Nokian ZLine A/S Tire Review & Rating
The Nokian ZLine A/S is a new addition to the growing range of high quality, Ultra High Performance all-season tires that are currently on the market. Designed with performance and safety in mind, the ZLine A/S is built to provide exceptional grip, traction, while also providing a smoother and more comfortable ride quality.
Nokian uses a new advanced Dynamic Traction Boost Tread Compound to go along with a Comfort Base Compound. Together, these twin compounds help the tire deliver increased high speed performance, as well as softening the impacts of road imperfections and potholes.
Handling, cornering and steering in dry and hot conditions is improved thanks to the Cooling Edge technology that cools down any areas of this tire that start to overheat.
Nokian has concentrated on providing safety and comfort with a range of innovative features including a unique tread design, a stiffer outer shoulder and wider grooves on the inner shoulder, so that drivers have more grip in wet conditions and avoid hydroplaning on wet surfaces. When there is slush or snow on the road, this tires 3-D sipes add even more traction and grip.
Comfort and noise reduction are further enhanced by the ZLine A/S’s ‘Silent Groove’ design that is located on this tire’s longitudinal rib’s walls. Air flow is controlled and the amount of sound these tires produce is reduced, so that you have a much quieter ride.
Nokian offers 16 to 20 inch sizes, with a W-speed rating on all sizes. A 50K treadwear warranty is included with all tires.
Pros
- Good grip, handling and traction on dry and wet surfaces
- Smooth, comfortable ride
- Steering is quick and responsive
Cons
- Nothing that stands out at this time
Overall Thoughts
The Nokian ZLine A/S tire is the company’s first UHP all-season tire built for the U.S. market. Since it was just released in early 2017, we haven’t heard much in the way of feedback from other drivers. But based on what we’ve seen, this is going to be one of the better tires in this class.
Nokian’s engineers obviously put a lot into this new tire with its wide range of innovative technologies you’ll find built into this model. The ZLine A/S delivers the traction and grip required by high performance vehicle owners whether driving in dry or wet conditions.
While legendary in their line of winter tires, the company has begun to create high performance all-season tires that are designed to compete with the best models available today. To that end we feel they’ve succeeded with the new ZLine A/S.
Overall, the ZLine A/S compares favorably against the likes of the Continental DWS06, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3 Plus and other top tires. It simply ticks the right boxes in what you expect from a UHP AS tire. Highly recommended.
What Vehicles Will The Nokian ZLine A/S Fit?
(This is not a complete list of ALL vehicles this tire will fit)
- Acura TSX, TL
- BMW 328i, X5, XI, 528i, Z4, M3, 750i
- Chevrolet Camaro, HHR, Cobalt, Impala SS, Corvette
- Dodge Challenger, Charger, Stratus, Avenger
- Ford Mustang, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus
- Infiniti G37, G35X
- Lexus ES350, IS 350C, GS300
- Mercedes C Class, E320, S63 AMG, CLK500
- Pontiac Grand Prix, Firebird, Bonneville
- Porsche 911, Cayenne
- Scion tC
- Subaru Legacy, Impreza WRX
- Toyota Camry, Prius, Avalon, Corolla S
- Volkswagen Jetta, GTi, CC, Tiguan SEL
- Volvo S80, V50, S60, V70
Tire Sizes
16″
205/55R16 91W BSW
17″
205/45R17 88W XL BSW
205/50R17 93W XL BSW
215/45R17 91W XL BSW
215/50R17 95W XL BSW
225/45R17 94W XL BSW
225/50R17 98W XL BSW
225/55R17 101W XL BSW
235/45R17 97W XL BSW
235/55R17 103W XL BSW
245/40R17 91W BSW
245/45R17 99W XL BSW
18″
215/45R18 93W XL BSW
225/40R18 92W XL BSW
225/45R18 95W XL BSW
225/50R18 99W XL BSW
235/40R18 95W XL BSW
235/45R18 98W XL BSW
235/50R18 101W XL BSW
245/40R18 97W XL BSW
245/45R18 100W XL BSW
255/35R18 94W XL BSW
19″
235/35R19 91W XL BSW
245/40R19 98W XL BSW
245/45R19 102W XL BSW
255/35R19 96W XL BSW
255/40R19 100W XL BSW
20″
255/35R20 97W XL BSW
Price Range
Nokian ZLine A/S prices range from approximately $95 and up. You may also find occasional rebates, discount prices, coupons and special offers on this tire.
Warranty
Nokian provides a 50,000 mile tread warranty on the ZLine AS. Materials and workmanship are backed for 5 years.
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Bought these 02/17, were great for 2 years, have 23,000 mostly in town driving.
All around the edges by the tread they are splitting, look like retreads from long ago.
Have to replace them because they are not safe. Not sure if it’s a defect or if they are just junk. Wrote the company but no response.
Would not buy again!
Replacing with Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus 215 50R17
I have these in 235/50r18 on my 2016 Tiguan AWD. It’s hard to get these tires to squeal in curves, as long as you’re smooth in picking your line. No issues with the rare emergency maneuver either. I’m past the 60% mark, and the water droplet symbol is gone. They stayed consistently quiet to this point. Can’t complain about the ride quality either.
What I do complain about is, even though they are low rolling resistance, my fuel economy went down compared to the stock Continental ContiProContact, a different class tire though. Even my cheap winter tires gets better fuel economy (Nitto SN-2). With the Z-line A/S, I struggle to get 25 mpg on the highway. The Continentals I got about 27 mpg highway, and same for the Nitto’s.
After reading some reviews, specifically comparing them favorably to the Continental Contact Extreme, which is what these are replacing, I just put these on my 2016 VW Golf R on an 18″ wheel (225/40/18). They are a big disappointment. Steering is absolutely NOT quick and decisive. There is pronounced lag between steering input and when the car reacts. Worse is the front reacts, then the back so the car feels like it’s going sideways for a bit when jerking the wheel above 25 mph. They also produce a noticeable growl, which I can live with, but it’s definitely on the loud side.
Dry traction seems OK, and I can’t comment on wet or snow yet, but that doesn’t matter as much to me as I’m not going to be driving “spirited” in the wet or snow anyway. These tires have VERY soft sidewalls and are a touring tire, not a high performance handling tire. As a result, the straight line ride is smoother and quieter over bumps, but it also feels a bit “squishy”.