driver error. It is remarkably insensitive to rising pressures with heat and never feels greasy on the BRZ. The tire actually improves in steering feedback and progressiveness at the limit as it gets hotter. The stiff construction likely helped keep wear remarkably even for a BRZ running only -1.6 deg front camber.
The biggest performance weakness of the RS4 is relatively numb steering sub-limit. It is not a fun street tire since the steering effort is relatively flat and the response is not as linear when cold. It's also more easily disturbed by mid corner bumps when cold than some other 200TW tires, which contributes to lower confidence on road compared to its on track character.
Wet grip when is not competitive with the latest generation of 200TW tires, but still manageable for drives to the track. On a wet track day, I found the lack of steering feedback at lower lateral loads and when the tires is cold difficult to build confidence in. It takes conscious effort to warm up these tires in wet conditions and continuous evaluation of the condition available to use the grip. While this concept applies to all tires, I feel the RS4 is more sensitive to warm up and is more challenging in wet conditions than other 200TW tires. I feel this is a reasonable tradeoff for the long wear and heat tolerance, but ideally want to have another set of track tires ready for wet track days in the future.
Comfort is acceptable for the category but there are better options. I was surprised when changing to Bridgestone RE-71RS to find a significant improvement in comfort and less irritating noise quality. Most of the cyclic noises from the RS4 happen at 30-50 mph so for highway trip to a track they are not consistently annoying especially in the first half of their wear life.
The consistency is the highlight of the RS4's performance. It takes 2 laps to warm up typically, but any variation in pace after that was always driver error. It is remarkably insensitive to rising pressures with heat and never feels greasy on the BRZ. The tire actually improves in steering feedback and progressiveness at the limit as it gets hotter. The stiff construction likely helped keep wear remarkably even for a BRZ running only -1.6 deg front camber.
The biggest performance weakness of the RS4 is relatively numb steering sub-limit. It is not a fun street tire since the steering effort is relatively flat and the response is not as linear when cold. It's also more easily disturbed by mid corner bumps when cold than some other 200TW tires, which contributes to lower confidence on road compared to its on track character.
Wet grip when is not competitive with the latest generation of 200TW tires, but still manageable for drives to the track. On a wet track day, I found the lack of steering feedback at lower lateral loads and when the tires is cold difficult to build confidence in. It takes conscious effort to warm up these tires in wet conditions and continuous evaluation of the condition available to use the grip. While this concept applies to all tires, I feel the RS4 is more sensitive to warm up and is more challenging in wet conditions than other 200TW tires. I feel this is a reasonable tradeoff for the long wear and heat tolerance, but ideally want to have another set of track tires ready for wet track days in the future.
Comfort is acceptable for the category but there are better options. I was surprised when changing to Bridgestone RE-71RS to find a significant improvement in comfort and less irritating noise quality. Most of the cyclic noises from the RS4 happen at 30-50 mph so for highway trip to a track they are not consistently annoying especially in the first half of their wear life.
Writing about the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus given 81% (215-45-17)
Driving on a combination of roads for 8477 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 8477 spirited miles
The P Zero AS+2 feels like a summer performance tire that happens to be prepared for sub-optimal conditions. It has a clear priority on precise steering and predictability in conditions ranging from dry to snow. The balance is remarkably consistent in dry, wet, and snow conditions providing great confidence in varied conditions. This was demonstrated for me at a Road America winter autocross where condition started with snow covered courses, but melted off to fully wet then partially dry conditions. I was able to quickly adapt to the changing conditions and find grip on all these surfaces, while enjoying the adjustability this tire allows. As a performance tire I prefer this to my previous Continental ECS summer tires and their adaptability to varied conditions is just a bonus. My only criticism of the P Zero AS+2 as a performance tire is the steering feel is not as crisp as the stock Michelin Primacy HP tires on the BRZ, but it comes closer than several higher performance summer tires.
Snow grip is manageable. I would not recommend the P0AS+2 for severe winter conditions, but it's a good choice for mild winter climates and trips where snow is a possibility.
