Last updated on June 14th, 2024 at 10:25 am
Pirelli
Scorpion A/S Plus 3
Touring All-Season Tire
The latest innovation and successor of the Pirelli Scorpion series, The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is perfect for North American drivers who experience each season every year. It provides premium comfort and a smooth drive without making any noise for the SUV, crossover, and light truck drivers.
Table of Contents
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 quick highlights
| Tire category | Touring All-season tire |
| Price range | $182-$310 |
| Ply rating | 4 ply |
| Run-flat tire | no |
| Manufactured At | Brazil and Mexico |
| Terrain support | wet, dry, and snow |
After significant improvements from the previous version, Pirelli Scorpion launched their world-famous Pirelli Scorpion Verde AS plus 2. This model has become one of the most appreciated models of scorpion tires with a huge fan following. Similarly, last year, they launched Scorpion AS plus 3 with further improvement in tread pattern to face all-terrain conditions. Even this model performs better in severe winter conditions. Its recent launch has grabbed the attention of new tire buyers who need a sole solution for all-season driving with great comfort and quiet drive. It is also praised by Forbes Wheels, as the best SUV all-season tire when it comes to all-year-round performance.
Pros
- Advanced technology with improved tread design.
- Comfortable, smooth, and quiet drive all year round.
- A durable tire with a 70000-mile warranty.
- Better grip, traction, and hydroplaning resistance in all-season.
- All-year-round performance, even in severe snow conditions.
Cons
- Expensive tire.
- Not for mud terrains.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 features
The Pirelli Scorpion series has been improving its features and technology since it launched its first tire. Continuous improvements in their tires make this series recognized and appreciated by tire lovers. Other than comfort and smooth drive, there are other features that we will discuss below in detail about the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3. Although the tire is not for small cars like sedans and hatchbacks, it is perfect for SUVs.
Basic features of Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
With significant improvement in technology, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is a redesigned tire with an improved tread pattern, 3d sipes, and small grooves to perform better in any season. The tire is made for North American drivers who face all four seasons in a year. Every new tire brings slight improvement to increase the performance of the tire to meet the customer’s expectations.
The tire is not a run-flat tire, but it can handle the damage and harshness of the surface due to its solid sidewalls and rubber; it won’t burst. Also, the 4-ply rating is high enough to deal with the off and on-road terrains; don’t use them on extreme off-terrains.
Tread pattern and design
Pirelli creates its tires with computerized technology and tests its tread performance before manufacturing a physical product. Then, with the help of computer software, they can improve their tires’ performance, comfort, and durability.
Pirelli Scorpion AS plus 3 has a new and improved tread pattern to provide better traction in the snow with handling and grip on wet and dry terrains. The tread pattern consists of many blocks and grooves to perform better in all-terrain.
Optimized mold profile and polymer compound improve braking, tread life, and mileage even in snow terrain due to the larger footprint. In addition, the deep zig-zag sipes and vertical and horizontal sipes on the sidewall enhance traction and grip in all seasons, including winter, with the carcass tread design for a comfortable and quiet drive.
Assurance and warranty
With every new launch, Pirelli continuously increases its tread life warranty and makes tires more durable. The Pirelli Scorpion has a 5000 more miles warranty than the Plus series last tire. Scorpion AS Plus 3 has a 70000-mile treadwear warranty, which does not mean it will last only for those miles; it will give the same performance as a new tire till 70000 miles, then it might drop in performance. Buying from that very well-known brand already assures that it will last for many years; also, Pirelli never compromises on its tire’s performance and durability with anything.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 specification
The XL-rated 4-ply tire is strong in build and remarkable in appearance. With the improved material, it has more capacity to lift a weight and reach a higher speed. It can reach up to 149 mph in speed with a load index of 117 (2833 lbs). Under the government’s guidelines, the tire has rated A in both temperature and treadwear life, which is a good rating for an all-season tire.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 performance
The basic purpose of an all-season tire is to deliver stunning performance in all four seasons, so the driver won’t have to change a tire as the season changes. By considering the needs of the customers, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 meets all the conditions of an all-season tire. Due to its tread pattern and sidewall, the tire performs each season outstandingly, providing comfortable driving on dry roads with hydroplaning resistance and traction in wet conditions.
