Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 Review

Performance when you want it, safety when you need it, the Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 packs a lot into one tire.

PROS

  • Great grip in wet and dry
  • Solid warranty
  • Handsome style

CONS

  • We wouldn’t rely on it for winter driving

What is known as an ultra high performance all-season tire it combines features of a UHP summer tire with those of an al-season.

The tread design just screams performance with a stylish design that’s built for grip. The thick center rib makes for immediate steering response and nimble handling. Meanwhile the exterior shoulder tread blocks are conjoined to form an even larger contact patch and offer further rigidity to maximize dry weather grip.

Still delivering on its wet-weather promise, the tire features four circumferential grooves to evacuate water and resist hydroplaning, while slits between tread block rows two and four further help in forcing water to the side of the tire.

Using an asymmetric tread pattern, while those exterior shoulder blocks are built for summer dry-weather performance, the interior tread blocks are more compact, with more lateral slits to force away water, helping the RS3-G1 perform in the wet.

But perhaps most important to the tire’s wet weather capability is the silica-infused rubber compound, allowing the tire to maintain its grip in wet conditions. At the same time, this also give it greater wear-resistance, allowing Cooper to back this tire with a 45,000 mile tread life guarantee.

That might not sound like much for an all-season tire, but considering the performance level of this particular option, it’s pretty good.

Featuring some minor siping on the tread blocks, it’s designed to handle some mild winter weather. That’s what Cooper claims anyway. We wouldn’t run this tire in the snow. While it will perform far better than a summer tire in such conditions, we highly recommend actual snow tires if regularly gets into the 40s where you live.

Internally the tire is made of a dual steel belts wrapped in nylon for high-speed stability, while a two-ply polyester casing is designed to balance handling and ride quality

A fantastic year round performer, the Zeon RS3 G1 is really designed if your winter isn’t much of a winter at all. It’s quiet an impressive handing tire with lots of grip and delivers impressively in both the dry and wet.

Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 Price

Pricing for the Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 ranges from approximately $100 per tire for a 16-inch fitment and goes up to roughly $250 per tire for the largest 20-inch sizes.

Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 Warranty

Cooper backs the Zeon RS3 G1 with a 45,000 mile tread wear warranty as well as a 45-day test drive warranty. Available in staggered fitments, those tires come with a 23,000 mile warranty.

In addition, all Cooper tires come backed by a factory limited warranty that covers against defects in materials and workmanship over the first 2/32-inch of treadwear. During that time Cooper will replace any defective tires free of charge. After that point and down to the final 2/32-inch of useable tread, Cooper will replace any defective tires on a pro-rated basis.

Cooper Zeon RS3-S vs Zeon RS3 G1

The names might be similar, but these two tires differ quite a lot. Both tires are ultra high performance tires, however, the RS3 G1 is still a all-season while the RS3-S is a dedicated summer tire. The RS3-S makes use of an even sticker rubber compound (with a shorter life). It also features no siping on the tread blocks at all. Notably the outside tread blocks are wider to withstand high-performance cornering and almost join together with the tread section just inside, forming a larger contact patch, particularly during cornering. Beyond all that, the RS3 G1 comes with a decent 45,000 mile tread life warranty while the RS3-S is expected to last just 20,000 miles.

Cooper Zeon RS3 G1 Sizes

16-inch sizes
205/55/R16
215/55/R16
225/55/R16
225/50/R16
245/50/R16

17-inch sizes
215/45/R17
205/50/R17
205/45/R17
225/45/R17
235/55/R17
215/50/R17
215/55/R17
235/45/R17
235/50/R17
245/40/R17
255/40/R17
225/50/R17
275/40/R17
245/45/R17

18-inch sizes
225/40/R18
215/45/R18
225/45/R18
235/50/R18
235/40/R18
225/50/R18
245/40/R18
245/45/R18
245/55/R18
255/45/R18
255/35/R18
275/35/R18

19-inch sizes
245/45/R19
245/40/R19
255/35/R19
255/40/R19
275/35/R19
285/35/R19

20-inch sizes
255/45/R20
255/35/R20
245/45/R20
275/35/R20
245/40/R20
275/40/R20
305/35/R20
265/35/R20