tirewheelguide

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 ZZ5 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 93 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

ZZ5 is ahead, 74–68

Check price on Amazon · ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Avon ZZ5
Tire AAvon

ZZ5

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 93 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. 76

    Dry

    ZZ5 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceZZ5Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8175

    ZZ5: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 76

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

    No road tests of dry for ZZ5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    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 0.41).

  2. 77

    Wet

    ZZ5 +9
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZZ5Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8067

    ZZ5: 60% × 75.7 (est.) + 40% × 79.8 = 77

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

    No road tests of wet for ZZ5. 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. 72

    Comfort

    ZZ5 +15
    57
    Why this score
    SourceZZ5Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7451

    ZZ5: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 74.2 = 72

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

    No road tests of comfort for ZZ5. 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. 64

    Treadwear

    Level
    64
    Why this score
    SourceZZ5Direzza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6262

    ZZ5: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 64

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for ZZ5. 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. 81

    Handling (owners)

    ZZ5 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceZZ5Direzza DZ03
    Reviews found online8174
Scores at a glance
CategoryAvon ZZ5Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Relative Score 74 68
Dry 76 73
Wet 77 68
Comfort 72 57
Treadwear 64 64
Handling (owners) 81 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

ZZ5

± 8

Direzza DZ03

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ZZ5

Pros

  • Excellent dry and wet grip performance
  • High value-for-money compared to premium competitors
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise and improved ride comfort

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature wear
  • Poor performance in snow or icy conditions
  • Occasional reports of increased noise or 'droning' as the tire wears
All owner themes in the ZZ5 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 ZZ5 B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Avon ZZ5

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Winner: Avon ZZ5 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Avon ZZ5 scores 72 vs 57 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Avon ZZ5 scores 77 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Avon ZZ5 scores 81 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Avon ZZ5 scores 76 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · Avon ZZ5
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03?

Which is better in the wet, ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03?

Avon ZZ5, 77 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03?

Avon ZZ5, 76 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03?

Avon ZZ5, 72 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZZ5 or Direzza DZ03?

Neither, by our numbers: 64 vs 64 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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