# Dunlop Direzza DZ101 - Review



## Tikigod_III (Oct 11, 2004)

As I'm heading back down to California, I decided that it would be best to put on new tires to my Jetta. After speaking with the nice gentleman at Discount Tire, I opted for a Dunlop Direzza DZ101 in 205/50/R15.
These are the reasons I chose this tire:
1. I need a tire that can perform double duty as both a daily driven tire with occasional rain usage as well as a road track tire for a beginner driver.
2. I could not break the bank.
The tires were shipped in from Portland and installed on my car (96 Jetta 2.0 with completely stock suspension, uprated brakes). They replaced a set of Kumho Ecsta 711s in the same size.
Wow.
The Dunlops offer an impressive amount of grip. Thus far, just in irresponsible city driving, I have not been able to get the tires to lose their traction. In first gear cornering, punch the gas at almost full lock will not produce any tires spin. In long fast(er) cornering, there is not wallowing or any wiggling. In corners that I am familiar with, I am able to take them at much higher speeds, but feel much more in control and almost feel as though the car is going slower because it is very much more predictable.
Overall, I am satisfied with the tires. For $70 a piece in my size, I believe they are the best money I've ever spent on a car. My on complaint is that they sit a little strange on my wheels because they have an extra edge to protect your rims from curbage. But oh well. They're fast, smooth, and even quiet. In about 20 minutes I'm going to test their wet traction, and I have high expectations. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## koston. (Aug 20, 2003)

*Re: Dunlop Direzza DZ101 - Review (Tikigod_III)*

bump, did you get back safely in the rain? I wanna know.


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## bosoxfan455 (Sep 8, 2005)

*Re: Dunlop Direzza DZ101 - Review (koston.)*

x2 i was just looking at these on tire rack and im in the process of deciding between the dunlops and Kumho ECSTA SPT's


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## Tikigod_III (Oct 11, 2004)

*Re: Dunlop Direzza DZ101 - Review (bosoxfan455)*

Thanks to those who IMed me about following up. I can only hope you didn't buy the ECSTAs, I believe the Dunlops are way better. Here is my follow up report on the Direzza DZ101s in 205/50/R15.
Approximate Mileage: 8000 miles (est.)
Conditions tested in: Daily city driving, highway (short distance), highway (long distance), track driving (road course, low speed & high speed), rain (drizzle to Seattle downpour)
Overall Impression, Cost vs. Value: Worth Every Penny
Price Paid: $70/tire @ Discount/America's Tire 
Essentially, these tires are fantastic, as stated in my original post. They are quiet. I base this on driving the car 1200 miles in one go from Seattle to LA; I felt that I suffered very little ear fatigue and did not have to try and "crank" the radio to be able to hear my music.
In daily driving, the tires are solid performers. It is easy to double or more the "yellow sign" speed on freeway corners.
I have put approximately 2 track days on these tires. They are much more impressive in terms of low speed cornering, as I have been unable to cause significant understeer exiting tight corners at full throttle. There high speed grip (on track) did leave a little to be desired, however this feels more like a reflection of the suspension geometry of the vehicle than the fault of the tire (not enough camber gain).
If you would like some sort of concrete comparison of how these tires perform, I can only tell you they performance wise out performed any previous tire I've driven on. I also passed an NSX in the corners of Streets of Willow Springs; grip is not an issue.
Lastly, rain performance. LA is a brutal test of wet grip, because if the ground is wet in LA you are actually testing OIL grip. I have only experienced traction issues when accelerating in the rain; if you spin the tires on acceleration, you'll actually have some trouble getting them hooked up again. Hydroplaning seems to be managed very well; braking in wet weather is similarly impressive.
*edit* Actually last is wear. The tires wear well. I ruined the fronts pretty bad in two track days because of the Jetta's atrocious suspension setup and weight balance, but normal street driving does not phases these. After 8000 miles including two track days the rear tires show maybe 15% treadwear,
I've found this tire to be effective as a street tire in Seattle, LA, and a decent tire on the race track. At $70 a tire for 205/50/R15, you CANNOT go wrong.


_Modified by Tikigod_III at 7:59 PM 3-14-2007_


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