Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ vs Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 — 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 1 + 1 road tests and 655 + 234 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is ahead, 72–61

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Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport A/S 3+

All Season

± 7

Tests – · 1 test Owners 72 · 655 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“Just had these Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed to replace OEM Dunlops”

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
Tire BCooper

Zeon RS3-G1

All Season

± 7

Tests – · 1 test Owners 55 · 234 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

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

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7962

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 78.6 = 75

    Zeon RS3-G1: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.3 = 64

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Zeon RS3-G1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 79

    Wet

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +14
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 77 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8263

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 77 (est.) + 40% × 82 = 79

    Zeon RS3-G1: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 65

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Zeon RS3-G1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 63

    Snow

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +10
    53
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5842

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 57.9 = 63

    Zeon RS3-G1: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 42.1 = 53

    No road tests of snow for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Zeon RS3-G1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +4
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6357

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 62.7 = 65

    Zeon RS3-G1: 40% × 66.9 (est.) + 60% × 56.6 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–60

    Zeon RS3-G1: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 64

    No road tests of noise for Zeon RS3-G1. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +9
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7373
    Reviews found online6645
    Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–073%73%

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 66 = 70

    Zeon RS3-G1: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 44.7 = 61

  7. 70

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +17
    53
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1
    Reviews found online7053
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ vs Cooper Zeon RS3-G1: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
Relative Score 72 61
Dry 75 64
Wet 79 65
Snow 63 53
Comfort 65 61
Noise – 64
Treadwear 70 61
Handling (owners) 70 53

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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

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

Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Pilot Sport A/S 3+

± 7

Zeon RS3-G1

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ finished ahead 1 times and Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport A/S 3+Zeon RS3-G1ΔHead-to-head
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Treadwear 73% 73% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires · 225/40R18
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/19 #8/19 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires · 225/40R18

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions
  • Crisp, highly responsive steering and handling feel
  • Substantial upgrade in performance and wet weather confidence compared to OEM tires

Cons

  • Significantly faster tread wear than expected, often failing to reach the mileage warranty
  • High levels of road noise, buzzing, and droning that increase noticeably as the tread wears down
  • Stiff sidewalls leading to a harsher, less comfortable ride over bumps and road imperfections
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ review

Tire B 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

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Positive

Community members widely praise the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ for its dry handling, wet grip, and substantial improvement in ride comfort over stock tires. However, several users express reservations about its poor traction in genuine snow conditions and note that road noise can become prominent as the tread wears. It is frequently compared against competitors like the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 as well as its successor, the Pilot Sport All Season 4.

Top themes
#Dry cornering grip#Wet traction performance#Snow traction limitations#Road noise over time#Ride comfort comparison#Balancing and tire pressure#Comparison to Continental DWS

Based on 47 community posts

Tire B

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 is generally very positive, with owners highlighting strong wet and dry traction, quiet operation, and exceptional value for money compared to premium rivals. It is frequently considered as a budget-friendly alternative to the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 for high-performance and daily driving needs. Minor caveats noted by drivers include potential initial flatspotting, firmer ride compliance, and differences in steering feel.

corvetteforum.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by mcruzen Anyone have any experience running the following tires: Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 All-Season Yes, I am running 245/18 on the front and 305/19 in the rear. One of the few manufacturers that offer a 305 in ultra high performance all season. I got them last year and they have been great I do try to drive my car in the colder winter months, as long as there is no snow or salt dust on the roads. I never go to the track or drag strip, so these tires should be just fine.”

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”

bobistheoilguy.com ·2017-12-16

“Currently running 2 sets and really like them. Was a busy Sept/Oct for me as I had to buy 2 new sets of tires. Zeon RS3-G1 on the Taurus SHO. I think I'm up to about 3 or 4k on them now. FANTASTIC tire. Insane grip, wet or dry and while I can't speak for snow yet I bet they will be fine. Only downside is they seem to flatspot easily buy I remember the previous Michelins doing the same when new. Would not hesitate to buy them again. Discoverer AT3 on the F150. Same deal - I think up to 2k on them now. Great tire. Quiet and very good traction. Did have a chance to try them in the snow yesterday and they performed wonderfully. Again would not hesitate to recommend.”

Top themes
#Value and pricing#Wet and dry grip#Comparison to Continental DWS06#Quiet ride and road noise#Wide size availability#Cold weather performance

Based on 26 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ B · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available28
Rim diameters21″17″ – 20″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
UTQG—500 AA A
Treadwear warranty—45,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 70 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 79 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 75 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 63 vs 53 on snow.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Tire B · Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

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Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 79 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 75 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 63 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 65 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Zeon RS3-G1?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 70 vs 61 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