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Pirelli Scorpion STR

Pirelli Scorpion STR Review - Buy Or Avoid? [2024]

Here are the key stats for the Scorpion STR, at a glance.
Key Info - Australia
Vehicle SuitabilityLight Truck / SUV
Driving StyleHighway All-Season
SeasonAll Season
Release Date2004
Run Flat?No
Overall Score73/100

Pricing

Enter your tyre size below to see the best prices for your specific size (if unsure, check placard on the driver's side door or your existing tyres).

Pirelli Scorpion STR in Australia

This offering by Pirelli has been around in Australia for about 20 years. Especially designed for 4WDs, SUVs and light trucks, it comes in a total of 34 sizes.

This highway all-season tyre is a solid option for those looking for an all season tyre in the premium end of the market. Note that it is not a runflat tyre.

Read on to see how it stacks up against the competition!

How We Reviewed The Scorpion STR Tyres

Unlike the Australian government, the European Union carries out standardised tests on all tyres sold in Europe. These tests are carried out in identical conditions, making them a reliable way to compare tyres.

For this review, we use averaged results from tests done on 1 sizes of the Scorpion STR tyres by the European Union.

We then compare these to the same results for the following similar tyres, also rated for Highway All-Season usage and sold in Australia.

Fuel Efficiency

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Fuel Efficiency
(A - E)
D0.3L/100km extra fuel consumption. ~$72 extra per year

The US Department of Energy estimates that around 25% of the fuel consumption of a vehicle is attributable to the tyres. That's a lot, and it means that choosing fuel efficient tyres can save you quite a bit of money.

The Scorpion STR tyres rank a D on a scale of A to E in the official fuel efficiency tests carried out by the EU (they call these rolling resistance tests).

Relative to an A grade tyre, expect to use an extra 0.3L/100km. This works out to $72 extra spent on petrol per year, based on a typical 12,000 km driven per year.

Comparison

Here's how the Scorpion STR compares to similar tyres for fuel efficiency (1 = Grade E, 5 = Grade A).

Based on the comparison tyres we've selected, the Scorpion STR ranked # out of 0 tyres.

Grip & Handling

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Wet Grip
(A - E)
C5 metre greater stopping distance when braking at 80km/h

We'll now take a look at how these tyres compare in terms of grip and handling.

A good measure of this is 'wet grip', which is an indication of how well the tyres will allow the vehicle to come to a stop in wet conditions.

The Scorpion STR tyres rank a C on a scale of A to E in the official fuel tests carried out by the EU.

Relative to an A grade tyre, expect these tyres to require about an extra 5 metres to come to a complete stop when braking at 80km/h.

Comparison

Here's how the Scorpion STR compares to similar tyres for wet grip (1 = Grade E, 5 = Grade A).

For wet grip, they scored # out of 0 comparison tyres.

Noise

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Noise
(A - C)
B (71 dB)2 times as noisy

Another key factor to consider when choosing a tyre is road noise. Once you're over about 40 km/h, the dominant source of noise you hear is from the contact of your tyres on the road.

There is a surprisingly wide variation in the amount of noise each tyre makes.

The Scorpion STR tyres produce 71.0 dB of road noise, which corresponds to a rank of B on a scale of A to C in the standardised testing done by the EU.

Expect these tyres to produce about 2 times as much noise as an A grade tyre (the decibel scale is logarithmic).

Comparison

Here's how the Scorpion STR compares to similar tyres for noise (1 = Grade C, 3 = Grade A).

For noise, they ranked # out of 0 comparison tyres.

Comfort

Based on the results of a number of tyre benchmarks, including those below, the Scorpion STR scores 4 out of 5 for comfort.

  • TireRack: Best in Highway All-Season/SUV

Treadwear

With a UTQG treadwear rating of 520, the Scorpion STR would theoretically last 5.2 times longer than a tyre with a treadwear rating of 100.

Traction

The UTQG system measures traction as straight-line braking in dry conditions. The scale is AA, A, B, C, with AA being the best grade, and C the worst.

These tyres score a grade of A.

Temperature Resistance

The UTQG temperature resistance tests measure how well tyres can dissipate heat that builds up due to friction with the road. The scale is A, B, C, with A being the highest grade.

These tyres score a grade of B.

Warranty

The Scorpion STR tyres have a warranty of 1 years.

Comparisons With Similar Tyres

Still undecided as to whether to go with these highway all-season tyres? Check out our data-driven comparisons to similar tyres on the market in Australia!

Summary

With an overall rating of 73 out of 100, the Scorpion STR tyres are a solid choice for anyone looking to replace their SUV or truck rubber with some tyres designed for highway all-season action.

For fuel efficiency, they score a grade of D, which is below average, though this isn't a super important factor.

More important is the wet grip, which gives you an indication of their traction and handling. In this regard, they get a score of C, which is more or less average.

Finally, for road noise, they receive a B grade, which is about typical.

In terms of data out of the US, they have the following UTQG ratings:

  • Treadwear: 520
  • Traction: A (scale: AA, A, B, C)
  • Temperature Resistance: B (scale: A, B, C)

Full Size List (click to show)

Below is a list of all 34 sizes of the Scorpion STR tyres sold in Australia, sorted by tyre width. Select your preferred size to compare prices across multiple suppliers.

Size
195/80 R15 96H
195/80 R15 96T
205/70 R15 96H
205/65 R16 95H
215/65 R16 98H
215/70 R16 100H
215/65 R16 98V
225/65 R17 102H
225/55 R17 97H
225/70 R16 102H
235/60 R16 100H
235/50 R18 97H
235/55 R17 99H
235/55 R17 99H
235/50 R18 97H
245/65 R17 111H XL
245/50 R20 102H
255/60 R17 106H
255/70 R18 112S
255/70 R18 112H
255/70 R15 113T
255/65 R16 109H
255/65 R16 109H
265/70 R16 112H
265/70 R17 121S
265/70 R17 118S
265/70 R17 113H
265/75 R16 123R
265/65 R17 112H
275/60 R18 113H
275/60 R18 113H
275/55 R20 111H
275/55 R20 111T
275/55 R20 111H
Louis from Tyre Geek

Louis

I'm Louis, an engineer passionate about helping Australians choose better tyres for their vehicles!