Pirelli Scorpion ATRs on a 1997 4Runner
Consumer Reports rated the Pirelli Scorpion ATR as the top all terrain tire in its latest series of reviews and TireRack.com customers have a pretty high opinion of them as well. With this information in hand, I decided to buy a new set for my 1997 Toyota 4Runner 4×4. I purchased four 265/70/17 Pirelli Scorpion ATRs and had them mounted on a set of wheels from a 2010 4Runner Trail Edition at my local Tire Kingdom.
My first impression of the tires is that they are extremely sporty. Dry grip is amazing and with my new Bilstein HDs, the 4Runner handled like a new truck. Driving around town, I really enjoyed the way my 4Runner handled for the first time. I did notice bumps more, but didn’t think much of it at first.
Pirelli Scorpion ATRs
Problems started to arise quickly. I noticed my gas mileage was down, but didn’t really see the impact until I made my first road trip down I-10. I averaged a little under 16.5 mpg while keeping the truck below 75 for majority of the miles. I also noticed bumps and imperfections in the road much more than I did with my previous set of Dunlops. The suspension seemed to be very busy and the truck had issues regaining traction if I hit a pothole too quickly. The weight of the tires (they are 50lbs at 265/70/17) also seem to impact performance more than other tires. A similar set of Revo 2s weights 42lbs which is a significant different.
In addition, the ATRs seems to hold onto gravel more than any tire I have used in the past. Regretfully, this also means that the Pirelli ATRs threw more gravel then any other tire I have used. Because I spend a lot of time driving on unfinished roads, this was a major problem for me.
Pirelli Scorpion ATRs
After 2,000 miles, I decided it was time to move on from the Pirellis. The combination of rough ride, fewer miles per a gallon and unfriendliness in gravel were just too much. The tires are great if you spend most of your time on the road and have a heavier vehicle (the third-generation 4Runner is a small SUV by most standards). They offered more grip than previous sets of Bridgestone Revo 2s in both wet and dry conditions, are quiet and are built extremely well.