The comfort and noise characteristics of this tire match its sporty character. It feels stiff initially but recovers well from impacts and works well with the suspension tuning of the BRZ. Noise levels are fairly high but its a broad background noise and is not annoying. Straight line tracking and stability are excellent, which helps make this a relaxing tire for long highway trips.
I have minimal wear after 8400 miles with some spirited driving included and expect to get about 35k miles from these tires.
Snow grip is manageable. I would not recommend the P0AS+2 for severe winter conditions, but it's a good choice for mild winter climates and trips where snow is a possibility.
The comfort and noise characteristics of this tire match its sporty character. It feels stiff initially but recovers well from impacts and works well with the suspension tuning of the BRZ. Noise levels are fairly high but its a broad background noise and is not annoying. Straight line tracking and stability are excellent, which helps make this a relaxing tire for long highway trips.
I have minimal wear after 8400 miles with some spirited driving included and expect to get about 35k miles from these tires.
Writing about the Michelin Primacy HP given 90% (215-45-17)
Driving on a combination of roads for 31000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 31000 spirited miles
I am currently on my 3rd set of these OE Primacy HP tires and have tried several other tires (Conti ECS, Michelin PS4S, Hankook RS4, Bridgestone RE-71RS, and Pirelli P0AS+2) on the BRZ. These are the most fun, comfortable, and quietest tires I've had on the car. The quick steering response and linearity makes the car feel lighter on its feet than any of the other tires I have tried. The instant response to direction changes and ability to hold a reasonable rear slip angle without losing lots of speed makes this tire great fun on street or an autocross course. These were the perfect tire for a recent trip to tail of the dragon where I greatly appreciated their millimeter precise ability to place the car and enjoyed feeling the balance of the car at reasonable speeds, then on the 550 mile trip home they are comfortable and quiet. Wet grip is good for the first 10-15k miles, but degrades with wear more than some other tires. I put 31k miles on my first set of Primacy HP, then 23.5k miles on the second with wear accelerated by a season of autocross events, and now have 3500 miles on my 3rd set. I'm glad to be back on a set of Primacy HP after trying a few other tires that don't suit this car as well for street driving.
Writing about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS given 86% (215-45-17)
Driving on track for 1600 spirited miles
Driving on track for 1600 spirited miles
The RE-71RS's track pace lives up to the reputation, but it's also a very intuitive tire to drive with good steering feedback right up to the limit and forgiving recovery. On the BRZ consistency has been decent. It's definitely quicker in lap 2-3 on hot days than at the end of a 20 minute session, but after the peak it is still precise and stabilizes at a pace still quicker than the Hankook RS4 tires I previously ran. On a cooler day (50-55F) I set my quickest laps on the 5th or 6th lap and consistency felt good through the whole 20 minute session. After 3 track days and at -1.6deg camber in the front the center rib is down to 2/32nds on the front tires. The outer shoulder still have 4-5/32nds, so I'm hoping with more frequent rotations to get 3-4 more track days from this set of RE-71RS. Even if the wear slows down, I'll change back to a more endurance focused tire since these are just too expensive to consume multiple sets a season. They're well worth it if lap times are a high priority.
Some other high points of the RE-71RS include great wet grip and surprisingly decent comfort for a 200TW tire. It feels stiff, but not punishing and has a very controlled feel after impacts. It's still an enjoyable tire to drive on the street as the precise steering is noticeable at street speeds too.
Some other high points of the RE-71RS include great wet grip and surprisingly decent comfort for a 200TW tire. It feels stiff, but not punishing and has a very controlled feel after impacts. It's still an enjoyable tire to drive on the street as the precise steering is noticeable at street speeds too.
Writing about the Kumho WinterCraft WP72 given 90% (225-45-17)
Driving on a combination of roads for 10000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 10000 spirited miles
Disclaimer: The numbers I chose for each rating are with the consideration that these are a "performance studless" winter tire, not really an outright "extreme nordic" winter tire.
