89
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
94/100
2 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Avon CR500 vs Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
79/100
7 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Avon CR500 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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Category breakdown
5 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
CR500 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | CR500 | Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 94 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
CR500 leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | CR500 | Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 66 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
CR500 leads by 53
Why this score
| Source | CR500 | Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 47 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
CR500 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | CR500 | Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 71 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
CR500 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | CR500 | Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 89 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Avon CR500 | Dunlop Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 89 | 72 |
| Dry | 100 | 94 |
| Wet | 80 | 66 |
| Comfort | 100 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 71 |
| Handling | 100 | 89 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
89
/ 100
Tire A
72
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Avon CR500 is highly regarded by Caterham owners as a premier performance tire that excels in both spirited road driving and track environments. Users consistently praise its exceptional grip, precise turn-in feel, and surprising durability given its performance-oriented compound.
Pros
- Exceptional dry adhesion and cornering grip
- Precise and communicative steering turn-in feel
- Impressive tread life for a performance-focused tire
- Efficient water clearance and better-than-expected wet weather performance
Cons
- Tendency to become greasy when pushed hard for extended periods
- Limited feedback on wet-weather performance beyond light use
Observations
- Highly specialized for lightweight, high-power vehicles like the Caterham Superlight R.
- Users report an average lifespan of approximately 4,000 miles even when subjected to frequent track day usage.
The Dunlop Direzza DZ03G is widely regarded as a high-performance competition tire that excels in dry track and tarmac rally environments. While it offers exceptional grip and lap time improvements over competitors, users note significant trade-offs in road noise and rapid tread wear, making it better suited for dedicated track use than daily driving.
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and cornering confidence
- Significant lap time improvements compared to entry-level semi-slicks
- High durability and consistent performance under intense heat cycles
- Predictable handling characteristics on track
Cons
- Extremely high road noise, often compared to failing wheel bearings
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
- Poor performance in standing water with high risk of aquaplaning
- Not recommended for daily driving due to comfort and noise levels
Observations
- Users on lightweight platforms like the MR2 and MX-5 report excellent handling improvements, though rear tire wear is a common concern.
- High-horsepower AWD vehicles like the Mitsubishi EVO 9 benefit from the tire's grip but emphasize the extreme noise levels during road use.
- Users noted that the tire's performance remains consistent even when pushed to the limit in competitive tarmac rally settings.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Avon CR500 | B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Trackday and Competition tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
89
/ 100
Avon
72
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Avon CR500 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Avon CR500 scores 100 vs 47 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Avon CR500 scores 80 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Avon CR500 scores 100 vs 89 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Avon CR500 scores 80 vs 71 on treadwear.
Tire A · Avon CR500
Tire B · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
More comparisons
Also compared with
Avon CR500 also compared with
Dunlop Direzza DZ03 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.