It is also great in winter terrains, with improved deep tread design. Scorpion AS Plus 3 is more capable of handling severe snow conditions without exploiting the treadwear. As a result, it is one of the best all-season tires of 2024 for SUVs due to its quiet and comfortable drive with improved handling, traction, grip, and braking in all-season conditions. The performance on heavy mud is not as good. However, it is driveable for smaller rides.
Dry Terrain Drive
The best season for this tire is the dry and warm conditions of the road. The tire performs extremely well on dry terrains due to its asymmetrical tread design that grips the terrain while allowing quick and responsive brakes. The tire contacts the ground evenly and gives a steering response on your hands. it also accelerates well in dry conditions. Overall, the tire is perfect for highways and city street dry terrain rides.
Wet Terrain Drive
Just like dry rides, the tire performs extremely well in wet conditions. Due to its circumferential and lateral grooves, the tire resists hydroplaning while allowing proper handling and confident traction and grip. Along with that, the tire gives very responsive handling and it feels like a car is under your control on wet highways when driving at a faster speed. Similar to dry conditions, the tire is perfect for on-road all-season confident, durable, and smooth rides.
Winter Terrain Drive
Most of the all-season tires are not so good in winter conditions. Unlike that, this tire is better when it comes to average and a little above average snow. As this tire is prepared while considering the driving conditions of North American drivers, it can easily manage the average snowfall in North America while providing confident brakes, handling, and responsive handling in the winter season.
Comfort & Noise
In our opinion, it is one of the most comfortable and quietest tires among new touring all-season tires. The even contact reduces the noise along with the help of a noise-reducing tread pattern. With that, the tire is right on the mark for the touring tire category due to its comfortable ride in any season of the terrain. It delivers a comfortable and quiet ride all year round with durable treadwear to let you enjoy a peaceful and smooth ride on the road.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 Vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Compared to Pirelli’s tire, the Michelin Defender LTX M/S is older. Michelin Defender is more toward off-road driving. For example, if you love to enjoy off-road conditions, like mud terrains and hilly rides, then this all-season tire will be great for you. Both of these tires come under an all-season category, yet they have different performance levels to achieve.
Unlike Michelin, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is toward comfortable and smooth driving experience. The Pirelli tire is better for these things, and the Michelin Defender is better for more advanced mud terrain rides. However, for durability, all-season rides, and snow terrains, both tires deliver quite an equivalent performance. So, based on this one difference, you should decide whether to buy a Pirelli or a Michelin tire.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 Vs. Michelin CrossClimate 2
| Dry Conditions | Michelin CrossClimate 2 |
| Steering Response & Feedback | 0.00% |
| Cornering Stability on Curves | 0.00% |
| Dry Traction & Grip | 0.00% |
| Shortest Dry Brakes | 0.00% |
| Results | 0.00% |
| Wet Conditions | |
| Steering Response & Feedback | 0.00% |
| Cornering Stability on Curves | 1.74% |
| Wet Traction & Grip | 1.60% |
| Shortest Wet Brakes | 1.68% |
| Results | 5.03% |
| Winter Conditions | |
| Deep Snow Traction | 6.02% |
| Light Snow Traction | 4.55% |
| Thick Ice Traction | 6.25% |
| Results | 16.82% |
| Ride Quality | |
| Cabin Comfort | -12.12% |
| Road Noise | -3.33% |
| Results | -15.45% |
| 175/65R15 (84H) | |
| Price | 27.01% |
As the test results explain, there is not much difference in dry and wet performance; both of these tires are quite the same in all-season conditions.
