My 4 year / 45,000+ mile opinion of Pirelli Scorpion Zero Tires (Size 285/55/R18)
I had a set of Pirelli Scorpion Zeros installed on stock 18” rims around June 2003. They were size 285/55/R18 – the largest size you can get without trimming the cladding.
Four years and 45,000+ miles later, here is my opinion:
This tire ran like a unmemorable, lukewarm date. It was not particularly remarkable in its good qualities and for me, unacceptable in its bad qualities. I wouldn't go out with it again. :rolleyes:
Pros:
- Very sticky on the streets.
- Good grip in turns.
- Quieter than stock tires.
- Cute yellow scorpion logo matches the Proton nicely. ;-)
Cons:
- Caused my VX to “ride the rails” (slight grooves in the highway pavement created by semi-trucks). In the final 2 1/2 years, driving on certain stretches of highway was a “white knuckle” experience because the tires followed every groove, indentation, and pothole like a magnet. This problem became worse and worse as the tires aged. I cannot recommend these tires for this reason alone. Driving on imperfect highways was a scary experience requiring full driver concentration and two hands on the wheel. :(
- Another owner on here (John Eaton, I think?) reported that these same tires caused his alignment to go out of whack. When I finally got my new set of tires in July 2007, I found that my alignment was also off. I am not sure if the Pirellis caused this or not, but it lends credence to what John stated.
- The tires wore very unevenly, probably due to the above issue. I had them rotated every 7,500 miles or so.
As of this past week, I replaced my Pirellis with Toyo Proxes S/T in a slightly larger size of 285/60/R18. Hopefully this tire set will be better. Already I can tell that they don't have tendency to "ride the rails" like Pirellis. :p
