Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 vs Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
- TR Score
- 8.4/10
- Owners say
- 77% · 94
- TR Score
- 8.4/10
- Owners say
- 70% · 18
In the 11 independent tests that ran both tires, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 finished ahead 6 times and the N Fera Sport SU2 5 times. The SportMaxx RT 2 held 14.6% more grip in curved aquaplaning; the N Fera Sport SU2 stopped 2.9% shorter in the wet.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 for shorter braking, lower noise and lower cost on everyday roads; choose the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 if you regularly meet standing water or push on in the wet, where its aquaplaning and handling advantage is worth more than the braking meters it gives away.
Where the SportMaxx RT 2 is stronger
- Won every curved aquaplaning test between the two, by up to 21.3 percent
- Led straight aquaplaning in five of six tests
- Took three of the four wet handling runs, and the subjective wet score at Auto Zeitung
Where the N Fera Sport SU2 is stronger
- Shorter dry braking in all ten tests that measured it
- Shorter wet braking in eight of eleven, by 3.2m in the 2026 Auto Bild test
- Quieter in all six noise measurements
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
SportMaxx RT 2 vs N Fera Sport SU2 at a glance
| Category | SportMaxx RT 2 | Gap | N Fera Sport SU2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won11 shared tests | 6 | 5 | |
| Dry17 measurements | 3 | The N Fera Sport SU2 stopped 2.1% shorter in the dry (10 tests) | 13 |
| Wet31 measurements | 18 | The SportMaxx RT 2 held 14.6% more grip in curved aquaplaning (4 tests) | 11 |
| Comfort9 measurements | 1 | The N Fera Sport SU2 was 1.3 dB quieter (6 tests) | 7 |
| Value13 measurements | 6 | Level between the two. | 6 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.4/10 | Level | 8.4/10 |
| Owner rating94 and 18 reviews | 77% | The SportMaxx RT 2 by 7 points | 70% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 63% | The SportMaxx RT 2 by 25 points | 38% |
| Pricein the 6 tests that listed prices | +23.6% | The SportMaxx RT 2 was dearer in 6 of 6 | Cheaper |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 61 | 52 sizes made in both | 138 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 11 tests, 2020 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | SportMaxx RT 2 | Field | N Fera Sport SU2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Autobild Summer Tire Test | P13 of 20 | P9 of 20 | |
| 2026 Summer Braking Super Tire Test - How do 52 Tires Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | P17 of 50 | P3 of 50 | |
| 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tire Test | P9 of 20 | P14 of 20 | |
| 2025 ADAC Summer Tire Test | P9 of 18 | P10 of 18 | |
| 2025 Summer Tire Test Shootout | P19 of 52 | P16 of 52 | |
| 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tire Test | P5 of 20 | P17 of 20 | |
| 2023 Summer Tire Market Overview | P13 of 50 | P14 of 50 | |
| 2021 ADAC Summer Tire Test - 225/50 R17 | P6 of 17 | P8 of 17 | |
| 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tire Test | P8 of 10 | P10 of 10 | |
| 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test | P14 of 20 | P6 of 20 | |
| 2020 Tire Market Overview Braking Test | P17 of 50 | P7 of 50 |
Performance profile
13 measurements from the 11 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
SportMaxx RT 2
N Fera Sport SU2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 6 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
SportMaxx RT 2
N Fera Sport SU2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
SportMaxx RT 2
N Fera Sport SU2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the SportMaxx RT 2 77% from 94 reviews and the N Fera Sport SU2 70% from 18. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | SportMaxx RT 2 | Gap | N Fera Sport SU2 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 2.1% | 113 | 0-10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 69.7 | 0.4% | 69.4 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 69.9 | 0.7% | 69.3 | 3-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 25% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 127 | 2.9% | 124 | 3-8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 125 | 1% | 126 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 63.3 | 2.5% | 64.9 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 46.2 | 0.1% | 46.2 | 2-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 50% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 14.98 | 0.3% | 14.94 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 54.5 | 1.8% | 53.6 | 5-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 11.7 | 14.6% | 10.3 | 4-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 1% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 72.38 | 1.3 dB | 71.07 | 0-6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 24,525 | 4.4% | 23,708 | 2-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8.48 | 2.6% | 8.71 | 3-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.6 | = | 5.6 | 0-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 91 | 17.9% | 74.7 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1,656 | 3.7% | 1,719 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the SportMaxx RT 2 scores 8.4 and the N Fera Sport SU2 8.4 out of 10.
