Tire Test Results

Tires Tested

• What We Liked: The steering and lateral traction, along with its well-executed winter performance.
• What We'd Improve: A slightly quieter ride without giving up performance.
• Conclusion: A worthy addition to the category that wastes no time in making an impact.

• What We Liked: It's good at most things, and a nice mix of composed and comfortable on the road.
• What We'd Improve: Some additional steering resistance would help.
• Conclusion: A reliable veteran that has aged well, but whose competition is catching up.

• What We Liked: The strong braking and grip work in harmony with its responsive steering.
• What We'd Improve: It could be a bit more comfortable.
• Conclusion: An all-rounder standout with few real weaknesses.

• What We Liked: The low overall road volume, balanced performance, and good winter grip.
• What We'd Improve: We'd appreciate more precision in steering and a bit less bounce on the road.
• Conclusion: A very well-balanced tire competing in the presence of greats.

What We Learned on the Road

Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.

The ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus was one of the more composed options available during our road ride though most of these tires displayed varying levels of stiffness typical of their performance-focused design. Steering was light, responsive and mostly accurate. It was controlled and gentlemanly over impacts while keeping noise from various surfaces down to a consistent medium volume. That isn't to say it was quiet per se, but that it blended into the ongoing noise of driving, without really standing out apart from some quieter, smoother surfaces where there was some noticeable tone variance. The P Zero AS Plus 3 was light and immediate to steer, a credit to its performance focus, but it could be a bit over-eager at times and some additional heft would require fewer micro-corrections. On smoother roads, it was among the lowest volume tires, but exhibited a constant mid-volume roar over coarse surfaces. It smoothed over many of the sharper bumps of the road resulting in more vertical movement for a ride that wouldn't jolt over imperfections but undulated with them. This is a point where the Potenza Sport AS contrasted well with the P Zero AS Plus 3 in design - it was firmer, but succinct. Impacts were sharper but more composed, keeping motion to a minimum. It wasn't better or worse, simply a difference in preference. Noise was somewhat higher overall, with even blended volume over coarse surfaces, joined by some emerging tones over smooth roads and cyclical pattern noise over most of the drive. Where it shone in particular was in sharp, responsive steering that eased through turns, ramps and lane changes with appropriate weight and accuracy. Finally, the Hypertrac All Season brought a softer approach over impacts and uneven surfaces but lacking some composure and firmness of the others, with more post-impact motion. It also introduced a distinct hollow ring over larger hits that deserved note. Otherwise, it handled the blending of various tones from travel well, without significant pattern noise, at a tradeoff for higher volume and a more consistent roar. The steering was eager, light and mostly accurate, but without more weight behind it, could feel a little too eager at higher speeds.

What We Learned on the Test Track

Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling, and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.

The P Zero AS Plus 3 was able to put up some of the fastest average lap times in an already fiercely competitive group of tires, coupled with its strong objective braking scores, it was clearly at home on our wet track. When it came to the way it actually felt to drive on, the steering wasn't as accurate as some other tires, or as weighty, or perfectly composed - but each element of the tire seemed tuned to play into the strengths or weaknesses of every other element. It would push a little, rotate a little, but never too much, every movement would flow into each other input on the track. The first thing that stood out to our team about the Potenza Sport AS was the steering. It was accurate, heavy and precise - guiding with authoritative force. It would thread through tighter slalom maneuvers with planted ease aided by its strong lateral grip. It wasn't the fastest around the track, nor the strongest in braking, but it was closely competitive with everything else, and its overall characteristics were strong enough together to form a very good experience. The ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus was light, quick and handled any available power nicely, it was just a step back slightly in terms of steering feel. In order of magnitude, it was a slight difference, but just enough to matter. When it came to communicating at the limits, it wasn't quite there. However, its powerful traction made for a reliable partner in the wet that was difficult to overwhelm. The Hypertrac All Season was capable of performing around the track, provided our drivers stayed within its traction window. Outside of that it would push through corners and unfortunately the fall-off past the limit could be abrupt and difficult to predict. It displayed steering that was just as light and responsive as top performers, even if it lacked the same accuracy or weight.

Once the track dried off, the P Zero AS Plus 3 felt extraordinarily well-balanced with objective bests in average laps. There was an argument to be made that its steering could use some additional heft, but its strong traction and gentle demeanor at its limits made it easy to simply transform thought to action moment-to-moment. The Potenza Sport AS had a proverbial leg-up in steering, with appropriate weight, responsiveness and crisp movement. It was well-balanced, nicely planted and felt comfortable leading with the front end. The ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus was still a performer in the dry, with a narrow advantage in objective braking and equally strong front axle direction led by precise, crisp steering. It simply felt more clinical, more sterile by comparison, without giving up an iota of ability. Finally, looking at the objective metrics for the Hypertrac All Season would reveal a tire just as capable as any other turning laps. It just didn't quite have the grip to match the others in performing the same maneuvers. Steering was still good, but not as precisely executed as we'd like.

