Last Updated on May 30, 2021 by Stephen Tillman
If you are anything like me you are a fan of motorsports, especially Formula 1, and because of that I grew to be one of the biggest fans of the Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli. The company has been hailed as the best in terms of making tires, especially for high-performance vehicles and purposes. However, this time around we will take a look at the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus, which is an all-season touring tire that promises some marvelous things, and as you will see, this is something special, not your regular tire.
Target Audience
The manufacturer states that these tires deliver an all-season performance for coupes sedans and minivans. Also, it states that this tire is specifically designed to provide a more comfortable experience and longer tread life. All good and dandy. Based on the buyer feedback and my experience with its predecessors the Cinturato P7 Plus, these tires should be one of the best, but then again we will see what else it offers.
Specs and Features
When you are getting a Pirelli tire you know that you always get a feature-rich and advanced package that will provide the best and the most performance, and this one is no different. Also, the price is not very steep and you can get a good set of these without spending a fortune. The most important feature that these tires deliver is the 90,000-mile tread life warranty which is the best in the market, and even if it misses that mark by 10,000 miles or so it is still fantastic. It comes in different size ranges as well spanning from 14 to 18-inches in rim diameter size with different widths, but with a one-speed rating of W.
These tires seem to be engineered to perfection as it has 18 different ingredients to deliver a better performance. The compound of the Pirelli P4 Plus is pretty rich in silica, which is all based on scientific technology and equations to deliver the best blend. This is done to significantly decrease the rolling resistance of the tire to result in less fuel consumption. Also to deliver better traction in foul weather, and I have to say that Pirelli promises great winter performance. I am a bit doubtful about that but we will see.
The tire is molded with asymmetric patterns with a continuous center rib around the tread, which is proven to deliver responsiveness in handling and stability at higher speeds, on the highway for example. This design should give the tire a bit more stable, confident and centered feel overall, which we will talk about later. The two central vertical grooves on this tire are specifically placed to get rid of the excess water, and combined with the shoulder block with the independent tread you should have better handling in most cases. Before moving on I should state that the newly designed casing profile with two steel belts that are wrapped with nylon should deliver better comfort while driving.
First Impression
I was pretty excited to get these tires since they have been a little hard to find for the right size, but when I got them I knew that I had something special. These tires are not very exceptional in terms of looks but they should look pretty good on most cars.
I installed these tires on an Audi A4 which is a mid-size passenger sedan and will help us get a better understanding of these tires. The first trip around the block felt pretty good, comfortable and silent, but not anything exceptional.
Testing
I spent a lot of time with these tires, as I put over 20,000 miles on them, and I have to say that these are fantastic. The first thing that I can say about these tires is that they deliver a better fuel economy. While the Audi A4 has a 2.0 TFSI petrol engine that is pretty economic, it showed improvements and for heavier vehicles, I think that the improvements will be more significant. The comfort was another strong point of this tire as it was delivered a blissful drive in any road. The noise was pretty low as well and you won’t have to put up with tire roar, at least at lower speeds. Coming to the most important thing, these tires will achieve the 90,000-mile mark without a problem, they wear extremely slowly and I think that these are the best if you are looking for durability.
On dry pavement, these tires are exceptional. While you can’t expect a high-end performance for speed and such, it will deliver a nice enough experience for drivers that are looking for comfort, but that also wants to feel confident in the tire’s capabilities when the need arises. Traction was super solid even when I pushed the pedal to the metal, no wheel spins and when braking hard no skidding at all, pretty short braking distance. It delivers a nice and responsive cornering performance and it inspires confidence overall.
On the wet, these tires performed equally well without any fuss about it. While you will have to be careful and not drive aggressively in the rain I think that you won’t feel any discomfort overall in the rain. I was surprised that the Pirelli P4 Plus was pretty capable of snow as well, well not as good as proper winter tires, if you are living in an area with softer winters you can get through.
Verdict
There you have it, folks, the definite best touring tires in the market, there is no other way to put it. If you are looking for a durable, comfortable yet capable option in the all-season market, the Pirelli P4 Plus has you covered. Basically, these are great tires for cars such as the Audi Q5, Audi A4 or Audi RS5. This means that they are extremely versatile and work well on any car. While they are a bit more expensive than your regular touring tires, they are extremely worth the price.