| SportMaxx RT 2 | Category | N Fera Sport SU2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Dry | 78 | ||
| 83 | Wet | 76 | ||
| 33 | Comfort | 91 | ||
| 37 | Value | 29 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| SportMaxx RT 2 | Category | N Fera Sport SU2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | Dry Grip | 8.1 | ||
| 7.8 | Wet Grip | 7.7 | ||
| 7.7 | Road Feedback | 7.8 | ||
| 7.6 | Handling | 7.7 | ||
| 7.5 | Wear | 5.6 | ||
| 7.9 | Comfort | 6.4 | ||
Owners rate the SportMaxx RT 2 77% from 94 reviews and the N Fera Sport SU2 70% from 18. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
- 77%from 94 reviews
- 63%would buy again
- 788,854 milesdriven by reviewers
Across reviews, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 is most often described as a quiet, comfortable UHP tire with strong all-round grip-especially in the wet-and good aquaplaning resistance, giving many drivers high confidence in everyday and motorway use. Wear is frequently reported as good to very good versus several competing premium tires, and many consider it strong value for money. A notable minority, however, report overly soft or inconsistent sidewalls leading to vague/“wobbly” steering and reduced precision when cornering hard, and some users say grip (particularly in wet conditions) can fall off as the tire wears.
- Strong wet grip and reassuring stability in heavy rain
- Good resistance to aquaplaning
- Good dry grip/traction for normal to spirited road driving
- Low road noise and generally comfortable ride
- Soft sidewalls causing vague steering, squirm, or reduced precision under hard cornering/load changes
- Some reports of poor wet grip or reduced confidence (often as the tire wears)
- Noise can increase as the tire wears or on rough road surfaces
Summarised by AI from 81 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 94 SportMaxx RT 2 reviewsI've had several sets of these on my car now as they have proven to be reliable and confidence inspiring in the wet. They've survived pot holes, debris, and the odd curb. I've never found myself wishing for more grip in the dry. The response is perhaps slightly muted compared to more expensive tires, but personally don't have an issue as my driving is 90% motorway/major A roads.
In the wet the car feels stable in the rain at motorway speeds up until about 3mm tread depth, at which point the front started to feel nervous. Braking has been fine in the wet but pulling away briskly in anything other than a straight line will set off the traction control. Hard to say if this would be reduced with a more expensive tire.
Front tires have lasted about 11k miles before reaching the wear line after. Rears are over 20k and still have a while to go.
Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
- 70%from 18 reviews
- 38%would buy again
- 141,160 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers describe the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 as a strong value-focused performance tire with very good dry and wet grip, confident handling, and stability at speed for the money. However, a large share of users report short tread life (often with heavy/uneven shoulder wear) and many also mention poor refinement as the tire ages, including increased road noise and a harsher ride. Overall sentiment is mixed, with performance praised but longevity and comfort commonly limiting repeat purchases.
- Very good dry grip and handling
- Strong wet grip and confidence in rain
- Good value/price versus premium brands
- Stable and predictable at higher speeds
- Fast wear/short tread life (often uneven shoulder wear)
- High road noise and mediocre comfort/harsh ride
- Weaker performance in cold temperatures
Summarised by AI from 15 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 18 N Fera Sport SU2 reviewsI've driven the tire's about 40 000km on my family diesel wagon.The final result is four summers and they're gone.The protector is about 4mm,the outer side of the tires is melted like slick tire,and pieces of rubber come off.After a little bump one of the tires got a puncture in the side board,which surprised me a little,but for the price everything is OK.The grip is very good in wet and dry,they perform good in dynamic driving...when they new :)
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 61 sizes of the SportMaxx RT 2 and 138 of the N Fera Sport SU2, 52 of them made in both.
