The Avon ZV3 is a High Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.
The quick answer
Owners say63%from 28 owner reviews32% would buy againRead the reviews
Tests saySorry, we don't currently have any test data for the Avon ZV3
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated July 2015.
Owners rate the Avon ZV3 6.6 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 24 reviews.
How well do the Avon ZV3 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Avon ZV3 5.8 out of 10 for wear across 24 reviews. 15 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 10,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Avon ZV3 again?
32% of owners say they would buy the Avon ZV3 again, based on the 28 owner reviews that answered the question. 18% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Avon ZV3's tread life?
Of the 23 owner reviews analyzed for the Avon ZV3, 15 mention tread life: 7 praise it (long-lasting) and 8 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "I only got 10000 miles on the fronts before I swapped to the back, now all four are on the limit after 15000 miles". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Avon ZV3's wet grip?
Of the 23 owner reviews analyzed for the Avon ZV3, 15 mention wet grip: 9 praise it (confident wet grip) and 6 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "Since fitting these tires no such problems". Read those reviews
More questions about the Avon ZV3(2)
What do owners say about the Avon ZV3's dry grip?
Of the 23 owner reviews analyzed for the Avon ZV3, 13 mention dry grip: 10 praise it (strong dry grip) and 3 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "can accelerate round corners with confidence". Read those reviews
Across 28 owner ratings the Avon ZV3 averages 63%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 7.2 out of 10 and Wear lowest at 5.8. 15 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 33% of owners score it 70% or better.
Owner ratings averaged from 28 ratings
Owner score63%
Dry Grip72%
Comfort66%
Handling66%
Road Feedback65%
Wet Grip63%
Wear58%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 67%
“Excellent in the dry and good on a nice dry track. Unfortunately unsettled in the wet (even damp) getting very sideways unless driven slowly. Would use on a more basic vehicle because of how cheap they are! wear is good...”
“These tires are hopeless. For a so called performance tire they are very dissapointing. I had one scary moment in the dry when my front wheels lost traction, causing me to under steer into oncoming traffic. Luckily I...”
“Tires lasted 17000 miles on a mixture of country and motorway roads for a daily commute, I have had 3 sets of these tires fitted as they were recommended however I have decided to experiment with other tires to see if I...”
Excellent in the dry and good on a nice dry track. Unfortunately unsettled in the wet (even damp) getting very sideways unless driven slowly. Would use on a more basic vehicle because of how cheap they are! wear is good I've got 12,000 miles out of my rear set.
My car has a full set of Avon ZV3, they have been impressive and compare well to premium branded models I have had.
Good points: Good wet grip and compare well to premium tires in that respect. I generally don't hang about and I find that cornering grip in wet conditions is among the best, a real surprise. They provide decent feedback and dry grip also is very good. I have no problems with the drive of these tires, even when pushed.
Bad points: Tire noise seems higher than other brands but not excessive. They appear to be quite a tire with a firm sidewall which doesn't help the ride quality. Wear is average but my front ones are just about bald on the outside shoulders, despite tracking and pressure being ok.
A good tire and I would try another tire from the Avon range again after experiencing these.
I need to replace the front pair now as they are just about on the wear markers. I had considered replacing with some more ZV3s but for the same prices more modern tires can be had, the Avons score poorly on the new classification for rolling resistance (G) so I'm looking for something a bit more 'eco', Hankook Kinergy Eco perhaps.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
I cover 15000 miles per year on rural town and motorway, roughly 30/30/40 split. I only got 10000 miles on the fronts before I swapped to the back, now all four are on the limit after 15000 miles At £110 per tire I expected better, I previously ran Nexen budget tires at £75 a tire, only a minor difference in the wet and lasted longer c 18000 miles on the front.... Definitely not buying again
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Avon ZV3? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
These were original empty on the rover 75 2.0td I replaced the budget tires with these avon the improvement is fantastic, they grip wet or dry, quite at motorway speeds only down side on the rover putting out 131bhp fronts last about 25 to 30k would have lasted longer due to excessive tire wear on inside caused by square speed humps. The rear tires last again about the same but again the speed humps cause excessive inside wear.
