Head-to-head Updated

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Super Sport is ahead, 75–62

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Tire ACooper

Zeon RS3-G1

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 56 · 234 reviews

Best test result: #8 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)

“Are Cooper ZEON RS3-G1 - SIZE: 275/40R19 enough for an ecoboost? I got a flat rear tire and only changed 1 tire. I ended up with a cooper zeon RS3. The other 3 tires are fairly worn Michelin pillot sports of the same size. No one near me had the pilot sports and I needed to get this done fast as I had to go to work still. Now my car veers to the left when accelerating and to the right when I left off the pedal. Would replacing the other rear tire with the same cooper zeon solve the issue or do I need to change all 4 tires? Are the coopers good enough? The guy at ford said he'd never put a cooper on a mustang but maybe he though I had a GT?”

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 79 · 1,506 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 9 in 2011 Autoreview Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“12k on two consecutive sets of PSS. Stage 2 MK6 (285whp/325wtq), drive fairly aggressively, an odd track day or two here and there, full suspension but run aggressive alignment settings. No abnormaly quick wear in any one spot, they just look like racing slicks when I’m done. If you can afford it, they are well worth the $$. Other tires may come close in performance, but for daily use, can’t beat the comfort of the PSS”

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Pilot Super Sport +18
    81
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online6087
  2. 66

    Wet

    Pilot Super Sport +10
    76
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online6480
  3. 53

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Reviews found online42–
  4. 65

    Comfort

    Pilot Super Sport +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Reviews found online6175
  5. 64

    Noise

    Pilot Super Sport +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Reviews found online6175
  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Pilot Super Sport +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)72–
    Reviews found online5070
  7. 52

    Handling

    Pilot Super Sport +29
    81
    Why this score
    SourceZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super Sport
    Reviews found online5281
Scores at a glance
Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryCooper Zeon RS3-G1Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Relative Score 62 75
Dry 63 81
Wet 66 76
Snow 53 –
Comfort 65 72
Noise 64 70
Treadwear 63 68
Handling 52 81

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

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Zeon RS3-G1

Pilot Super Sport

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryZeon RS3-G1Pilot Super SportΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 61% #8/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires 17% #6/9 · 2011 Autoreview Max Performance Summer Tyre Test +44.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Zeon RS3-G1

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry and wet pavement traction
  • Low road noise levels and high ride comfort

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life with reports of premature wear
  • Limited performance in heavy snow or ice
  • Potential for slight decrease in fuel economy
All owner themes in the Zeon RS3-G1 review

Tire B Pilot Super Sport

Pros

  • Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
  • Precise steering response and excellent road feedback
  • Better-than-expected tread wear and mileage for a performance tire

Cons

  • Reduced grip and traction in cold weather (below 15°C)
  • Mediocre performance and tendency to aquaplane when tread wears down in heavy rain
  • High price point compared to some alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Super Sport review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Mixed

Community opinion on the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 is generally mixed, leaning positive due to its competitive pricing and value compared to premium alternatives like the Continental DWS06+. While many users appreciate them as an affordable, high-performance all-season option, others question how they compare in cold or wet weather or note distinct changes in steering feel and handling.

r/CrownVictoria ·31 upvotes ·2024-01-17

“Treated my land yacht to some new rubber to keep it anchored in the snow. Cooper Zeon RS3-G1”

