Full review

What do you look at first when purchasing tires for your vehicle? Price? Looks? Handling? Would you rather have a little of each instead of settling on just one main feature? 

A good tire works admirably under all the conditions it’s designed for and doesn’t break the bank. It helps the driver feel confident driving without really being noticeable. The Pirelli Scorpion might just be one of those tires.

The question remains, how do you know that a tire works well in the real world? Manufacturers can throw out buzz words but are these all show and no go? To get to the bottom of true tire performance, we will look at real world drivers who have driven the Pirelli Scorpion ATR in real world situations, and how they felt about their tire – good and bad. We’ll also consider real world tests for braking as well as dry and wet handling.

Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.

Pirelli has designed the Pirelli Scorpion ATR as an all-season, all-terrain tire for cars, SUVs and trucks. considered all season and all terrain. This means that the Pirelli Scorpion ATR is meant to handle all weather conditions, including snow, rain, and some light off-roading as well. All season and all terrain is generally the most competitive class because most vehicles use a hybrid tire designed to handle a large variety of conditions well.

Our comprehensive Pirelli Scorpion ATR Review will include:  

• Overview 
• Performance Break Down
• Price & Overall Value
• Our Take

Ready to jump right in and see if the Pirelli Scorpion ATR is right for you? Let’s get into it. 

Pirelli Scorpion ATR Performance Overview

The Scorpion ATR is designed to do a little bit of everything well, with a focus on comfort and handling, and light capability on dirt, gravel, and mud. The Scorpion ATR’s treads are symmetrical and continuous, which help provide great balance while steering,  allowing the Scorpion to feel safe predictable. The extra long sipes on the Scorpion have extra biting edges to dig into, then move water and snow away from the tire when they are present on the road. 

What does this all add up to? The Scorpion’s wide treads provide a stable ride around corners and more confident handling when conditions are less than ideal. This gives  you the peace of mind that your car, truck, or SUV will do what you expect it to do – stay on the road, and keep you safe. Interlocked, independent center treads also keep the noise out of your cabin so you can think in peace and not wonder if you should turn the radio on to avoid dull humming.

Pirelli has longevity covered with a generous 50,000-mile warranty and you get it all starting at around $155 per tire. This puts the Pirelli in the middle of the pricing tier for an all season and all terrain tire.

Pirelli Scorpion ATR Performance Breakdown

Performance

Let’s make one thing clear, the Pirelli Scorpion is not meant to handle hairpin turns in a muscle car going 120 miles per hour. Performance on this tire refers to everyday driving, which is what the Scorpion is designed for.

The good news is that the Pirelli Scorpion will handle your every day commute – whether on or off road, quite well. Many reviewers commenteded that the Scorpion handles on and off road well, whether on high speed freeways or when having a spirited but careful attempt at driving through rain. This balance is ultimately the purpose of the Scorpion ATR: Do well at everything that could be coming your way.

Wet

We start with wet because most tires can handle dry roads pretty well. Wet roads are when drivers start to get a little nervous because people don’t trust the roads, or their tires.

The Scorpion ATR scored an 8.2 out of 10 as surveyed by drivers on Tirerack.com. This is good, though not great compared to other tires in the same class.

While the Pirelli finished toward the bottom (there are several tires beneath it), the difference in between many tires was marginal. For example, tires like the Hankook Dynapro AT2 have also driven significantly fewer miles and were only .4 points ahead. This test is also subjective and based on driver feelings. A driver with Scorpion ATRs should still be confident in the rain – and note that many of the tires above the Pirelli were also more expensive.

Let’s be a little more objective: this test measured how quickly the same vehicle could get through a course with measured rain which ultimately measures wet traction and turning. A tire with wet traction issues will take at least a few seconds longer to accelerate and find the right grip.

The Scorpion did pretty well for a mid-ranged price tire, with a very small difference between it and the Apollo Hawkz. You’ll also notice a steady increase in time after the Scorpion. This shows that the Scorpion has pretty competitive wet handling.

Dry

Most tires are meant to go on dry roads, so many of them are rated in similar ways. Let’s look at some tests and stats.

At 8.8 in the previous images, the Scorpion handles a dry road pretty well. The numbers are also fairly tight and mostly within a half-point. Reviewers generally discuss that the Scorpion provides a quiet, smooth ride with good stopping distance on dry roads, which is to be expected for an all-seasons tire.

Snow

For clarity, the Pirelli Scorpion ATR is designed for all certain, including snow. The tires are not designed for deep snow or ice, like most any all-season tire meant to generally handle all conditions on some level. One review suggests that the Scorpion is “far from impressive in snow”

The subjective tests above also show that users felt good in Scorpion ATRs in the snow, but there are better options. Especially if you drive in winter climates, these might not be a good idea.

Braking Distance

Braking distance is a big deal for tires. Stopping a few feet shorter can readily prevent an accident. 

As you can tell, the all-terrain Scorpion can handle braking pretty well on wet surfaces, but there is a big difference between rain and snow.

Handling

The wide treads and shoulders on the Pirelli Scorpion ATR come in handy here. Wide treads lend to a stable feeling around high-speed corners. The internals are also made of flexible but durable nylon, which reacts well to changes in the road, keeps the drive smooth and in control.

Noise and Comfort

One interesting thing missing in many of the Scorpion’s reviews were comments about noise. Generally, a tire gets comments about noise when they are louder than their competitors but in this case, many in-depth reviews indicate that the Scorpion ATR is a comfortable tire because of the smooth ride and lack of noise for an all-terrain tire. 

There is indeed a balance here: Many tires designed to provide low noise do so at the expense of snow handling – and in some cases, at a much higher price like the General Grabbers.

Durability and Price

Price and durability, in the long run, are important to most buyers. Many tire manufacturers can make a tire that handles well on and off-road, stops properly and is safe, but the question is: what are you willing to pay to lower your risk of problems?

With a 50,000 mile warranty, the Pirelli offers an average treadwear warranty life. From a tire that is also priced about average, this is expected.

Like many tires and their reviewers, people who performed considerably more towing with heavier cars reported faster wear. This is mostly a normal phenomenon.

Our Take

Ok, so you are here to hear our opinion, right? 

Based on the performance and handling of the Scorpion, we recommend the Pirelli Scorpion if you don’t intend to drive in the snow a significant amount. While the Scorpion does good in snow, there are other options for not much more that will give you more confidence when handling the fluffy and icy stuff. 

Otherwise, the Scorpion handled quite well in dry and wet weather conditions, especially for the price you pay. Finishing in the top 5 in a very competitive category is a commendable performance. 

For the average daily driver who might have to drive through the snow a couple of times per season and needs to go off-road occasionally, the Pirelli Scorpions are an excellent blend of value and performance. The price is right, and the ride is smooth and comfortable.