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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 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect — 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 + 2 road tests and 7 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect leads, 71–69 Narrow edge

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Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect

Summer

± 6

Tests 74 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 9 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 10 in 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 71 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7676

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 75.3 + 40% × 76 = 76

    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

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 68 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6769

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 68.6 = 72

    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. 58

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5266

    Direzza DZ03: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 51.9 = 58

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 66.4 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–70
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 70 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 64

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ03 +6
    58
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online6253

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 61.6 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Reviews found online7475
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–67
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ03Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
Relative Score 69 71
Dry 73 76
Wet 68 72
Comfort 58 67
Noise – 69
Treadwear 64 58
Handling (owners) 74 75
Efficiency – 67

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Direzza DZ03

± 6

Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect

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 Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect

Pros

  • Significant lap time improvements and reliable dry grip
  • Enhanced wet performance and aquaplaning resistance compared to predecessor tires
  • Surprising daily driving comfort and compliance

Cons

  • Initial tread scrubbing and vibration when brand new
  • Can struggle under extremely high track temperatures (e.g., 54C)
  • Some users reported soft sidewalls or vague feedback near the limit
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect

Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect — better comfort, wet and dry. Pick the Dunlop Direzza DZ03 if treadwear matters most to you. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 67 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 64 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 72 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 76 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
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Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 72 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 76 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 67 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 64 vs 58 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