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Head-to-head Updated

Avon ZV7 vs Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R — 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 6 + 2 road tests and 146 + 4 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is ahead, 64–59

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Avon ZV7
Tire AAvon

ZV7

Summer

± 6

Tests 59 · 6 tests Owners 53 · 146 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Summer

± 7

Tests 63 · 2 tests Owners 63 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 6 in The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 61

    Dry

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +16
    77
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests6479
    Reviews found online5874

    ZV7: 60% × 63.5 + 40% × 57.9 = 61

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 79.3 + 40% × 73.5 = 77

  2. 69

    Wet

    ZV7 +16
    53
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests7446
    Reviews found online6363

    ZV7: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 62.7 = 69

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 45.9 + 40% × 63.2 = 53

  3. 61

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5871

    ZV7: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 57.9 = 61

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 71 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for ZV7. 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 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests68–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    ZV7: 60% × 67.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    No owner ratings of noise for ZV7. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 36

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +18
    54
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests36≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online3646

    ZV7: 60% × 35.8 + 40% × 35.9 = 36

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 59 (est.) + 40% × 45.6 = 54

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +17
    73
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Reviews found online5673
  7. 55

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests55–
Scores at a glance
CategoryAvon ZV7Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Relative Score 59 64
Dry 61 77
Wet 69 53
Comfort 61 70
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 36 54
Handling (owners) 56 73
Efficiency 55 –

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

ZV7

± 7

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryZV7Pilot Sport Cup 2 RΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #33/48 · 2023 Summer Tyre Market Overview 96% #2/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #18/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test 99% #3/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 89% #20/48 · 2023 Summer Tyre Market Overview 85% #5/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #12/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test 93% #4/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #23/48 2023 Summer Tyre Market Overview #5/5 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ZV7

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry traction when new
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • High value-for-money compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Widespread reports of premature tread cracking and perishing
  • Inconsistent and often rapid tread wear
  • Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback
All owner themes in the ZV7 review

Tire B Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Pros

  • Phenomenal dry grip providing a planted and confident feel on the track
  • Optimized design specifically for extracting maximum performance during time attacks
  • Superior circuit performance compared to the standard Pilot Sport Cup 2

Cons

  • Extremely limited performance longevity, with grip dropping off rapidly after just a few laps
  • Poor performance and safety risks in damp to wet conditions due to shallow and narrow tread patterns
  • Best suited strictly for single-lap time trials rather than extended track sessions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 R review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Avon ZV7 B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—7
Rim diameters—20″ – 21″
UTQG—140 A - B A

Which one should you actually buy?

Avon ZV7

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Avon ZV7 if wet matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 54 vs 36 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 73 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Avon ZV7 scores 69 vs 53 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 77 vs 61 on dry.

Tire A · Avon ZV7
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
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ZV7 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 R?

Which is better in the wet, ZV7 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 R?

Avon ZV7, 69 vs 53 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZV7 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 77 vs 61 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZV7 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 70 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZV7 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 54 vs 36 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