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Last updated 4/04/2024 - Originally published 4/04/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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Among the top tire manufacturers in the world, Pirelli and Goodyear are known to produce superior quality tires in a wide range of categories for vehicles of different shapes and sizes. Both offer excellent value and performance on their tires be it all-season or winter. The Scorpion AS Plus 3 and Assurance CS Fuel Max are two fantastic all-season tire lines of Pirelli and Goodyear, respectively.
Designed for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 and Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max all-season tires are the go-to tires if you’re in for superb grip and traction on dry, wet, and light wintry conditions year-round. While both are neck-and-neck in terms of performance and value, which one should you pick? Let’s compare Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max using our proprietary SimpleScore to identify which one has an advantage over the other.
Introduced in May 2021, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is specifically developed for the North American market and focuses on everyday comfort, more control, and a longer service life. Engineered for CUVs, SUVs, and pickup trucks, the Pirelli tire is a touring tire that offers superior grip, traction, and handling in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. While the use of a unique tread pattern and innovative rubber compound boosts its wet performance and provides extra strength to the internal structure for more mileage, the optimized tread design traps soundwaves and results in a quiet and comfortable ride quality. The 3D sipe technology not only allows additional grip and traction on dry and wet surfaces but also boosts handling and stability. It is backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty of 70,000 miles.
The Scorpion AS Plus 3 bags a superb SimpleScore of 9.6 thanks to its superior handling, traction, and durability.
The Assurance CS Fuel Max is designed for drivers looking to extract more fuel efficiency from their vehicles. The special tread compound of the Goodyear tire not only provides optimum grip and traction on dry and wet surfaces but also reduces the rolling resistance which leads to higher fuel efficiency. While the reinforced construction handles a variety of vehicle weights without disturbing the tire shape, the dual aqua channels push water out of the tread to avoid the risk of hydroplaning. The central tread pattern boosts wet traction and snow grip while the outer dry zone promotes handling and stability. The unique tread design of the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max helps in keeping the noise levels in check while ensuring uniform wear throughout the lifecycle of the tire. It is backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
The Assurance CS Fuel Max attains a SimpleScore of 8.8 with great handling, grip, and longevity.
Traction is defined as the basic tire feature that lends the tire grip to hold the ground without skidding. It becomes highly important on wet surfaces as it requires higher grip and holding capacity when driving at high speeds. All-season tires offer superior traction and grip on dry and wet surfaces.
With a traction SimpleScore of 9.7 out of 10, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 comes with 3D siping technology that provides extra biting edges in wet and snowy conditions for optimum traction year-round. While the four circumferential grooves of the Scorpion allow quick disposal of water to avoid the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance, the asymmetric tread design with wide shoulders promotes stronger grip and excellent traction.
The Goodyear tire, on the other hand, scores a superb 9 out of 10 in traction. The symmetric tread pattern with deep grooves interlocks with the surface to produce solid traction and grip. While the dual aqua channel of the Assurance CS Fuel Max helps evacuate water quickly from the surface to avoid the risk of hydroplaning, the cavity-optimized shape allows greater road contact at various loads.
Despite offering the best traction, the Assurance CS Fuel Max falls way short of the traction level offered by the Pirelli.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
Handling is the next best feature of a tire after traction. Whether it's all-season or winter, handling is equally important as it defines your ride quality and control at high speeds. Excessive traction may impact handling, however, Pirelli and Goodyear, both have ensured their tires offer the right mix of handling and grip.
Earning a fantastic handling score of 9.4, the Scorpion AS Plus 3 utilizes tuned shoulder blocks that put more rubber on the road for superior handling and performance. While the continuous center rib allows excellent steering response leading to a more controlled and enjoyable drive with your CUV/SUV, the right mix of grooves and sipes on the Pirelli tire further boosts handling performance in dry, wet, and light snowy conditions.
Similarly, the Goodyear tire scores a formidable 8.8 out of 10 in handling thanks to the outer tread zone that not only provides extra grip and traction but also ensures improved handling and confident cornering. The optimized tread pattern with solid center rib allows enhanced steering feedback and better maneuvering ability.
The Scorpion AS Plus 3 scores less than its traction score in handling, but that too, proves to be too good for the Assurance CS Fuel Max.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
At the end of the day, daily drivers need a tire that provides adequate traction, handling, and a longer tread life. Longevity is a deciding factor for most drivers looking for value-driven all-season tires.
The Pirelli tire features a new rubber compound that promotes uniform wear and assures a longer tread life, which is evident from its commendable longevity score of 9.8 out of 10. Thanks to the asymmetric tread pattern and dense sipes the tire resists uneven wear and boosts excellent wearability. It is backed by a long 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and a 30-day trial offer.
The Assurance CS Fuel Max shines with a longevity score of 8.7 while offering a good 65,000 mile limited manufacturer warranty. While the reinforced construction allows the handling of different vehicle weights without any worries, the unique tread design optimizes driving pressure to ensure even wear and a longer service life.
In terms of who lasts long, the Pirelli is way ahead of its peer and beats it comfortably with a difference of 11 points!
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
If you’re looking for a year-round performer that offers consistent grip, traction, and handling in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions, all-season tires are the best. They are most widely used in the US for their optimum performance and longer tread life.
Both tires come with an excellent limited manufacturer tread life warranty and fuel-saving capabilities and can be used if the weather in your area is mild for most of the part of the year. However, for extreme wintry conditions where the temperatures are consistently below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you should opt for a dedicated winter tire as it comes with a special tread compound to combat the challenging weather.
Now, which one should you pick? The overall SimpleScore (9.6 versus 8.8) puts the Scorpion AS Plus 3 in a strong position compared to the Assurance CS Fuel Max. While there’s a massive difference between their scores, their prices vary too.
For a tire size of 225/65R17, the Pirelli tire is tagged at around $183 while the Goodyear tire costs $161 per tire. For a set of four tires, the cost of the Scorpion AS Plus 3 comes to $732 while the Assurance CS Fuel Max’s price is $644 (a difference of $88!).
Based on the SimpleScore, you should go for the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 if you:
On the other hand, you can go for the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max if you:
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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