However, when it comes to snow terrain rides, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 takes the lead due to the 3PMSF certificate and tread design, so if you are after all-season and better winter terrain rides, then the Michelin tire should be the destination of your car.
But if you want to achieve more durable rides of more than 10-15K miles, with better comfort and low price, then Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 will be a better choice compared to Michelin CroosClimate 2.
With the Pirelli tire, you will get more benefits at a lower price, which is why we would recommend Scorpion AS Plus 3 as a go-to tire for everyday all-season drivers. But for overall extreme winter terrain performance, CrossClimate 2 will be a far better option.
When not to buy Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
After seeing all of the features of the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 and admiring its performance, in which conditions should you avoid buying this tire?
Scorpion AS Plus 3 does not fit in small cars, hatchbacks, and sedans. For smaller tires, the Pirelli P7 AS Plus 3 is available, which provides performance similar to this tire. So, if you are willing to get a tire in smaller sizes, then the P7 AS Plus 3 is a perfect option.
Also, if you are a full-time off-road driver and you want something strong and the best traction in mud, then you should go with mud-terrain tires. Because mud-terrain tires are built to perform better in mud terrains, all-season tires won’t perform as well. Also, if there is snow all year in your town, you should use some winter-season tires with bigger and deeper tread patterns to deal with the snow conditions.
Final words
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 has launched on Pirelli’s website. The tire has gained so much attention from new all-season tire buyers. It is expected to break the record of the Plus series’s last tire with more sales. Due to its all-season performance and durability, the tire is a perfect choice for SUV, crossover, and light truck drivers to achieve the most comfortable ride all year round.
my car came with ecopia run flat h/l 422plus rft. bl 235/55r19 101v tires .
can I get a Pirilli comperable tire and is there any rebates out there?
you could either go with Pirelli scorpion zero all-season tires or Pirelli Scorpion Verde all-season, both of these tires are similar in all-season performance.
Bought these for my large suv before reviews were out. Very pleased with them in Wi. weather. Really quite and comfortable riding. Was hoping for some improvement over scorpion 2 in wet braking and snow. My experience is just that. From the reviews now, it’s all around a great tire. Very happy with purchase. Wish they would make it for sedans!
Thankyou for sharing your experience.
I’ve used top of the line Michelin tires for years on my vehicles. Thought I’d try the Pirelli a/s plus 3 for my suv, and I am very happy with these tires. No regrets. Bought them before reviews were out. Great tires. Wet, snow, dry, hydroplaning, cornering, and especially quiet and smooth. You won’t be disappointed if you buy these!
Thanks, Guy for your input.
Just got these based on reviews, but what caught my attention is the 70k mile mileage and warranty, plus the traction and temp rating, I have them for our 2019 Honda Odyssey, that originally had some very crappy Bridgestone tires that barely made it to 28k before getting really bad, so let’s see if these do not let me down, got a great deal at Sam’s club.
Thanks for sharing.
Scorpion AS Plus 3 on 2018 Toyota RAV4 Limited AWD with under 24K miles. Replaced the cheap and worthless OEM Toyo Open Country A20. Dry surface performance is great, rain downpours are not as good as expected, more than 2 inches of snow or roads are slushy not very good traction. Horrendous on ice so be very careful, in the winter season just have to drive slow or get snow tires. Comfortable ride, noise level unable to hear the difference between the Scorpion and Toyo A20. Cornering has a decent grip on a dry surface but drifts more than expected on a wet surface. Braking distance is fair or reasonable but keep distance from other vehicles ahead and no tailgating. Give more space during rain and snow for braking. Avoid rough roads and potholes as these tires are 4 plies and could rupture. Most tires are 5 plies. Live in upstate New York. The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is a definite improvement over the lousy Toyo Open Country A20 tires that came on my once brand-new 2018 RAV4 Limited AWD. These are not run-flat tires. Typically $213-$215 each. Received a military discount at Mavis Discount tires and paid $185 each. Overall cost mounted, balance, old tire disposal tax, NY Sales Tax was roughly $925. I was considering Continental tires but the Pirelli reviews were enticing.