Overall I am entirely satisfied with these tires. Are they the best winter tires ever? No, of course not. But I've driven them through two Quebec winters so far and have not once been stuck or let down. These are fitted to a 2023 Subaru BRZ that I drive daily throughout the year, and what makes me love these tires is that while they are entirely capable in every snow/ice/slush condition I've driven them though, they still are still very much enjoyable to drive on the average winter day when the roads are clear. These are on the car from early/mid November through to early April (close to 5 months of the year) so I didn't want some horrible handling, squishy, unresponsive winter rubber that completely ruins the fun of the car. I have Nokian Hakkapeliittas on my truck, and my wife's car as well, and they are the pinnacle of winter traction, but they are pretty horrible for daily driving on clear roads. These Kumhos, on the other hand, keep the car fun to drive and offer a measure of "performance" (it's all relative on winter rubber), all while doing everything I need a winter tire to do. I don't have the exact numbers, but I've driven over 16,000 kms on them over the course of 2 winters so far and the wear-indicator (3 dots that dissappear with use) still shows all 3 dots, with the first dot just starting to fade. (And I don't drive them gently... this car isn't made to be driven gently.)
Lastly, IMO they also look great, with a nice sidewall design and great asymetric tread pattern too.
Overall I am entirely satisfied with these tires. Are they the best winter tires ever? No, of course not. But I've driven them through two Quebec winters so far and have not once been stuck or let down. These are fitted to a 2023 Subaru BRZ that I drive daily throughout the year, and what makes me love these tires is that while they are entirely capable in every snow/ice/slush condition I've driven them though, they still are still very much enjoyable to drive on the average winter day when the roads are clear. These are on the car from early/mid November through to early April (close to 5 months of the year) so I didn't want some horrible handling, squishy, unresponsive winter rubber that completely ruins the fun of the car. I have Nokian Hakkapeliittas on my truck, and my wife's car as well, and they are the pinnacle of winter traction, but they are pretty horrible for daily driving on clear roads. These Kumhos, on the other hand, keep the car fun to drive and offer a measure of "performance" (it's all relative on winter rubber), all while doing everything I need a winter tire to do. I don't have the exact numbers, but I've driven over 16,000 kms on them over the course of 2 winters so far and the wear-indicator (3 dots that dissappear with use) still shows all 3 dots, with the first dot just starting to fade. (And I don't drive them gently... this car isn't made to be driven gently.)
Lastly, IMO they also look great, with a nice sidewall design and great asymetric tread pattern too.
Writing about the Vredestein Quatrac Pro Plus given 76% (215-45-17)
Driving on mostly country roads for 0 spirited miles
Driving on mostly country roads for 0 spirited miles
5.000 km (spring, summer 20°C to 36°C)
After approximately 4.000 km, the tire, with just under 1 mm of wear, has completed its break-in period. On highway trips up to 160 km/h, even in temperatures well above 30°C, it is an extremely comfortable tire, more so than the Q.Pro version, which was already excellent. The slowness and insincerity of the first few kilometers have given way to a responsive and predictable feel (it's as if the characteristics initially encountered up to 80 km/h have extended to at least double that speed). Sudden changes of direction are more linear and easier to handle than at the beginning, although a tendency toward oversteer, already noted with the previous version, remains. The softer sidewall compared to the Q.Pro version obviously results in less steering precision, but this can be well compensated for by adequate anticipation of maneuvers, once you become familiar with the characteristic inertias. On the usual track, consisting of a rapid succession of about twenty corners taken in third gear at around 6000 rpm, I noticed a reduced margin of grip at the limit. When drifting, however, it expresses good balance, proving very manageable and fun, so much so that it often encourages a bit of rough driving.
After approximately 4.000 km, the tire, with just under 1 mm of wear, has completed its break-in period. On highway trips up to 160 km/h, even in temperatures well above 30°C, it is an extremely comfortable tire, more so than the Q.Pro version, which was already excellent. The slowness and insincerity of the first few kilometers have given way to a responsive and predictable feel (it's as if the characteristics initially encountered up to 80 km/h have extended to at least double that speed). Sudden changes of direction are more linear and easier to handle than at the beginning, although a tendency toward oversteer, already noted with the previous version, remains. The softer sidewall compared to the Q.Pro version obviously results in less steering precision, but this can be well compensated for by adequate anticipation of maneuvers, once you become familiar with the characteristic inertias. On the usual track, consisting of a rapid succession of about twenty corners taken in third gear at around 6000 rpm, I noticed a reduced margin of grip at the limit. When drifting, however, it expresses good balance, proving very manageable and fun, so much so that it often encourages a bit of rough driving.
