tirewheelguide

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 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 Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 7 + 2 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Direzza DZ03 68, Ventus RS3 Z222 67.

Check price on Amazon · Direzza DZ03 Check price on Amazon · Ventus RS3 Z222
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Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

Provisional

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. 73

    Dry

    Direzza DZ03 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ventus RS3 Z222
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)67
    Reviews found online7679

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 73

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 67 + 40% × 79 = 72

    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 0.40).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Direzza DZ03 +6
    60
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ventus RS3 Z222
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)52
    Reviews found online6572

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 51.9 + 40% × 71.8 = 60

    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 0.56).

  3. 60

    Comfort

    Ventus RS3 Z222 +7
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ventus RS3 Z222
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5165

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 65.1 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 63

    Treadwear

    Ventus RS3 Z222 +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ventus RS3 Z222
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6268

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.4 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 63

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67

    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 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Ventus RS3 Z222. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  5. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus RS3 Z222 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ventus RS3 Z222
    Reviews found online7477
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ03Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222
Relative Score 68 67
Dry 73 72
Wet 66 60
Comfort 60 67
Treadwear 63 67
Handling (owners) 74 77

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
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Direzza DZ03

Ventus RS3 Z222

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 Ventus RS3 Z222

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip with minimal warm-up time required
  • Predictable and progressive handling characteristics
  • Superior wet weather performance compared to typical semi-slick tires

Cons

  • Limited suitability for snow or freezing conditions
  • Performance is highly dependent on achieving optimal operating temperature
  • Stiff sidewall construction may impact ride comfort for some users
All owner themes in the Ventus RS3 Z222 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 B · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222

Too close to call: Dunlop Direzza DZ03 and Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 is stronger on wet. Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 is stronger on comfort and treadwear. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 scores 67 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 66 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 scores 67 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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Tire B · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222
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Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 66 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222?

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222, 67 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or Ventus RS3 Z222?

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222, 67 vs 63 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