Has anyone had experience with the Pirelli Scorpion all season on an SUV (ML350 Bluetech) pulling an RV?
I pull a utility trailer, boat trailer, and small RV with my GMC Canyon. The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3s do an excellent job with all three.
that’s great. thanks for sharing.
I got 4 Scorpion AS Plus 3 tires on 4/28/23. At first things were fine. Now after on!y 1251 miles, the road noise is terrible. I spent in excess of $1400. It is very annoying to say the least. I asked for P235/55/R20 102 W and was told 102 V would be an acceptable replacement. The dealer Tire Discounters said I would be fine with that as a replacement. They did not install 102 V. They installed 102H.The Firestone dealer here could not get tires to fit my car but emphasized that the 102H should not be substituted for the 102W because it would result in excess road noise. I did not discover the substitution right away and after checking the specs on the door jamb of my 2011 Cadillac SRX, I found that 102 H was the tire spec listed there. How I wish I had gone back and insisted Tire Discounters make the correction!!!!! Now I have spent all this money and gotten a product that I despise. Is Pirelli willing to help me in any way?????
i can feel your pain in this regard, because i have been a victim of wrong suggestion from tire retailers in past. the only thing that could possible help is, if your tires are under check in warranty, retailer will replace your tires with any tire you want, otherwise, you will stuck with these tires. for noise we can suggest tweking with your tire PSI, try drivi9ng with little higher pressure and then with lower, it might help.
It’s not the tires fault that you put on the wrong size for your vehicle. That’s your own error in taking the chance with a different speed rated tire than what your vehicle is meant for. It’s called “rolling resistance”. Next time do your homework and don’t fall victim to some of these corporate chain tire stores. They are just out to make a buck. Go to a trusted mechanic or find yourself one and have the job done right. Or if you can afford it go to your dealer who will ALWAYS give you the right specs for your vehicle.
Which is better, scorpion plus II or plus III, replacing plus II – is the newer plus OUR a better option , car is Volvo xc90
Scorpion AS Plus 3 is far better and improved version of Plus 2. XC90 will definitely get better with new Scorpion Plus 3 tires.
Does the scorpion as 3 have negative impact to gas mileage?
Generally, it is a low rolling resistance tire, meaning a better gas economy. however it depends on your previous tires; if you are currently driving with high-performing tires, you can see a drop in gas mileage; on the other hand, if you drive with all-terrain or winter tires, you will see a 1-2 mpg increase.
I have been extremely pleased with the original Scorpion verde A/S plus tires I purchased in early 2018 (six years ago) for my 2015 Touareg. Back then the guys at Discount Tire Direct strongly recommended the Pirellis instead of a Michelin model that I don’t recall now. Glad they did. This time the guys are pushing Michelin CrossClimate 2’s.
Before finding your website, my take was that if you don’t need the winter weather performance of the Michelins (which I don’t), the Pirelli’s are the better choice. But what concerned me most was that many mentied the CrossClimate tires reduced their gas mileage by at least 2mpg.
I’m having trouble finding details on how the Scorpion AS plus 3 will outperform the Verde Plus I have now and in what ways in any, the Verde Plus will outperform the Plus 3.
Thanks
Hello Rick, I would not suggest you go with anything other than the tires you are extremely grateful with, because sometimes the combination of handling, grip, and performance of a certain tire aligns perfectly with a certain type of driver.
However, the Scorpion AS Plus 3 will deliver a smoother ride and handling performance, but it can be subjective and you might not like this, but one thing is certain, it will be more durable and less noisy compared to the Scorpion Verde.
