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Dunlop Direzza DZ03 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Avon ZT7 vs Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 14 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Direzza DZ03 is ahead, 68–56

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Avon ZT7
Tire AAvon

ZT7

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 48 · 14 reviews

Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire BDunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 57

    Dry

    Direzza DZ03 +16
    73
    Why this score
    SourceZT7Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5175

    ZT7: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.7 = 57

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 73

    No road tests of dry for ZT7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 60

    Wet

    Direzza DZ03 +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZT7Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5567

    ZT7: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 55.4 = 60

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.5 = 68

    No road tests of wet for ZT7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 56

    Comfort

    Direzza DZ03 +1
    57
    Why this score
    SourceZT7Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5051

    ZT7: 40% × 64.8 (est.) + 60% × 49.6 = 56

    Direzza DZ03: 40% × 65.2 (est.) + 60% × 51.3 = 57

    No road tests of comfort for ZT7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 49

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ03 +15
    64
    Why this score
    SourceZT7Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 56 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online3862

    ZT7: 60% × 56.3 (est.) + 40% × 37.9 = 49

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for ZT7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza DZ03 +25
    74
    Why this score
    SourceZT7Direzza DZ03
    Reviews found online4974
Scores at a glance
CategoryAvon ZT7Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Relative Score 56 68
Dry 57 73
Wet 60 68
Comfort 56 57
Treadwear 49 64
Handling (owners) 49 74

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

ZT7

± 8

Direzza DZ03

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A ZT7

Pros

  • High value for money compared to premium brands like Pirelli or Continental
  • Impressively low noise levels and high ride comfort due to compliant sidewalls
  • Good grip and predictable handling for daily commuting and normal driving conditions

Cons

  • Tendency for premature sidewall cracking or perishing within 2 to 4 years
  • Prone to progressive understeer or reduced grip when pushed hard in corners
  • Inconsistent wet performance and aquaplaning susceptibility reported by some commercial users
All owner themes in the ZT7 review

Tire B Direzza DZ03

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and cornering confidence
  • Significant lap time improvements compared to entry-level semi-slicks
  • High durability and consistent performance under intense heat cycles

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise, often compared to failing wheel bearings
  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • Poor performance in standing water with high risk of aquaplaning
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ03 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Avon ZT7 B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Avon ZT7

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Winner: Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Avon ZT7 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 74 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 73 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 64 vs 49 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 68 vs 60 on wet.

Tire A · Avon ZT7
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Tire B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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ZT7 or Direzza DZ03?

Which is better in the wet, ZT7 or Direzza DZ03?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 68 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZT7 or Direzza DZ03?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 73 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZT7 or Direzza DZ03?

Neither, by our numbers: 56 vs 57 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, ZT7 or Direzza DZ03?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 64 vs 49 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology