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Last updated 7/18/2024 - Originally published 7/18/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Several years ago, tire manufacturers saw a need that had to be filled: all-season, while they’re a great solution for most drivers’ needs, are a little notorious for falling short on performance and traction in heavier winter weather. Winter tires, on the other hand, perform amazingly well in heavier snow, slush and ice, but are designed for seasonal performance; the softer, more pliable tread formulation of winter tires stays flexible for traction at subfreezing temperatures, but will wear quickly on warmer days. Tire manufacturers advise against using their winter tires if daily temps are above 40-45 degrees F, leaving drivers with the hassle of dismounting them, exchanging them for all-season tires, then figuring out where and how to store them until next winter.
That’s where all-weather tires come in.
All weather tires are designed for a specific niche of performance where all-season tires just are not going to be up to the job. Anyone who’s tried to get around on the roads in rough winter conditions when there’s several inches of snow on the roads (and more on the way) knows that most all-season tires are (in most cases) not going to be capable of delivering the traction, control, and braking you need. All-weather tire are designed, then, for an advantage in winter traction with optimized rubber compounds, more aggressive tread patterns, redesigned sipe designs and other features. The whole package is intended with the goal of dependable traction in snow and slush. In other words, they’re designed for a specific category that splits the difference between all-season tires and winter tires, without the headache of having to remove winter tires and store them once the snow’s gone and the temperatures start warming up.
Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the system the SimpleTire team developed to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We take in the specs, review information and other data points for any given tire, then use that information to determine a numerical value from 1-10 for the categories of traction, handling and longevity, as well as an overall average SimpleScore for the tire. For the Pirelli Scorpion Weatheractive and Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax, the SimpleScore numbers shake out like this:
Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive
- Traction: 9.8
- Handling: 9.6
- Longevity: 9.2
- Overall average SimpleScore: 9.5
Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax
- Traction: 8.5
- Handling: 8.6
- Longevity: 8.9
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.6
As you can see, there’s a gap between the SimpleScores of both tires, but as helpful as SimpleScore is, it’s the 30,000 foot view that doesn’t give you the full picture of any tire’s strengths and weaknesses. Let’s go in for a closer look with this head-to-head product comparison:
Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive tires
For decades, drivers have come to lovePirelli tires for their balance of performance, quality, and value, and the Scorpion WeatherActive is a great example of why that’s the case. This tire is one of the newer additions to the Scorpion family and has the tire industry’s Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service. In real-world situations where you need that tire to deliver dependable traction and control, the Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive is designed with a directional tread pattern, a 3-rib design that has the rigidity to resist tread squirm during braking or cornering, a zigzag central groove, angled grooves that capably evacuate water and slush away from the contact patch to resist hydroplaning, and a tread pitch that’s randomized and computer tuned to neutralize and muffle road noise by canceling certain frequencies and resonances. The tread compound of the Scorpion WeatherActive is designed to stay flexible and deliver winter traction when temperatures are below freezing (when other tires harden and lose grip), but is still durable and tough enough for long miles and great wear characteristics. Pirelli backs the Scorpion WeatherActive with a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. SimpleTire’s price on the Scorpion WeatherActive starts at $220.49 per tire.
Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax tires
So what does the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax bring to the game? Like the Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive, the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax has the 3PMSF rating for severe winter service, thanks to Cooper’s WinterGrip technology package that includes a dense network of sipes with circumferential, angled and sawtooth grooves for grip in rainwater, snow or slush. For rough roads and difficult conditions, the Discoverer EnduraMax features an extra-durable tread pattern with reinforced tread blocks and Cooper’s ArmorBelt construction, which includes extra-strength high-tensile steel belts in its ply layers. A solid center rib gives the Cooper excellent steering response and straight-line stability, for a road feel that’s light and quick while being stable and secure. Cooper covers the Discoverer EnduraMax with a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty, along with a 45-day satisfaction guarantee. SimpleTire’s price on the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax starts at $139.96 per tire.
Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive vs Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax tires on traction
How do the Pirelli and the Cooper compare with each other when it comes to traction? With a SimpleScore of 9.8 for the Pirelli and 8.5 for the Cooper, this one’s not real close. Whether it’s sports, tires or anything else, a score of 9.8 on a scale of 1 to 10 is nearly unbeatable, and while the Cooper and the Pirelli both have the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, it’s the tread features of the Pirelli that really shine here. Its all-weather tread formulation helps enhance grip and the combination of sipes, angled grooves, zigzag and circumferential grooves give the Pirelli advantages in winter or rainy weather that the Cooper just can’t quite match. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive
Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive vs Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax tires on handling
When we’re talking about handling properties for the Pirelli and the Cooper, it’s the same story: SimpleScore of 9.6 for the Pirelli vs 8.6 for the Cooper. Pirelli tires have long had a reputation for excellent cornering ability, steering response and road feel, and the Scorpion WeatherActive is no exception. The tread features and rubber formulation that give it such an advantage in traction also help with steering response and cornering; reinforced shoulder ribs and a rigid tread face help the Pirelli resist deformation and tread squirm when being pushed to the limit, ensuring that the tread stays firmly planted on the road for predictable cornering (and also very controlled and balanced braking performance). Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive
Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive vs Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax tires on longevity
In the longevity category, the spread of SimpleScore ratings isn’t quite as pronounced, with a 9.2 for the Pirelli vs 8.9 for the Cooper. Both tires have a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread wear warranty, and of course the Cooper has the ArmorBelt technology package that makes it a very capable and dependable tire in rough use. In cases like this where there’s a disparity in SimpleScores but warranty coverage is the same, we generally defer to customer reviews, and reviews point to the Pirelli having a little more durability and long, even wear properties. It’s close, but our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive
When to use each
The Cooper and the Pirelli are both great choices in all-weather tires. Like we said from the start, all-weather tires are a great do-it-all solution when you live in a part of the country that has tough winter weather and you all-season tires are going to fall short of getting the job done for you, but you don’t want the hassle of having to install winter tires for a few months, then dismount them and figure out where to store them until the next winter. Instead, all-weather tires like the Pirelli and the Cooper are versatile enough to be used year-round and offer the same kind of ride comfort, low noise, long wear properties, sharp handling and good road manners as all-season or Grand Touring tires…but with serious get-it-done traction in snow and slush, the conditions where those tires will fall short.
Which one should you choose?
Here’s where the rubber meets the road (yes, pun intended). The Pirelli outranks the Cooper in all the SimpleScore categories, with handling, traction and longevity that move the needle in its favor. However, it also comes down to what you have on hand to spend for a set of all-weather tires: the Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive starts out at $220.49 per tire vs $139.96 per tire. That’s not just a slight difference in price between the two, the Pirelli is close to double what you’d spend on the Cooper. If you’ve got the cash on hand, go for the Pirelli. If you’ve got an older vehicle with a lot of miles on it and don’t want to clean out your bank account to get a set of tires, go for the Cooper. You’d still be getting 60,000 miles of limited manufacturer’s tread life coverage, and you’d still get a great, capable set of all-weather tires that are designed specifically for the weight, power, torque and handling of an SUV or crossover.
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.