When it comes to comparing Scorpion AS Plus 3 and CrossClimate 2, definitely CrossClimate is a winner in all seasons performance, however as you said, you don’t drive in snow, then you can be benefited from longer mileage and cheaper rates by picking Scorpion AS Plus 3.
if you still have any confusion, you may email me and I will be pleased to answer any of your questions. Thanks
I got the Centronoto p7 AS plus 3 on my 2017 impala. Tire rack. Rebate from the rack plus one from Pirelli. 180 off total.
That tire is fabulous. WOW. Wet road improved, Quiet plus none of those road slaps bumps growl …like those Oem Firehawk Firestones..
The Scorpion AS plus 3 I m getting for my 2014 Venza XLE 19 inch basic size availability. I hope it rides and is quiet and has the wet traction like the P7. P7 plus 3 not available for the Venza. Waited till april 1st to see if there was a new rebate out. I do run Blizzaks on both cars for winter. Wisconsin
It will surely outperform cinturato P7AS Plus 3.
need to pick assurance max life or scorpion AS plus 3. Which is quieter?
by far, scorpion as plus 3 are quieter tires.
Hi Mr. Erfan,
Thank you for your article. I am considering these tires for a 19 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD that came with Hankook Dynapro 2 tires. Just wondering what your thoughts are regarding how the Pirelli will work on my car and if I will notice any difference versus the Hankook…such as in gas mileage…which is very important to me.
Thank you!
Definately gas mileage will improve, and these pirelli tires will perefctly work with santa fe. The only thing you’ll miss about dynapro is their ability to drive in off roads, other than that, you will enjoy every other aspect.
Hi Mr. Erfan,
Thank you for your reply above.
However, I need to apologize. In my question above, I stated that I had Hankook Dynapro 2 tires on the vehicle. I just realized I should have said Hankook DynaPro HP2 tires. They were the OEM tires on the vehicle. I do not know if this will change your response or not.
I am so sorry.
Thank you,
Jack
oh, i apologize for the miss understanding.
by switching to pirelli’s from dynapro hp2, you will see a bit improvement in gas mileage, not that much, however, in other aspects, you will see a massive difference whether it is better response, comfort, noise, snow drive, and also improved treadwear durability.
Mr. Erfan, I have not yet purchased these Pirelli as plus 3 tires because some reviewers were saying they experienced tramlining with them. Can you please explain what that is? Are these tires more likely to have tramlining than other tires for some reason? Thank you!
MR. Stevens, tramlining is more commonly caused by alignment, balancing, and other wheel-related issues. This scorpion tire is smoother and more supportive than other touring tires. In my experience, I have never heard anyone complain about an irresponsive drive with this tire. You can undoubtedly achieve far better results in all aspects after switching to the Pirellis.
Looking for the quietest and best comfort tires for my 2015 Lexus RX 350 AWD 19″. Looking at either the Michelin Defender 2 or the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3. Which would you recommend? I am a longtime Michelin person but looking at different sites the Pirelli gets better mark.
Overall Scprpion AS Plus 3 is a better tire, however difference is not that big among these two tires.
Would I notice much difference in road noise between the two?
Thanks. I’ve been to a few other sites and one recommends Pirelli and the other recommends Michelin.
thanks
I have purchased the Defender 2 and notice a bit more Road Noise (more of a White Noise) and a bit harsher ride than my Previous MIchelin Premier LTX. So exactly happy with the Defender although I do like the handling of it as always with Michelin.
Will the Pirelli’s be quieter overall and better than the Michelin? As I am thinking of returning the Defender and trying the Pirellis but still a bit hesitant since I have never used Pirellis before.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
thanks
Tire Rack rates the Pirellis better for comfort but Discount Tire where I got the Defenders say the Defender is quieter and better ride. So I am torn between the two.
Well, I suggest that you stick with Defender. There is a very slight difference between these two tires. Even if it gets quieter with Pirelli, you might feel a drop in response. Still, if you want to test Pirelli for the first time, go ahead and experience it; you won’t regret it at all.
Thanks. The problem with testing the Pirelli is once I switch they won’t let me switch again. So I might just stay with the Michelin