Driving in Winter Conditions

Ultra High Performance All-Season tires' focus on warmer, clear road performance usually trades off winter traction for the gain in handling and response in the summer months. Lately, though, top tier Ultra High Performance All-Season tires have leveraged new technologies and minimized the trade-offs, and have raised expectations for snow and ice traction, even for this group of high-end performers. The Hypertrac All Season might have had a slight disadvantage in the dry and wet, but it seemed to have made up some ground in our winter testing. Boasting the quickest acceleration to twelve miles per hour and the shortest stopping distance from twenty-five, it seemed to have the longitudinal grip well in hand. During light handling inputs in the snow, the Vredestein's steering was a little slower to respond than the others and once it did, the rear end would usually try to make up for it with additional rotation. Regardless, our team found it was still an impressive showing in the snow for the category. Essentially matching the Vredestein in braking and about four feet further in acceleration distance, the P Zero AS Plus 3 also had an impressive performance. Not only was the Pirelli's acceleration and braking right in line with the leader, but its lateral stability was the best in the test. Our drivers found it to be the most precise and secure, making simulated avoidance maneuvers with no unwanted movement or wasted lateral push from the rear. The Potenza Sport AS delivered quicker acceleration than the Pirelli and was essentially right in line with it in braking distances, which showed it was yet another strong option for winter weather. The Bridgestone's quick and crisp steering was even present in the snow but never upset the chassis on dynamic turns, which impressed our team. Once again, all four tires moved in predictable unison and any break in traction was gradual and easy to control. The ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus delivered similarly impressive acceleration as the Bridgestone but took a little over five feet longer to stop the vehicle. Still, not a bad performance at all from what is historically a strong winter weather performer. Under light handling the Continental also has a strong front end authority with eager recovery that would only mildly unstick the rear end as it came back in line.

On the ice, each tire had a very similar measured longitudinal grip under both acceleration and braking. The ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus led the group by a thin margin in acceleration to twelve miles per hour and maintained about a foot advantage in braking distances. The Hypertrac All Season was in lockstep with the Continental in acceleration but required just under two feet longer to come to a stop. Essentially matching each other, and also right in line with the tight test group, the Potenza Sport AS and P Zero AS Plus 3 were a fraction of a second slower to accelerate and under a foot shorter than the Vredestein to stop the car on the ice.

Summary

Every one of these tires doesn't just have something to contribute: they are all noteworthy options that offer a level of comfort and performance that approaches a singularity of worthwhile choice. It isn't that they're indistinguishable. On the contrary, their differences may be varying levels of subtle, but they are certainly distinct. They are all very good tires and while comparing them is part of the process, it can't be overstated that charts and graphs alone don't tell the full story here.

Pirelli's P Zero AS Plus 3 typifies the Ultra High Performance All-Season experience in many ways. It offers an above-average quality of ride on the road, mixed with well above-average performance that can handle a myriad of weather conditions. As a new tire for 2023 and a successor in the P Zero line, it succeeds not only in doing its legacy proud but providing a more than worthy example for other tires in this category to aim for. Similarly, Continental's ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus proves that it was well chosen as a test benchmark here - and it is still our drivers' subjective choice for a daily driver on the road ride alone. Its skillful execution of commands on the track in both dry and wet conditions make it a worthy option and while the competition has certainly closed in, the level of technical accomplishment to reach this point by all parties involved is laudable. Most everything that can be written about Bridgestone's Potenza Sport AS has been about its excellent steering, lateral grip, and track-carving maneuverability and all of it has been true. The only thing holding this tire back is a somewhat less-forgiving ride experience and noise levels that unfortunately leave it less comfortable than its rivals, even if it's just as, if not more capable at times. And finally, the Vredestein Hypertrac All Season. It was pretty good on the road and can easily run with the other tires here in comfort, or noise, or steering individually, but as a whole, it wasn't the best. It's pretty good around the track and even when down on traction or braking comparatively, it was still controlled enough to be fun, to be lively. Its objective winter grip though is arguably some of the best in the test which deserves praise. Even if the others seemed more poised during dynamic maneuvers, the Hypertrac All Season has an advantage in absolute traction. It is simply a very good tire running alongside some of the best and that alone is, arguably, a reason for celebration.