Both tires are great options. Pirelli’s Scorpion WeatherActive optimizes comfort and performance for SUVs with its V-formation tread, while Goodyear’s Assurance WeatherReady offers family vehicles a premium ride with soy-based tread. Let’s see what more they have to offer.
My testing with these tires reveal that the Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive is superior in terms of dry handling, fuel economy, and noise dampening performance. Conversely, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady excels in wet and snowy terrains. Moreover, while both manage vibrations, Pirelli slightly outperforms in stability.
Table of Contents
Tire Sizes
The Pirelli Scorpion Weather Active comes in 15 to 19 inches wheels, and they have the following specs.
- Speed ratings: H and V.
- Load ratings: SL and XL.
- Tread depth: 11/32″ on all.
- Weight range: 19 to 32 lbs.
- Treadwear warranty: 60k miles.
- UTQG rating: 700 AA.
- Winter Rating: 3PMSF only.
On the other side, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady comes in 15 to 20 inches rims, with following specs.
- Speed ratings: T, H and V.
- Load ratings: SL and XL.
- Tread depth: Either 10/32″ or 11/32″.
- Weight range: 19 to 37 lbs.
- Tread warranty: 60k miles.
- UTQG: 700 A A.
- Winter ratings: Yes both M+S/3pmsf available.
Layout of Tread Pattern
The Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive is equipped with a directional tread pattern, characterized by a densely structured center.
Now although its a directional tread, it’s still divided into five distinct columns.
This basically allow for better water evacuation and snow traction, enhancing performance.
In the very middle of the tread, the interlocking lugs form zigzag longitudinal channels.
Here lugs are pretty packed up, and are characterized by in-groove notches (facing shoulders), and linear siping of various angles.
Same goes for the adjacent ribs, where they also carry similar siping, though with different angles/orientations to them.
(With varying angles, you actually get better wet traction).
The shoulder lugs are simplistic, only featuring plus shaped siping, again having linear structures.
And talking about internal construction, the tire is built with a 2-ply polyester casing, complemented by two steel belts and fortified with 2-ply poly amide cap plies.
On the other side, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady comes with an asymmetric tread design.
Now this tire also forms four circumferential channels, they are very different and more voided up in comparison, as one can clearly see (from its tread image).
Out of all 5 ribs, the outer 2 shoulder ribs are the least aggressive, characterized by linear siping on both sides (though on one, there are toothed edges, while the other is smoother).
And in the middle, we have 3 ribs, where the central most is narrowest and carries an array of wave-like siping and notches.
This siping pattern is also common with adjacent ribs. Though both of them are very different form each other still.
On one side, you get thick independent blocks with zigzag outer edges (facing shoulders).
While the other rib has needle like chamfered edges and an array of multiple notches.
Internally, the tire is fortified with a 2-ply polyester casing, accompanied by slightly broader twin steel belts, and enveloped by a single polyamide-reinforced cap ply.
Road Noise
Road noise stems from a lot of factors, with air playing the most significant role.
As a tire rolls, it allows air particles, predominantly entering through the shoulder region, to clash with the tread walls. This collision produces the noise we often hear.
That’s why it makes sense why Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive is a quieter option here.
Its design, with fewer voids, minimizes the surface area available for air particles to collide with. Additionally, its rubber gives you a superior pitch sequencing pattern that effectively diminishes in-groove resonance, thereby reducing cavity noise as well.
For Your Info: Cavity noise refers to the resonance or noise originating from the enclosed air chamber (cavity) between the tire and the wheel.
This cavity noise is prominently heard on the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. And it makes sense since, the tire is pretty voided up, and with an abundance of biters and multi-directional siping, it generates a lot of growling noise as well.
Fuel Economy
Fuel efficiency is closely tied to a tire’s rolling resistance, which is predominantly dictated by its weight and road grip.
In this context, the Assurance WeatherReady comes with challenges, which are mainly caused by its softer composition and intricate numerous biters, which makes its tread more voided up in comparison.
So although both tires have similar weighing structures overall, the Goodyear still puts more weight pressure on each lug (as weight is divided on to smaller rubber area).
And this increases the rolling resistance for this tire, negatively affecting it’s overall fuel economy.
On the other hand, with a rounded contact patch, the Pirelli WeatherActive emerges as the more efficient choice, where it offers it’s weight to be distributed more evenly, and with more rubber area, each lug isn’t stressed as much, relatively too.
Highway Performance
When assessing a tire’s performance on dry terrains, I focus on two primary criteria:
- Tire’s traction capability, split in to two, directional and lateral grip.
- And it’s overall steering response.
Let check them out one by one.
Longitudinal Grip
This grip depends on the tire’s contact patch (mainly from the central tread area). And its measured by braking distance, since it’s a directional metric.
