Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews
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 Yokohama ADVAN A052 — 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 + 5 road tests and 7 + 213 owner reviews. How we score
ADVAN A052 leads, 72–68 Narrow edge
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Tests 76 · 5 tests Owners 68 · 213 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 7 in 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
“Staggered BBSs Need Tires I have a set of BBS wheels that i have been restoring for my 89 944 NA. I am trying to figure out what tires to get and am running into a bit of trouble. The set of BBSs are 15in staggered. The front are 8in wide and the rear are 9in wide. When i had purchased these wheels they had 215/60R15s all around. Would this be a good fitment? I am hoping the rear will not look stretched. As i was researching staggered tires i ran into problems finding a matching set in the sizes 225 50R15 and 205 55R15. A local shop helped me find these for the front Yokohama ADVAN Fleva V701 (205 55R15) and these for the rear Yokohama ADVAN A052 (225 50R15). Im concerned to get these due to the tread pattern being drastically different. Another shop has Kumho Ecsta 4x KU22 picked out for the front. I would like to have performance summer tires that do not break the bank. If i were to do 215/60R15s all around i was looking at Falken Sincera SN250 A/S (which are not performance) or Vredestein Sprint Classic which i am not sure of. I am a bit at a loss here and would greatly appreciate any advice or help selecting tires as this is not something i am comfortable with given the lack of options at this wheel size.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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73
Dry
ADVAN A052 +780Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 75 90 Direzza DZ03: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 73
ADVAN A052: 60% × 73.6 + 40% × 89.9 = 80
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).
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68
Wet
ADVAN A052 +573Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 67 67 Direzza DZ03: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.5 = 68
ADVAN A052: 60% × 77.8 + 40% × 67 = 73
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).
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–
Snow
No comparison73Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online – 74 ADVAN A052: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 73.9 = 73
No road tests of snow for ADVAN A052. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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57
Comfort
ADVAN A052 +1067Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 51 63 Direzza DZ03: 40% × 65.2 (est.) + 60% × 51.3 = 57
ADVAN A052: 40% × 74.1 + 60% × 62.6 = 67
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).
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–
Noise
No comparison77Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests – 77 Reviews found online – 77 ADVAN A052: 60% × 76.8 + 40% × 76.5 = 77
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64
Treadwear
Direzza DZ03 +1450Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 62 40 Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 64
ADVAN A052: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 39.5 = 50
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 ADVAN A052. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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74
Handling (owners)
ADVAN A052 +1084Why this score
Source Direzza DZ03 ADVAN A052 Reviews found online 74 84
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Direzza DZ03 | Yokohama ADVAN A052 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 72 |
| Dry | 73 | 80 |
| Wet | 68 | 73 |
| Snow | – | 73 |
| Comfort | 57 | 67 |
| Noise | – | 77 |
| Treadwear | 64 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 74 | 84 |
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
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
Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Direzza DZ03
72
/ 100
ADVAN A052
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
Tire B ADVAN A052
Pros
- Class-leading dry grip and traction, often compared to dedicated racing slicks.
- Rapid warm-up time, providing peak performance almost immediately.
- Surprisingly high levels of wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance for a performance tire.
Cons
- Rapid tread wear, especially when used on heavy vehicles or without aggressive camber settings.
- Tendency to 'grease up' or lose performance during long, high-intensity track sessions.
- Soft sidewall construction can lead to vague steering feel or 'sponginess' compared to stiffer competitors.
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Dunlop Direzza DZ03
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Yokohama ADVAN A052
The community regards the Yokohama ADVAN A052 as a top-tier, high-performance competition tire that offers exceptional dry grip and competitive edge in autocross and track settings. Users frequently compare them favorably against other extreme performance tires like the Bridgestone RE-71R/RE-71RS, though questions remain regarding their longevity for long-distance road trips.
r/tires
·2 upvotes ·2023-07-04
“Long trip with Advans A052? I'm planning a trip to the Nürburgring to attend a trackday this October. The problem is that I live 1300 km away, so the tyres should be able to cope with that, some 20 laps at medium-fast pace at the Nordschleife, and the drive back home. Are the Advan A052 tyres way to soft for such a long trip? Will they last? Wouldn't it be wiser to settle for a more conservative set of Michelins PS4? The car is a 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera, 1210 kg... Read more”
northamericanmotoring.com
“I went with Yokohama ADVAN A052 225/45/17s for AUTOx They are more expensive but they are definitely lighter than the N2s...20.6#s vs ~25#s from what I found on the internet.”
r/tires
·9 upvotes ·2020-01-18
“Yokohama ADVAN A052 315/30R18 and 265/35R18 - BEEFY!”
Top themes
#exceptional dry grip#autocross and track performance#tire longevity and wear#comparison with bridgestone#tire sizing and fitment
Based on 12 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 | B · Yokohama ADVAN A052 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 61 |
| Rim diameters | — | 13″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 7/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Dunlop Direzza DZ03
72
/ 100
Yokohama ADVAN A052
Narrow edge: Yokohama ADVAN A052 — better comfort, handling 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 A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 64 vs 50 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Yokohama ADVAN A052 scores 67 vs 57 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Yokohama ADVAN A052 scores 84 vs 74 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Yokohama ADVAN A052 scores 80 vs 73 on dry.
Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire B · Yokohama ADVAN A052
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Direzza DZ03 or ADVAN A052?
Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or ADVAN A052?
Yokohama ADVAN A052, 73 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or ADVAN A052?
Yokohama ADVAN A052, 80 vs 73 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or ADVAN A052?
Yokohama ADVAN A052, 67 vs 57 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or ADVAN A052?
Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 64 vs 50 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