Testing the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 2021 | Tire Rack

Product being reviewed

Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 (2021) — an all-season crossover/SUV touring tire focused on comfort, quietness, and dependable all-weather traction.

Key features / what it was designed for

• Engineered for a balanced all-season mix: traction in dry, wet, and wintry conditions
• Emphasis on smooth, comfortable ride and on-road refinement
• Tread/shoulder design with sequence-tuned shoulder blocks to:
  • minimize tread noise
  • improve dry handling
• Vehicle feel goals:
  • natural steering
  • solid on-center feel from self-aligning torque

Pros (user experience & performance highlights)

• Comfort / ride quality: Described as composed and well-isolated from both small and large road impacts
• Noise: Minimal, and any detected noise was very indistinct
• Steering feel: Natural steering with satisfying effort and good self-aligning behavior
• Subjective ride experience: Earned the highest subjective score from the Tire Rack team for overall comfort/refinement
• Wet performance (real-world relevant): The team felt it would satisfy most real-world drivers
• Track/useable traction: Good balance and traction on track; subjective score tied for second
• Emergency braking/accident avoidance: Tested as capable and on par with competitors

Cons (relative weaknesses mentioned)

• Wet testing (instrumented): It was a close third out of three in instrumented wet results
• Wet braking distance: From 50 mph, it needed 2 ft more than the closest competitor

(No major treadwear drawbacks or other clear negatives were stated in the provided subtitles.)

Comparisons made

• Compared against two other tires in testing:
  • Wet (instrumented): Scorpion AS Plus 3 finished close third
  • Wet braking: 2 ft longer stopping distance from 50 mph than the nearest competitor
• Subjective scoring vs others:
  • Highest subjective score overall (comfort/refinement)
  • Track traction subjective score tied for second
  • Emergency braking: On par with competition

Ratings / numerical scores

• No overall numeric rating provided.
• Key quantified data:
  • +2 ft braking distance from 50 mph vs closest competitor (wet test context)
• Placement in tests:
  • Wet instrumented testing: close third of three

Overall verdict / recommendation

If you prioritize a quiet, comfortable crossover/SUV touring all-season with natural steering and strong everyday refinement, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 comes off very positively—especially since it scored highest subjectively for ride quality and has good emergency-braking capability.

However, if you’re specifically optimizing for instrumented wet performance, it appears to be slightly behind the best performer (by about 2 ft from 50 mph and finishing close third).

Unique points mentioned (consolidated list)

1. All-season crossover/SUV touring tire for dry/wet/winter traction, comfort, and reasonable wear.
2. Developed for smooth, comfortable ride with consistent all-season traction.
3. Engineered tread/shoulders to deliver confident traction and on-road refinement.
4. Sequence-tuned shoulder blocks help reduce tread noise and improve dry handling.
5. Strong subjective comfort: highest subjective score for overall experience.
6. Ride isolation: composed and cabin well-isolated from small/large impacts.
7. Noise: minimal, any noise detected was indistinct.
8. Steering: natural feel, satisfying effort, self-aligning torque, solid on-center.
9. Wet performance is likely acceptable for real-world drivers.
10. Instrumented wet testing: close third of three.
11. Wet braking: from 50 mph, requires 2 ft more than closest competitor.
12. Track usability/traction balance: subjective score tied for second.
13. Accident avoidance/emergency braking: capable and on par with competitors.
14. Mentions a future winter performance evaluation after 2022 winter testing.

Speaker notes

• The subtitles reflect a single test-team voice summarizing Tire Rack results (no clearly distinct multiple speakers in the provided text).