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Last updated 9/13/2024 - Originally published 9/13/2024
Written by SimpleTire
While Pirelli is originally from Italy, Cooper is an American company with its headquarters located in Ohio. Additionally, Cooper offers a wide range of tires for a number of automobiles, including performance cars, SUVs, trucks, and sedans. It has displayed expertise in manufacturing some of the best all-season tires in the US. In contrast, Pirelli has always been known for great performance, and its Ultra-high performance (UHP) tires are hugely in demand. However, the company has lately started diversifying into other segments such as all-season and all-terrain as well.
Which tire displays the best performance? Which tire would suit your car better if they both functioned the same? To assist you in choosing the best option, we will evaluate the Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 and Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires, we’ll make use of our SimpleScore rating system.
Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 tires
As a tire manufacturer with a vibrant history spanning more than 100 years, Pirelli has always been known for making quiet tires that easily handle at high speeds. The asymmetrical, H-rated Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 showcases a computer-tuned and optimized tread design that lowers road noise and vibrations for a quiet, comfortable ride. Additionally, Pirelli also awards it with a superb treadwear warranty, the details of which will be given later.
Being a reliable all-season tire, the P7 All Season Plus 3 brings forth the growth path of the Pirelli family in North America. This tire has been completely redesigned for sedans and coupes, presenting a new tread pattern that also produces great winter performance, in addition to its prowess on dry and wet roads. It is perfectly built for an agile car like the Hyundai Kona N, ensuring consistent performance on both city roads and highways. Various features and Pirelli’s reputation as a company that excels in making performance tires enable the P7 All Season Plus 3 to receive an excellent average SimpleScore of 9.3/10.
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires
Drivers who like variety love their selection of off-road and all-terrain tires. Cooper also offers a large selection of tires for a variety of weather situations, including winter and all-season options. They have a track record of developing ground-breaking tire technologies such as run-flat and self-sealing tires. The Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring uses the most recent advancements in tire technology, with an emphasis on handling. In addition to performance, it is also meant to offer a smooth and quiet ride. Visual indicators on the all-season tire make treadwear easier to see and provide conspicuous certainty. Apart from the above, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring comes with a healthy limited manufacturer tread life, details of which will be given during the longevity comparison.
Based on its strong traction, dependable lifespan, and great handling, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tire earns an average SimpleScore of 8.4/10.
Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 vs Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires on traction
Full-depth 3D sipes serve various purposes in different tires, and in the P7 All Season Plus 3, they improve traction. A newly developed tread compound here improves traction, but more significantly, it was designed with American consumers in mind. This tire enables Pirelli to introduce yet another tire to its "Plus 3 Generation", the new Scorpion AS Plus 3, recognized as one of the touring tires for the American market. During our road test, we found the P7 All Season Plus 3 suitable for an amazing traction SimpleScore of 9.5.
On the other hand, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring is an all-season touring tire that can be regarded as comfortable over long distances. It features Stabiledge technology to improve traction in dry, wet, and mild winters, earning an average traction score of 8.5. Additionally, 3D Micro-Gauge sipes help the CS5 Ultra Touring generate extra traction.
In terms of traction, the Continental TrueContact Tour performs better than the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3
Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 vs Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires on handling
To improve handling in both dry and rainy circumstances, the Pirelli tire has 3D sipes inside the shoulder that bite the road. These sipes are in charge of improving braking performance in addition to handling performance. This tire has an outstanding average handling SimpleScore of 9.3, which is a result of its high tread depth, which is considered responsible for excellent handling, cornering, and overall performance. With these tires, you'll enjoy highly responsive and linear steering control at all times.
While the Cooper tire is available in H and V speed ratings, the Pirelli gets faster options through H, V, and W. R-tech engineering gives the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring accurate handling by combining an extended and robust bead filler in the bottom sidewall with a Variable Density Nylon Overlay over the belts. Additionally, Cooper's unique rubber bumpers within the tread block gaps and 3D micro-gauge sipes ensure the best possible handling performance, leading to an average handling SimpleScore of 8.7.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3
Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3 vs Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires on longevity
Owing to the special rubber compound and the 3D sipes within the P7 All Season Plus 3, there is minimal uneven wear for a longer tread life. Full-depth sipes also play a role in minimizing irregular wear. This tire is backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty of 70,000 miles.
Overall, Pirelli is at a slight advantage over Cooper here due to its Confidence Plus Plan that includes a 30-day trial offer with the warranty. As a result, the P7 All Season Plus 3 was found suitable for a fantastic longevity score of 9.5.
The Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring has been specially designed to help drivers remain on the road for longer periods. It features a unique rubber compound for even wear, along with a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer treadwear warranty for V- and H-rated sizes and a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer treadwear warranty for W-rated sizes. Based on the above, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring was found worthy of a longevity score of 8.8.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3
When to use each
On the whole, we found that the Pirelli scored higher than the Cooper on all parameters. Those keen on driving for longer distances should select the Cooper. At the same time, you can also see how the Cooper is performing over time due to the Wear Square indicator. However, there is also a significant difference in the price, as you will soon find out.
Both the P7 All Season Plus 3 and the CS5 Ultra Touring are all-season tires that provide great traction and performance in wet, dry, and light wintry conditions. However, do keep in mind that neither of them is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, which means they shouldn’t be consistently used in deep snow or when the temperatures are constantly below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Which one should you choose?
Just by looking at the scores, you would have understood that Pirelli is clearly at an advantage here. Though the Pirelli offers drivers better overall traction, the Cooper does feature a modern tread compound and sipes for maximizing grip. However, Pirelli’s brand new tread compound offers an excellent balance of traction, performance, and comfort that is likely to be superior. Coming to the prices, the Pirelli P7 All Season Plus is the more expensive tire, starting at $131.29 per tire ($525.16 for 4), and the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring begins from $78.19 per tire (312.76 for 4).
Now, let us put together the reasons to buy the Pirelli P7 All Season Plus 3:
- You want better handling
- You want better overall traction
- You want more even wear for a longer tread life
Here’s why you should look at the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring:
- You need to cover long distances
- You want better wet traction
- You see the need for a Wear Square Indicator
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, and our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.