Have these on the front and back of a Mondeo MK2, 2 liter estate. On my second set of fronts, appear to wear quicker than other makes I have had including budget tires. Neighbour had them on his golf TDI also stated they did not last as long as the Michelins he had previously. Good grip in the dry, not outstanding in the wet, no ABS on the car, quite easy to lock up either of the front wheels in the wet. Would not buy again, not much better than good budget tires fitted in the past.
I had these fitted to my Vectra as a desire to try a medium range tire after running budget tires previously. I enjoy "driving" the car quickly but not insanely fast over some demanding A/B roads and then cruising gently with the flow on the motorway on my longish commute each day. The tires are fine, good, great even, but quite soft, the budget brand was more than a match for each aspect but at 60% of the cost. if you can afford these, I am sure you would be delighted with them.
Would I buy them again? well,,,, NO, I went back to the same budget brand I had prior. I shall review them in their appropriate page.
Pretty useless unless the road was straight and dry. In the wet, i felt really unsure of what was going to happen. No such issues with the Bridgestone Turanza's that were on previous. Look the part but dont live up to the expectations.
Wear rate was high,fell off a cliff when cornering with a hint of speed and were really noisey at any speed. Would not reccomend.
These were fitted on the front of one of our two Fiat Stilo 1.6 MultiWagons, fitted as first replacement at 36K miles, but needed to be replaced after 18K miles use.
Good points: Quiet controlled road noise at even motorway speeds.
Bad Points: Performance on country roads and grip in dry and wet conditions not as good as it should be. Car feels as if it's floating/wandering and doesn't inspire confidence near limits. Tire life has only been half that of the previous front tires on this car (Dunlop SP Sport tires - 36K) and the Eagle NCT5s (41K) fitted on our other Stilo.
I own a skoda octavia TDi 130hp estate. In Feb 2008 I fitted a set of these on both axles. I don't do excessive mileage. Journeys are a mix of motorways and local commuting.
At motorway speeds in heavy rain I have always felt confident, and almost never experienced aquaplaning. The octavia is pretty quick of the mark and the front wheels can be made to slip when accelerating up on damp roads. Simple solution ease off on the go pedal. Its not a dangerous feature. Braking has always been a reliable experience.
I have just replaced the fronts after 17,600 miles, the tread wear indicators have just gone level with the top of the tread. I live at the bottom of a crescent that goes up to a T junction and up again to the main road. In the recent cold spell (dec 10) I have managed to get up and onto the main road on fresh snow. Neighbours have asked if I have 4wd!... They obviously have lead boots!!
I have just purchases 2 new ZV5's for £117 inc VAT (from setires) (205/55/16/V's) The ZV3's cost me £255 for 4 - so I would say that they represent good value for money.
I have had Continental Raintires in the past, grip in wet probably better but wear appalling..
Previously I had Goodyear F1 on the front of my Golf GTi MkIII they were superb, I was advised to fit these as they were British and it would be good for the economy. After a couple of months the ABS would kick in at slow speeds as I went around corners, went to my local garage who checked the steering pump and steering assembly, they could not find anything wrong the mechanics of the car and they checked the tires which had 7mm of tread, the fault persisted and I eventually had a new steering pump fitted. This did not solve the problem, I asked for the garage to swap the Avons on the front with the Goodyear NCT5 on the back which have 3mm of tread, much better grip instantly.
Following on from my previous review the shoulder wear on front tires has increased dramatically over the last few months. The rear are also wearing down to near the wear indicators. Don't think these tires are designed for rear wheel drive machines as they arer wearing down far too fast. I've now replaced the fronts with two serbian trayal tires to see if they can outperform the Avon! Note to AVON your tires should last over 10,000 miles 1 year without signs of high wear. And yes the tracking is true!