Writing about the Vredestein Quatrac Pro Plus given 80% (215-45-17-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 250 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 250 spirited miles
After 4 years and 33,000 km the excellent Quatrac Pro have hardened and are very close to the legal limit for an AS (4mm). Time and wear have made them wagging, still valid in the wet and very reactive in the dry, but on snow they would have been nothing short of a gamble.
And since I will be going to Germany again in January with the brz and the Quatrac Pro were not available, I recently mounted the Quatrac Pro+ (215/45/17 91Y XL B/C utqg400/A/A).
The Q.Pro+ have a softer carcass and sidewall, are less reactive, have a different compound more oriented to wet/snow and also require more running-in (at least 500 km).
The always very nice design remains unchanged with an appreciable footprint of the tread and the characteristic wide central rib.
At first I optimistically thought I could mount the Q.Pro+ only on the rear, leaving the old Q.Pro on the front which with a generous 5mm could have done another 10,000 km. But all the differences mentioned above are overall so important that, in the few days I rode with the new ones only on the rear, at every minimal change of direction I could perceive a clear oversteer combined with an appreciable lateral instability of the rear (cobblestone sensation, so to speak), practically disappeared, net of the remaining wax to dispose of, once the new ones were mounted on the front as well. I didn't think that the lack of homogeneity between the two axles could be so problematic. It was basically like having a summer tyre on the front and a winter tyre on the rear with the consequences of the case.
I will do a full review around 5000 km.
And since I will be going to Germany again in January with the brz and the Quatrac Pro were not available, I recently mounted the Quatrac Pro+ (215/45/17 91Y XL B/C utqg400/A/A).
The Q.Pro+ have a softer carcass and sidewall, are less reactive, have a different compound more oriented to wet/snow and also require more running-in (at least 500 km).
The always very nice design remains unchanged with an appreciable footprint of the tread and the characteristic wide central rib.
At first I optimistically thought I could mount the Q.Pro+ only on the rear, leaving the old Q.Pro on the front which with a generous 5mm could have done another 10,000 km. But all the differences mentioned above are overall so important that, in the few days I rode with the new ones only on the rear, at every minimal change of direction I could perceive a clear oversteer combined with an appreciable lateral instability of the rear (cobblestone sensation, so to speak), practically disappeared, net of the remaining wax to dispose of, once the new ones were mounted on the front as well. I didn't think that the lack of homogeneity between the two axles could be so problematic. It was basically like having a summer tyre on the front and a winter tyre on the rear with the consequences of the case.
I will do a full review around 5000 km.
Writing about the Falken Azenis FK510 given 78% (245-40-17-)
Driving on mostly motorways for 2000 average miles
Driving on mostly motorways for 2000 average miles
I bought these after about a month of searching for 245 wide tires that won't explose my budget, since I wanted some more meat under my BRZ. The sidewall feels softer than my previous set, but it's probably only due to the increased size (going from 215 on a 7in to a 245 on a 9in). Overall the tire has great grip, wether its cold, warm or wet. Tried a single session on them at a local racetrack, and they held very well! No understeer or oversteer even after pushing. I do have a slightly aggressive alignment, which may help. Overall its a great tire for a fun daily driver, maybe not as good as the top dogs in the UHP category, hopefully after some more miles they still shine.
Writing about the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 given 76% (215-45-17-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 18000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 18000 spirited miles
The Indy500 was the most affordable UHP tire option I had when I looked for tires (other than kumho's). Despite the affordability, this tire did very well. It lasted 25 000km and 4 track days. On track, it has good grip, but gets greasy after about 3 laps and, on my BRZ with stock alignment, falls into understeer city. The wear on the tire also shows that some camber bolts would have done wonders to help even out the wear during track days. Noise levels are fine, wet grip is very surprising, and on regular roads it's a very fun tire that gives great steering feedback. Unfortunately, the price increase after 2 years is substantial, I won't be buying them again, since for closer to 200$ CAD there are better options, instead of the 150$CAD I paid.