Before we proceed to the features and review of the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus, allow me to disclose something unique about this tire: it was specifically designed for the luxury touring market in North America.
Pirelli also offers the Cinturato All Season and All Season Plus with a large center block and directional tread design. The ‘Plus’ moniker refers to Pirelli’s Puncture Control Technology called Seal Inside. This technology will enable you to still drive your vehicle safely even after a puncture.
This review will focus on the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. The tire has a rather bland and conservative asymmetrical tread design and is built mainly for passenger cars and small crossovers. Sedate driving is the key to enjoying the merits of the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus since the tire is not chiefly designed for sporty driving.
With that in mind, I was fortunate to get my hands on a 2013 Toyota Camry SE with the 2.5-liter four-banger and six-speed automatic transmission. My test car came with stock 17-inch wheels and was previously fitted with Michelin MXV tires.
I asked the owner why he chose the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus over the Michelins and he told me he didn’t want to spend more than $500 on a brand new set of tires. It actually makes sense, right?
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus will start at around $100 each, which is a slight difference compared to the price of the Michelin tires. But are the Pirelli tires better than the old Michelins despite the lower price?
Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus Features
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus offers a 15% reduction in rolling resistance compared to comparable all-season tires. The Cinturato P7 is desgined and manufactured to offer 47% better tread life and a 5% reduction in road noise to deliver a quiet and refined ride.
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus is equipped with an optimized tread pattern with pitch sequencing and phasing that effectively cancels or lowers internal noise.
The tire has four wide longitudinal grooves that helps in dispersing water on wet roads. It is also equipped with longitudinal siping and a high density of lateral sipes for better all-season performance even in light snow.
The tire is backed by a 70,000-mile limited treadwear warranty and 30-day trial. If you are not satisfied with the performance of the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus, you can return it within 30 days. When was the last time that a cheap tire was able to offer that kind of warranty?
Test Drive
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus tires on my test car were approximately 5 months old and have traversed a rough total of 4,500 or so miles. The Camry is not what you could call a sporty sedan, but so is the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. From the moment I hopped inside the Camry, I felt the Pirelli tires were a perfect match to the road manners of my test vehicle.
Dry Traction
The tires offered excellent traction and grip on dry pavement. I took the Camry for a high-speed run on an empty stretch of secluded highway and the tires performed admirably despite the presence of sand and dust on the highway. Handling and cornering was on the average side of the spectrum since the body roll and dull steering of my test vehicle will prohibit you from pushing it to the max when attacking tight corners.
Wet Traction
There was a light drizzle in the evening and I got the chance to test the tires in the wet. The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus were just as good in the soaking wet pavement as they were in the dry. You will feel the tires hunting for grip if you really push it on wet roads, but like I said before this review, the Camry is not a car that you should drive aggressively.
Snow Traction
I was also able to test the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus in the snow. The tires felt confident on light snow but you will need proper snow tires if you live in colder climates. I guess the sipe density on the tread of the tires did their job well, but don’t expect the tires to acquit themselves in a blizzard.
Comfort
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus is basically an all-season touring tire, so I was expecting the tires to be smooth and comfortable on the highway. I wasn’t disappointed. The tires were one of the most comfortable touring tires I have tested. I was a bit surprised since the tires are basically cheaper than a comparable set of Bridgestone or Michelin touring tires.
Noise
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus tires are not only comfortable, they were relatively quiet as well. As with other touring tires, the road noise is relative to the speed of the vehicle. Tire roar is more pronounced at higher speeds, but it wasn’t enough to upset my driving experience. The tires were a bit noisier on coarse patches of tarmac and asphalt as well. I took the Camry for some city driving and the tires were whisper quiet at low speeds.
Treadwear
Pirelli designed the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus to deliver exceptional wear characteristics. The tires on my test vehicle are not what you would call brand new, but the treads were still fresh with minimal signs of wear. I talked with the local tire dealer and they said some customers were not impressed with the wear characteristics of the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. I guess this will all depend on your driving style.
Conclusion
I highly recommend the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season tires. Considering the price and performance of the tires on wet and dry pavement, this is one of the best affordable tires that I have tested so far.
Alvin Reyes has expertise in automotive evaluation. He collaborated with famous newspapers and is still making efforts in tire review for DrivingPress.com