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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

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 vs Avon AS7 Gen 2 — 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 + 1 road tests and 7 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Direzza DZ03 is ahead, 68–63

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Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews

Avon AS7 Gen 2
Tire BAvon

AS7 Gen 2

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests 68 · 1 test Owners 58 · 7 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Direzza DZ03 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7561

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

    AS7 Gen 2: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 60.8 = 69

    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. 68

    Wet

    Direzza DZ03 +5
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)61
    Reviews found online6767

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

    AS7 Gen 2: 60% × 61.3 + 40% × 66.6 = 63

    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. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online–54

    AS7 Gen 2: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 61

    No road tests of snow for AS7 Gen 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 57

    Comfort

    AS7 Gen 2 +1
    58
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5153

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

    AS7 Gen 2: 40% × 65.5 (est.) + 60% × 52.7 = 58

    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).

    No road tests of comfort for AS7 Gen 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 64

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ03 +7
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6251

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

    AS7 Gen 2: 60% × 61.1 (est.) + 40% × 51.4 = 57

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for AS7 Gen 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza DZ03 +19
    55
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03AS7 Gen 2
    Reviews found online7455
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ03Avon AS7 Gen 2
Relative Score 68 63
Dry 73 69
Wet 68 63
Snow – 61
Comfort 57 58
Treadwear 64 57
Handling (owners) 74 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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

Direzza DZ03

± 7

AS7 Gen 2

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B AS7 Gen 2

Pros

  • Commendable grip and braking performance in dry and heavy wet conditions
  • Good wear characteristics reported on certain vehicles like the Subaru Forester and Peugeot 207
  • Improves or maintains fuel economy for some drivers compared to previous fitments

Cons

  • Noticeable tread noise on rougher tarmac surfaces
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some users, leading to premature replacement
  • Poor grip and unpredictable handling on mild damp roads, ice, and light snow
All owner themes in the AS7 Gen 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 B · Avon AS7 Gen 2
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Avon AS7 Gen 2

Winner: Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — better handling, treadwear and wet. Where the Avon AS7 Gen 2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Avon AS7 Gen 2 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 74 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 64 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 68 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 73 vs 69 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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Tire B · Avon AS7 Gen 2
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Direzza DZ03 or AS7 Gen 2?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or AS7 Gen 2?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or AS7 Gen 2?

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

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or AS7 Gen 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 57 vs 58 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or AS7 Gen 2?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 64 vs 57 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