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 ZZR 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 11 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Direzza DZ03 leads, 68–65 Narrow edge

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Avon ZZR
Tire AAvon

ZZR

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 11 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. 69

    Dry

    Direzza DZ03 +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceZZRDirezza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7075

    ZZR: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 69

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

    No road tests of dry for ZZR. 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. 63

    Wet

    Direzza DZ03 +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZZRDirezza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6167

    ZZR: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 60.5 = 63

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

    No road tests of wet for ZZR. 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. 62

    Comfort

    ZZR +5
    57
    Why this score
    SourceZZRDirezza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6051

    ZZR: 40% × 66.8 (est.) + 60% × 59.6 = 62

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

    No road tests of comfort for ZZR. 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. 62

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ03 +2
    64
    Why this score
    SourceZZRDirezza DZ03
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5962

    ZZR: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 59 = 62

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

    No road tests of treadwear for ZZR. 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. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza DZ03 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceZZRDirezza DZ03
    Reviews found online7174
Scores at a glance
CategoryAvon ZZRDunlop Direzza DZ03
Relative Score 65 68
Dry 69 73
Wet 63 68
Comfort 62 57
Treadwear 62 64
Handling (owners) 71 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

ZZR

± 8

Direzza DZ03

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ZZR

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and traction
  • Strong performance consistency during consecutive track laps
  • Lightweight construction ideal for track-oriented vehicles

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather performance and high risk of aquaplaning
  • Sensitive to low temperatures
  • Thin sidewalls provide minimal rim protection
All owner themes in the ZZR 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 ZZR B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Avon ZZR

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Narrow edge: Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — better wet and dry. Pick the Avon ZZR if comfort matters most to you. Avon ZZR rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 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 A You want the most comfortable ride

Avon ZZR scores 62 vs 57 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 68 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 73 vs 69 on dry.

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

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

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 68 vs 63 on our wet score.

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

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 73 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZZR or Direzza DZ03?

Avon ZZR, 62 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZZR or Direzza DZ03?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 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