Grip is good, but life is short, and a lot louder than my old Sport Contact 5's
255/30 R20 Tires
Everything we know about the 255/30 R20 tire size: 15 owner reviews covering 85,680 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.
- 15owner reviews
- 85,680 milescovered on them
- 112tires made in this size
The quick answer
| Season | Owners' pick | Owner rating | Latest test winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S 9.4 Current version: Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | 68% from 3 reviews | - |
Owner picks are the highest weighted owner score in 255/30 R20; test winners come from the most recent independent test conducted in this size. The full evidence is below.
The best rated 255/30 R20 tires
Rated only by drivers running this size. Each tire needs at least 3 reviews in 255/30 R20 to be ranked; the order weights a tire's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.
Summer tires
The highest rated Summer tire in 255/30 R20 is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S - 68% from 3 owner reviews in this size. The current tire in that line is now the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5.
| # | Tire | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5
|
68% | 3 | 6,480 miles | 9.4 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →
TR Score is the tire's overall Tire Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.
255/30 R20 EU tire label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 255/30 R20 rather than a range across a model. 73 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 92 (up to 630 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: (Y) (301 km/h), Y (300 km/h), W (270 km/h), V (240 km/h). 6 tires in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
A Best wet grip
33 tires in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Continental SportContact 7 Summer 9.7
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo Summer 9.5
- Hankook Ventus Evo Summer 9.4
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S Summer 9.4
- Kumho Ecsta Sport S PS72 Summer 9.3
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Summer 9.3
B Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 4 tires in this size reach rolling resistance class B. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Sailun Atrezzo ZSR2 Summer 8.9
- Pirelli P Zero Summer 8.8
- Bridgestone Turanza T005 Summer 8.6
- Delinte DS2 Summer 8.1
69dB Quietest tires
The quietest 255/30 R20 tires are labelled at 69 dB external noise:
- Falken Azenis FK520 Summer 9.1
- Sailun Atrezzo ZSR2 Summer 8.9
- Pirelli P Zero Summer 8.8
- Firestone Firehawk Sport Summer 8.6
- Falken Azenis FK510 Summer 8.5
- Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 Summer 8
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and apply to the EU market versions of each tire. Wet grip and rolling resistance run from class A (best) to E; noise is the measured drive-by figure. A good label is a floor, not a verdict - the tests and owner ratings above tell you far more.
What does 255/30 R20 mean?
A 255/30 R20 tire is 255 mm wide, its sidewall is 30% of that width (77 mm) tall, and it fits a 20 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 661 mm.
| Section width | 255 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 77 mm |
| Rim diameter | 20" (508 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 661 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 2,077 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 482 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 775 |
Also written as
255/30R20 255/30 ZR20 255-30-20 255 30 20
Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tire runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.
What cars use 255/30 R20 tires?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tires for that exact car.
Audi TT RS
3 reviews in this size
BMW 435d
2 reviews in this size
Audi A4
2 reviews in this size
Audi A5 3.0 tdi quattro sport
1 reviews in this size
BMW Z3M Coupe
1 reviews in this size
Mercedes Benz CLS 320
1 reviews in this size
Audi A5
1 reviews in this size
BMW 440i Gran Coupe M Sport
1 reviews in this size
Audi RS4 Quattro
1 reviews in this size
BMW M3
1 reviews in this size
Every tire reviewed in 255/30 R20
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 8 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tire | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | Summer | 68% | 3 | 6,480 miles |
| Accelera PHI Replaced by Accelera PHI 2 | Summer | 58% | 2 | 22,000 miles |
| Federal 595EVO | Summer | 44% | 2 | 6,500 miles |
Reviews only cover part of the market: 112 tires are made in 255/30 R20. Browse every 255/30 R20 tire →
What drivers say about their 255/30 R20 tires
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
Came from Pilot Sport 5 and tried Ultrac Vorti +, I must say that UV's have WAY better dry grip and feel/handling then PS5's, dry grip right from the get go is very good but once you warm them up, they are crazy! Lots of people say TT RS mk3 (8S) is prone to understeer but with these tires, I never experienced any understeer, mind that I am really pushing my car hard (twisties and highway).