r/ShopCanada ·3 upvotes ·2020-03-02

“[Canadian Tire] [Canadian Tire] Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire $109.73 Certain Sizes YMMV Deal Link Price: $109.73 Savings: 40% Expiry: March 26, 2020 Retailer: Canadian Tire Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire CLEARANCE (ON SELECT STYLES/SIZES) Copper Zeon RS3-G1 is a high-performance tire tuned for three-season and light snow conditions providing exceptional grip, handling and durability to your sports sedan or coupe. FEATURES Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All Season Tire is for high performance vehicles and enthusiast drivers The tread compound and design features great grip, stability and durability Delivers great performance on dry and wet pavement 3-D Micro Gauge sipes improve the stability of tread elements providing enhanced handling in wet and dry roads Asymmetrical tread pattern provides grip and stability during cornering maneuvers and reduced tire noise Made with a silica tread compound that is specially formulated to provide maximum dry and wet traction Cooper’s trademarked visual wear indicator provides peace of mind through informing drivers how worn their tires are ... 80013.html CLEARANCE (ON SELECT STYLES/SIZES) 225/40/18 for example, $109.73 EACH Stocktrack for 225/40/18 TireRack Review ... eon+RS3-G1 Stack with the SDM Can Tire $300 for $325 GC for more savings! Happy Hunting”

r/mazda3 ·3 upvotes ·2021-11-15

“New tires made car steering different I recently replaced my all my tires on my 2017 Mazda3. All of them are basically brand new (original owner of tires did not like it after installing it and took it off right away). However, after installing them I noticed the handling just doesn't feel as nice as before. The steering feels lighter and I feel like have to put in more input on the steering wheels. I don't know if it's the size of it (225/4OR18XL instead of the P215/45R18), brand (cooper zeon rs3-g1 ( supposed to be all season/ high performance tires)), tires aren't broken in yet, or where I got my tires installed at (Firestone). Is this normal with new tires? Read more”

Top themes
#Price and Value#Continental DWS06 Comparison#Wet and Cold Traction#Handling and Steering Feel#Tread Pattern Design

Based on 14 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is overwhelmingly positive regarding dry/wet grip, handling performance, and everyday usability for sports cars. While some users note high costs, rapid wear under aggressive track driving, or poor performance in cold and snowy weather, they remain widely praised as a benchmark summer street tire.

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2016-04-18

“Yes, you just have to drive the car harder/faster to get tail happy. They are noticeably stickier. Accelerating from a stop is faster and every corner can be taken faster. I can now go 65mph with PSS on a certain curvy road that I could max out about 55mph on the Primacys.”

r/cars ·40 upvotes ·2017-07-04

“They weren't kidding about Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They're way grippier than the Continental ExtremeContact DW tires that were rated #2 after the Super Sports on tirerack.com. I had a 2009 GTI with 225 width ExtremeContacts and now I have a 2016 with 235 width Super Sports. The difference is not subtle. Now, both have been gently upgraded to the Pilot Sport 4 S, and the ExtremeContact Sport. The only two max performance summer tires with a tread life warranty. 30k miles on square stance cars where you rotate them properly, and 15k on staggered.”

r/MiataNC ·21 upvotes ·2026-07-15

“Swapped out the 6+ year old Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires for some Kumho Ecsta Sports… Bought my NC2 in April 2025. It came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports made in late 2018/early 2019. Previous owner didn't drive much, so they had plenty of tread. Figured I'd run them for another year before I replaced them. They handled great and I put ~6,000 miles on them in the 13 months I've owned the car. I could tell they rode a little bit hard and recently, the tread blocks on the outside edge of the tires started cracking. So, I replaced them with the new Kumho Ecsta Sport tires in the factory 205/45/17 size. I don't track or autocross the car, so OEM size is good for me… I only drove it straight home from Discount Tire, so I haven't really put these thru their paces. So far, they ride a lot better and seem to have better grip than the old Super Sports that were on the car (not sure if that's because they're so new and the Michelin's were old or what…). They seem quieter than the Michelins and the steering feel is different, but I can't really quantify how it feels it with words, sorry! I should wash my car this weekend and shine these new shoes up :-)”

Top themes
#exceptional grip and handling#tread life and mileage#comparison to pilot sport 4s#performance in wet conditions#cost and pricing value#cold weather and snow limitations

Based on 64 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available850
Rim diameters17″ – 20″17″ – 23″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
UTQG500 AA A—
Treadwear warranty45,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Winner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 81 vs 52 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 81 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 76 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 72 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport

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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.

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

75

Leads

Pilot Super Sport

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