| Category | SportMaxx RT 2 | N Fera Sport SU2 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Summer | Summer |
| Sizes made | 61 sizes, 17 to 21 inch | 138 sizes, 16 to 22 inch |
| Made in both | 52 sizes 205/45 R17215/45 R17215/55 R17225/45 R17225/50 R17225/55 R17235/60 R17205/40 R18215/40 R18225/35 R18225/40 R18225/45 R18and 40 more | |
| EU label wet grip | A85%B15% | A64%B34%C2% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C79%D19%B3% | C36%A26%D25%B13% |
| EU label noise | 69-73 dB B93%A7% | 68-75 dB B80%A20% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 0 of 107 | 2 of 266 |
| On the market since | 2021 | - |
| Replaced | Dunlop SportMaxx RT (2014) | Nexen N Fera SU1 (2012) |
| Awards | Winner: Ultra High Performance Tire of the Year (WhatTire, 2021) | - |
| Price in the shared tests | The SportMaxx RT 2 was the dearer tire in 6 of the 6 tests that listed prices, by 23.6% on average. Each test priced the tires in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
These two have met eleven times in published tire tests, which makes this one of the better documented match-ups on the site, and the record is almost dead level: the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 has finished ahead six times, the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 five. What that scoreline hides is that the two tires are almost never good at the same things, and which one comes out on top depends heavily on what the test was measuring.
The Nexen is the braking tire. It stopped shorter in the dry in all ten tests that measured it, and shorter in the wet in eight of the eleven, which is why it placed 3rd of 50 in Auto Bild's 2026 braking shootout while the Dunlop managed 17th. The Dunlop answers with water clearance and wet composure: it won every curved aquaplaning test between them, by margins as wide as 21.3 percent, and took the wet handling runs three times out of four.
Both are older designs being judged against newer rivals, so neither is a class leader any more. The interesting question is not which is better, it is which set of compromises suits the road you drive on.
Conclusion
Buy the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 if stopping distance and running cost lead your list. Its dry braking advantage is small but relentless, appearing in every one of the ten tests that measured it, and its wet braking gap is the larger one: 42.3m against the Dunlop's 45.5m in Auto Bild's 2026 test, and 48.3m against 51.6m back in 2020. It is also consistently the quieter of the two, winning all six noise measurements, and it is the cheaper tire to buy and to run, at 12.13 per 1000km against 15.84 in the 2026 test. Testers repeatedly reach for words like short braking distances and low noise when they sum it up.
Buy the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 if your worry is standing water and wet cornering rather than the braking numbers. It beat the Nexen in all four curved aquaplaning tests, including 3.87 against 3.19 m/sec2 in Auto Bild's 2023 UHP test, and it led straight aquaplaning five times out of six. It also took three of the four wet handling runs, and Auto Zeitung's judges scored it 6 points against the Nexen's 3 for subjective wet handling in 2021. That 2023 UHP test is the clearest example of the pattern: the Dunlop finished 5th of 21 and the Nexen 17th of 21, because a test that weights handling and aquaplaning rewards the tire that is good at them, whatever the braking figures say.
Wear and rolling resistance refuse to settle, splitting 2-3 and 3-2 between the two across the years, so neither can claim them. The honest summary is that the Nexen is the safer buy on a motorway commute and a budget, the Dunlop the safer buy on a wet back road, and that both are now bettered by newer tires in the same sizes.
SportMaxx RT 2 vs N Fera Sport SU2: your questions
Is the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 or the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 the better tire?
In the 11 independent tests that ran both tires, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 finished ahead 6 times and the N Fera Sport SU2 5 times. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the SportMaxx RT 2 scores 8.4 and the N Fera Sport SU2 8.4 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the SportMaxx RT 2 or the N Fera Sport SU2?
The SportMaxx RT 2 led 18 of the 31 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it held 14.6% more grip in curved aquaplaning across 4 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The N Fera Sport SU2 led 13 of the 17 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 2.1% shorter in the dry across 10 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The SportMaxx RT 2 had 2.6% lower rolling resistance (5 tests); the N Fera Sport SU2 lasted 4.4% longer in the wear tests (5 tests). Owners rate wear 7.5/10 for the SportMaxx RT 2 and 5.6/10 for the N Fera Sport SU2.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The N Fera Sport SU2 was 1.3 dB quieter (6 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.9/10 for the SportMaxx RT 2 and 6.4/10 for the N Fera Sport SU2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the SportMaxx RT 2 77% from 94 reviews and the N Fera Sport SU2 70% from 18. 63% of SportMaxx RT 2 owners would buy it again, against 38% for the N Fera Sport SU2.
Which is more expensive?
In the 6 tests that listed prices, the SportMaxx RT 2 was the dearer tire in 6 of them, by 23.6% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The SportMaxx RT 2 is made in 61 sizes (17 to 21 inch) and the N Fera Sport SU2 in 138 (16 to 22 inch). 52 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the SportMaxx RT 2 is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the N Fera Sport SU2 A and C.
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Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.
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