Now, comparing both tires, my tests show that the Assurance WeatherReady could really benefit from an improvement in its braking efficacy.
Although it features a prominent central rib, the series of lateral grooves reduce the rubber’s contact with the road (check it’s tread pattern again by scrolling up, and see how much it’s voided up in comparison).
On the flip side, the WeatherActive outperforms, where its main advantage is it’s compacted up central lugs, which are also very interlocking as they form zigzag middle-most circumferential groove.
Moreover, the tire’s directional pattern with a rounded contact patch, offer better weight distribution, resulting in a reduced momentum inertia. And so it’s easier to stop.
That’s why the Pirelli Scorpion stops 2.5 feet quicker compared to Goodyear here.
Dry Handling
Tire handling is a fusion of its lateral traction and steering responsiveness, and in this regard, the Scorpion WeatherActive is ahead.
While both tires showcase similar lateral traction, (evidenced by their similar lateral g-forces of 7.7g), the Pirelli edges out due to its superior and more responsive steering.
This heightened responsiveness stems from the tire’s increased stability, a benefit derived from its internal spirally-wound nylon cords.
So overall, you get faster handling lap times compared to Goodyear.
Basically, the tire’s rounded contact patch offers better transition of weight between shoulders and central ribs, as the tire corners.
Whereas on Assurance WeatherReady, with softer compound, the lugs are susceptible to bending, and cause understeering (for the most part).
Though its still manageable. Just an FYI.
Wet Braking and Handling
In wet conditions, both tires deliver pretty decent results, and to appreciate their performances, it’s essential to understand the critical roles of sipes and grooves in wet conditions.
Grooves primarily channel out water, while sipes absorb the remaining moisture. These sipes basically flex to create a vacuum, drawing in water particles, which allows the rest of the rubber and biters to maintain road contact.
For the Scorpion WeatherActive, its V shaped directional grooves, with their integrated vertical and horizontal structures, efficiently evacuate water, in all directions.
And this reduces the workload for its sipes. So is Pirelli better here? Well not really.
The tire only offers linear siping designs, which are less effective, as they stiff up, (especially with harsh maneuvers). Moreover, the tire’s already harder rubber composition, further prevents the sipes from flexing adequately.
That’s why overall wet performance is seen better on Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady.
This tire offers a softer compound, and a combination of linear and interlocking sipes, needle-like chamfered edges, and in-groove notches, resulting in superior wet handling performance.
Moreover, owing to its voided up structure, it also provides you with similar hydroplaning resistance in comparison as well.
On Road Vibrations
Road vibration dampening depends largely on a tire’s ability to act as:
- A secondary suspension system.
- A provider of a consistent and stable ride.
And since the tire’s construction plays the main role here, it makes sense why both tires end up with equal scores.
Both offers thermally adaptive and 3PMSF certified rubber, which although are made for winter traction, also offer superior bump absorption.
Though if you really have to pick one here, you should know that the Pirelli WeatherReady is slightly better in terms of overall stability.
I mean, although the softer compound of WeatherReady offers better cushioning, the Pirelli offers more control over the bumps.
Winter Performance
Each tire impressively ticks all the primary performance boxes, when it comes to winter performance. I mean they both are great in terms of ice/snow acceleration, braking, and overall handling.
And they both offer the 3 peak mountain snowflake ratings as well.
However, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady possesses an edge with its additional M+S rating, absent in the Pirelli.
This rating tells that, the tire is 25% voided. You can read all about these ratings here: https://tiredriver.com/3pmsf-and-ms-ratings/
So this M+S advantage translates into superior snow traction for the Goodyear, attributed to its asymmetric tread pattern adeptly designed to trap more snow particles.
And this snow trapping feature is crucial, since snow bonds better to itself than to rubber.
Moreover, the Assurance coming out with more biting edges, such as zig-zag and chamfered edges, reinforced by needle-like grooves, also ensure superb ice traction.
On the other hand, the Scorpion WeatherActive shines in providing excellent longitudinal traction on snow, for the most part. And that’s mainly due to the tire’s directional pattern.
Here lugs efficiently scoop and expel snow particles rearward, generating forward propulsion, or acceleration.
Moreover, it also offers almost similar grip on ice as well, but overall winter performance is still better on Goodyear.
Take Home Points
In summation, when comparing both these tires, several performance aspects stand out.
The Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive offers better stopping distance, sharper dry handling, superior fuel economy, and quieter on-road noise due to its efficient weight distribution and reduced void design.
On the other side, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady stands out in wet conditions, delivering enhanced handling and braking.
It also showcases superior traction in snowy terrains, attributed to its M+S rating.
Moreover, both tires manage on-road vibrations effectively, although Pirelli edges slightly in overall stability.