Tire Test Results

Tires Tested

• What We Liked: It's good in most warm weather situations.
• What We'd Improve: The steering characteristics and noise comfort could be marginally improved, while its snow performance needs a monumental improvement.
• Conclusion: It's a nicely balanced, EV-focused option for when there's no snow on the ground.

• What We Liked: The steering is very nice, and it delivers a quiet, pleasant ride on the road.
• What We'd Improve: The wet traction needs a very big increase.
• Conclusion: It's a responsive, comfortable tire with one aspect that needs improvement.

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.

In our on-road testing, the P Zero All Season Plus Elect delivered very good ride and noise characteristics, leading the test in both metrics. It remained serene through our route, tamping down harsh road noise with fewer secondary tones and a nice, quiet coast to lower speeds. Large impacts were appropriately smoothed over, with less vertical motion and noise from hitting imperfections. Small, repetitive undulations were muted very well, resulting in limited perceptible disturbance for the vehicle occupants. Handling was also a pleasant, and test-leading, experience. It was precise and natural, with quick response just off center making the vehicle feel alert and agile. The ElectricDrive GT created some additional noise on all surfaces, but it was still very satisfying in that regard. There was very minor tread growl on coarse roads, and minimal tones that were slightly higher in volume on stretches of smooth pavement. The ride matched the personality of our Tesla Model 3 test vehicles very nicely, with a good blend of firmness and control. It was composed and only slightly firmer than the Pirelli, but likely would be considered equivalent without a back-to-back comparison. The steering was a more noticeable step behind, but once again not dissatisfying. There was a slight delay before the tire responded to inputs, which made it feel a little dull compared to the ever-alert Pirelli. On higher-speed on- and off-ramps, it was accurate and nicely weighted, but lacked the "sporty" eagerness commonly associated with Ultra High Performance tires.

Real-World Range and Efficiency Testing

To evaluate the efficiency of each tire and its corresponding impact on vehicle range, our team drove both tires on a defined, 100-mile route on the highways near Tire Rack's South Bend headquarters. We used two identical vehicles, driven in tandem, and efforts were taken to ensure identical conditions for each tire. Even so, our reported findings are the results of our specific test parameters, and your range may vary.

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.

In our wet track evaluation, the ElectricDrive GT led the show, providing confident traction that delivered a superior performance in our objective test metrics. Braking traction in particular was an order of magnitude greater, stopping our Model 3 test vehicle over 20 feet shorter from 50 mph. Dynamically, the front axle dominated the performance. It didn't feel free or particularly athletic, and the steering was a little slow to respond. As long as the driver made sure not to ask for more than the front tires' grip could provide, it resulted in a composed, capable experience. Stepping over the limit resulted in safe, but frustrating, understeer. The P Zero All Season Plus Elect was a more eager participant in terms of inherent athletic ability, but it was let down by the middling traction at the driver's disposal. The steering was light and quick in its response to inputs, which gave the vehicle a lively feel. Adding to that, the balance was oversteer-dominant, so it was eager to rotate. The driver could easily induce yaw under throttle or braking, at corner exit or entry, or during the steady-state corner of the skid pad. It was always controllable and helped set faster lap times on our closed track, but it would require care and concentration in a real-world situation.

On the dry track, the Pirelli's athleticism helped create an advantage in objective lap time, and even more so in our testers' subjective evaluation. While the two tires tied in 50-0 mph braking and lateral grip around the skid pad, the P Zero All Season Plus Elect was faster through the slalom and in average laps. The quick, precise steering allowed the driver to place the vehicle through turns, and it was happy to provide easily usable rotation to help out when needed. The balance was more neutral than anything, but it would push if the driver attempted to carry too much speed at corner entry. The ElectricDrive GT was pushy by nature, which made it feel noticeably less willing than the Pirelli. The steering was a little dull, and our team really had to manhandle it to get it to respond with any alacrity. Even so, it's likely a rare situation one of these tires will be asked to perform in a similar way, and the overall assessment was acceptable, if not a standout.

Driving in Winter Conditions

Snow and ice are among the most demanding conditions that tires can experience, even the most capable dry or wet tires can struggle in winter weather. The concessions that warmer weather, off-road, or even all-season tires must make can't match a dedicated winter tire, but knowing how they'll perform in unexpected or occasional light winter weather is always good information for drivers.

In snowy conditions, the P Zero All Season Plus Elect very comfortably led the test, accelerating to 12mph in 17 ft, and coming to a stop from 25mph in 63.3 ft. In contrast, the ElectricDrive GT lagged in acceleration, requiring almost 7 additional feet to reach speed. Even more glaringly, it needed over 40 feet longer to come to a stop, totaling 104.4 feet, a shockingly long result.

On the ice, contrarily, the P Zero All Season Plus Elect took 56.6 ft to come to a stop, leading the group. The ElectricDrive GT remained closer on the slippery ice, though it still took some additional distance, at 61 ft, to come to a halt.

Summary

We've argued before that the combination of characteristics drivers expect from Ultra High Performance All-Season tires is the most difficult to achieve of any category. When you add the demands of an electric vehicle platform to the mix, well, that's a tall order. The two EV-focused Ultra High Performance All-Season tires in our test do a nice job managing the balance of inherently conflicting expectations. The Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus Elect is fun to drive on the street thanks to its satisfying steering and quiet, comfortable demeanor. It's athletic and proficient in the dry, capable on the snow and ice but struggles significantly in the wet. The Goodyear ElectricDrive GT takes more of a “middle ground” approach. While it doesn't soar as high as the Pirelli in the fun-to-drive metrics, it also doesn't fall below expectations in wet traction. Its grip in winter environments is a separate conversation entirely, and suffers to such a degree that drivers should consider it a warm weather tire exclusively. On the road, it provides a comfortable, composed ride paired with impressive sound quality that nonetheless leaves a small amount of room for improvement.