One thing they are not the best is wet, PS5s are much "safer" in both wet braking and wet grip/handling. With UVs I had couple of "scary" moments so I am little more careful when it's wet. Oh yeah, can't forget the sidewall.. UVs have really stiff sidewall and I LOVE IT, PS5s felt too floaty in corners while UVs feel really stable, but sidewall looks of PS5 are on another level compared to UVs.
Comfort is better on PS5 but I don't expect comfort from UUHP tires so i don't really care about that... the wear is definitely higher on UVs, I will rotate them soon because fronts are around half way while rears look "brand new", with PS5s I did more then 20k km and they looked brand new, so wear was insane! but again I don't care how long tire will last because I am after ultimate grip and feel :)
To sum it up:
PS5 if you want boring safe bet tire / UVs if you want grippy direct sporty tire for super good price (that is still safe btw)
Optimal dry grip, quite similar to a semi-slick. Wet grip is also above average. At ambient temperatures of 10°C or below, the tire loses a lot of grip. Durability is poor with sporty driving. Average mileage on the front axle: 15,000km, average mileage on the rear axle: 20,000km. The tire provides pure driving pleasure, and I've been using it exclusively for many years.
I had to change the tires from Pirelli Pzero and i choose to take the Falken FK520 instead of the PS4, because there is a huge price difference (1000€) in Austria. And i was not disappointed .. the tires are really performing.. its crazy .. never expected that..
I didn’t think I’d have any issues with this top brand tire. Even swapping front to back at 15k and 6mm left on rears and 5mm on fronts, still thought I wouldn’t need to concern myself at wet road conditions.
Straight braking, excellent. Saved myself from a side impact on a car pulling out on me at 27mph to zero in under 2 car lengths. The dash cam was very accurate in relaying that detail. I had a small scratch instead of a significant dent. Dry conditions.
But any corner, steep curve in the wet it is a gamble whether these tires will grip or not. Even when they were quite new the sideways grip was shocking.
Straight braking, excellent. Saved myself from a side impact on a car pulling out on me at 27mph to zero in under 2 car lengths. The dash cam was very accurate in relaying that detail. I had a small scratch instead of a significant dent. Dry conditions.
But any corner, steep curve in the wet it is a gamble whether these tires will grip or not. Even when they were quite new the sideways grip was shocking.
Tried the goodyear asymmetric 5 for a month. Swap tu the horrible but expensive ps4s for a week n finally to this excellent RT2. I was blown away. Sudden quieter tires. So much more smoother to drive than the PS4s n Asymmetric 5. More direct steering too. So glad i tried this. Better to drive than the asymmetric 5. Waaaaaaay better to drive than the crappy ps4s. Best decision ever.
After changing to this tires after using the goodyear asymmetric 5, i was really shocked at how outdated the car feels. Road roughness vibrates through the cabin, more noise, the sidewall is soft but tires are harsh. So opposite of asymmetric 5 which has harder sidewalls but very plush to drive absorbing road imperfections. Steering feels also feels so inconsistent. I guess many people just buy this because its expensive. Used for a week, changed to Dunlop RT2 and never regretted. Straight away feels so much smoother, quieter with more direct steering. Stay off this outdated tire. Expensive doesn't mean better. Trust me.
Exceptional tires for their value.
OEM Yokohama V105's were worse...much worse not only in comfort but in both performance on dry and wet. Just the road feedback could be improved ...
Very good tire and w/o much info in the net was curious to try them and don't regret at all...
OEM Yokohama V105's were worse...much worse not only in comfort but in both performance on dry and wet. Just the road feedback could be improved ...
Very good tire and w/o much info in the net was curious to try them and don't regret at all...
Drive on 255/30 R20 tires?
Review your tires and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Owner ratings are submitted through the review form on this site, naming the tire, the size and the distance covered, and are checked by hand before publication. Test results come from independent published tire tests indexed by size, and label values from the EU EPREL database.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.