For some drivers of sporty sedans, coupes, or crossovers, all-season passenger tires might be a perfect choice. They offer real versatility with year-round performance, they are designed for long tread life and a quiet, comfortable ride along with a firm road feel, great stability, road manners, and handling that’s accurate and precise. For drivers who really want to exploit a car's handling and cornering ability to the very limit, though, too often most all-season tires will fall a little short of getting that job done. That’s when you need the edge in handling, braking, and cornering ability that comes with an ultra-high-performance (UHP) or summer tire.

There’s one very distinct disadvantage to UHP and summer tires, though. UHP and summer tires are usually designed with a tread compound that offers stubborn adhesion to the pavement for exacting braking and cornering performance, but that tread formulation is also going to be a lot softer (sometimes as soft as a pencil eraser, soft enough that a thumbnail pressed into the sidewall can leave an indentation before it springs back). The biggest drawback of that soft, sticky tread compound is that it will stiffen up and lose its flexibility and grip on colder days, which is why tire manufacturers recommend not using summer and UHP tires when temperatures are below 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also why many UHP tires don’t offer the added peace of mind of a limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.

In an ideal world, you’d be able to find a UHP tire that has the versatility of an all-season tire, and that’s exactly what Arisun brings to the game with this tire. Let’s get in there and get a closer look at this Arisun Aggressor ZS03 tire review:

Features and Benefits

Here are some of the design features and innovations that the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 has to offer, making it an outstanding performer and a great value in an all-season UHP tire:

• Asymmetric all-season tread enhances wet-weather traction with four wide circumferential grooves that avoid hydroplaning on wet roads by diverting water through and behind the tire’s contact patch
• Optimized contact patch ensures improved braking, handling, traction, and wear properties by putting more rubber in contact with the road
• Shoulder blocks are designed to help head off uneven, eccentric wear while also giving the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 improved cornering ability
• Continuous center rib helps to enhance sharp and quick steering response as well as stable roadability and road manners at highway speed
• Angled hybrid sipe design helps to ensure great handling on wet or dry pavement
• Internal construction incorporates polyester casing with a high tensile steel belt package and a nylon cap ply
• Tread pitch is randomized and computer-tuned to keep road noise muted at highway speed by negating certain frequencies and overtones
• Shoulder blocks are reinforced for extra rigidity, helping to enhance cornering ability
• Advanced tread formulation is designed for great wet-weather performance as well as long wear

Pros and Cons

When we’re talking about the Aggressor ZS03 from Arison, there’s a lot to like. This is a tire where the Cons are far outweighed by the Pros:

PROS:

• Hybrid sipe design boosts wet-weather performance as well as helping to cut noise
• Versatile traction and performance year-round
• Ride quality is surprisingly supple and quiet
• Handling and cornering ability are precise and direct, with short braking distances

CONS:

• Not good in heavier snow
• Can be noisier on some pavement surfaces
• No limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty

SimpleTire’s view on Arisun Aggressor ZS03 tires

Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the proprietary ratings system that the SimpleTire team came up with to give customers a quick, easy overview of any tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We take into account the tire’s technical details, manufacturer info, customer reviews, specs and other data points, then we calculate that using a 1-10 numerical value for the categories of traction, handling and longevity as well as an overall average SimpleScore number. For the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 the SimpleScore ratings break down like this:

Arisun Aggressor ZS03

• Traction: 7.6
• Handling: 8.7
• Longevity: 7.3
• Overall average SimpleScore: 7.8

That’s a pretty strong set of numbers, and it looks even better when you remember that SimpleTire’s price on the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 runs from $65.99/tire to $125.99/tire, depending on tire size.

For anyone who’s got a daily driver and is looking for a UHP tire, the best outcome would be to find one that offers year-round performance and that’s exactly what you can expect with the Arisun Aggressor ZS03. The Arisun Aggressor ZS03 starts from the ground up with a tread compound that is designed for dependable traction and good wear properties even in subfreezing weather. It gets excellent wet-weather performance and resistance to hydroplaning on wet roads thanks to its system of sipes, circumferential, and angled grooves. Even for powerful, high-torque sports sedans and muscle cars, the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 is designed for cornering and steering response that beat all expectations, especially considering its affordable price. On twisty roads or on the track, the Arisun manifests few vices; understeer is manageable and the tire can be kicked out into a very manageable drift with the right vehicle. On a RWD car, it’s possible to get a little oversteer with the right application of throttle, but it comes back into line on command. Straight-line road manners are solid and secure without a need for constant tweaks, but steering response is nimble and light during an emergency swerve or cornering.

Some drivers have commented that the reinforced sidewalls and shoulders that give the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 such capable handling can mean a stiffer ride on some pavement surfaces. In addition, it’s not a tire that’s designed to perform well in winter road conditions like snow and slush, which is expected. It’s also worth noting that the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 isn’t covered by a limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty, just like many UHP tires. What the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 is great for, though, is as an entry-level ticket to the world of performance tires, along with the versatility of an all-season tire.

Vehicles the Arisun Aggressor ZS03 is a good replacement tire for

While not used as original equipment, the Arisun Aggressor is a good replacement tire for vehicles like the:

• Acura TL
• Audi A6
• BMW 135i
• Buick Regal
• Chevrolet Impala
• Dodge Charger
• Ford Focus
• Honda Civic
• Hyundai Veloster
• Jaguar XKR
• Lexus GS350
• Lincoln LS
• Mazda Miata MX-5
• Mercedes-Benz E550
• Nissan Maxima
• Pontiac G6
• Scion tC
• Subaru BRZ
• Toyota Camry
• Ford Mustang
• Ford Mach-E
• Volkswagen CC Sport