Pirelli Tops Offroad Tyre Comparison

Australian 4WD Monthly writer and tester Glenn Wright spent four grueling days testing 14 sets of all-terrain tyres, with the results published in this month’s (January) issue.

It was, he tells his readers, always going to be a big ask.

“We 4WDers are a hard bunch to please when it comes to tyres. We want a 4WD tyre that is well behaved on the black stuff, right at home on the sand and is happier than a pig in the slop.

“Oh, and can they do it quietly, not get punctures and last forever?”

The tyre size used was the 265/75R16, supplied by the manufacturers in light-truck construction, as opposed to passenger-vehicle construction which is not as strong.

Each tyre company was asked to send its latest release tyres which were then tested for noise, puncture resistance and performance in sand, mud, gravel and bitumen.

Wright worked with a team of tyre fitters and was kept in the dark about each set of tyres until after the test, to avoid bringing any of his preconceptions about different brands into his assessment.

In the end, the Pirelli Scorpion had the best overall results, scoring a perfect 10/10 on the bitumen and near-perfect results for every other test.

Afterwards there were only minor signs of cut and chipping damage and it was also in the top three of the 14 for puncture resistance.

January 2006