The Dunlop SP Sport 01 is a premium performance summer tire with owner support for dry grip, handling and tread life. Noise is the main recurring complaint, while wet grip and ride comfort divide opinion.
The quick answer
Owners say68%from 124 owner reviews52% would buy againRead the reviews
Tests saySorry, we don't currently have any test data for the Dunlop SP Sport 01
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2023.
Based on test and owner data, the Dunlop SP Sport 01 is expected to last around 31,129 miles (50,097 km).
What do owners say about the Dunlop SP Sport 01?
Across 124 owner ratings the Dunlop SP Sport 01 averages 68%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 7.8 out of 10 and Comfort lowest at 6.5. 63 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 55% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Dunlop SP Sport 01's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Dunlop SP Sport 01 most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 71 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Dunlop SP Sport 01?
Owners rate the Dunlop SP Sport 01 6.5 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 97 reviews.
How well do the Dunlop SP Sport 01 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Dunlop SP Sport 01 6.9 out of 10 for wear across 97 reviews. 63 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 18,000 miles.
More questions about the Dunlop SP Sport 01(6)
Would owners buy the Dunlop SP Sport 01 again?
52% of owners say they would buy the Dunlop SP Sport 01 again, based on the 120 owner reviews that answered the question. 18% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Dunlop SP Sport 01's tread life?
Of the 95 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SP Sport 01, 53 mention tread life: 37 praise it (long-lasting) and 16 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "have covered nearly 40,000 miles". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Dunlop SP Sport 01's road noise?
Of the 95 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SP Sport 01, 41 mention road noise: 13 praise it (quiet) and 28 criticise it (noisy). One owner wrote: "very loud road noise all round". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Dunlop SP Sport 01's dry grip?
Of the 95 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SP Sport 01, 38 mention dry grip: 31 praise it (strong dry grip) and 7 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "Fantastic grip in wet and dry conditions". Read those reviews
How do l know if my Dunlop sp sport 01 tires are runflat or not please?
January 23, 2019
They will say ROF, or runflat on the sidewall.
Show all questions(3)
are these tires any good in winter they are fitted on my tiguan frontwheeldrive
November 8, 2016
The Dunlop SP Sport 01 is an old technology summer tire, and as such it will have very limited snow performance. An all season tire or winter tire will perform better in the cold wet conditions of the UK winter.
What weight are these tires in 185/55/15 size?
May 24, 2016
185/55R15 82H SP SPORT 01 = 7.5 kg
185/55R15 82V SP SPORT 01 = 7.905 kg.
The Dunlop SP Sport 01 receives its clearest owner praise for dry grip, handling and tread life, with later-life accounts including substantial mileage. Wear is not universally liked, but favorable mentions outnumber complaints by more than two to one. Road noise is the main recurring drawback, criticised in nearly three in ten reviews, and some end-of-life accounts describe it becoming louder. Wet grip is evenly divided between positive and negative mentions, so it is less dependable as a point of recommendation than dry performance. Ride comfort is also split, while steering feedback leans positive without the same agreement as dry handling.
What owners mention most counted across 95 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 124 ratings
Owner score68%
Dry Grip78%
Road Feedback71%
Handling69%
Wear69%
Wet Grip67%
Comfort65%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 44%
“Xf 3.0 V6 diesel 240bhp. Bought 2nd hand with a mixture of high end brands 4 different manufacturers. Swapped over for Jaguar recommended Dunlop SP Sport 01. I drive sensibly, don't thrash the car, fronts v. little wear...”
“Have these Dunlop Sport SP1 tires fitted to my Mazda 6, not a fast driver but only got 11,651 miles from these tires and they are very noisy. Extremely poor value as they are expensive to replace, would have expected...”
“I was diappointed at the wear(28000 and probably 2000 miles left before chnage),as I have had 32K miles from Continental tires on a Range Rover, a much heavier car,Judging by feedback on these, they are probably a good...”
Xf 3.0 V6 diesel 240bhp.
Bought 2nd hand with a mixture of high end brands 4 different manufacturers. Swapped over for Jaguar recommended Dunlop SP Sport 01. I drive sensibly, don't thrash the car, fronts v. little wear over 10k, but the car tramlines horrendously on a badly worn road , very loud road noise all round. Rear tires down to 3mm. after the same mileage. My previous car, an E class got 60k out of a set of Goodyears without any of the racket from the Dunlops on the Jag.
Would I buy again, or recommend, definitely a big no.
Fitted the SP1s to my BMW e83 x3 2006. Had them on for a good 5 years and loved them.
Can’t say I noticed the noise others mention but definitely well suited to the x3 ( bmw star rated tire).
Now having Avon zv7s fitted I’d say the Dunlop is much firmer in the side wall and better copes with such a heavy car and cornering.
If you’re going to fit the Avon to an x3 DONT. Can’t recommend enough that you fit any of the star rated tires… it’s not just a marketing gimmick. Highly recommend the SP1
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Tire came with the car I bought used. DOT is 2016 so it's been almost 6 years already. The two tires served as the rear wheels ever since while my fronts were Yokohama A.Drives. About 6 months or so ago I noticed a consistent noise coming from the rear. I chucked it to probably failing wheel bearings as I previously experienced in my other car. Since the A.Drives are down to their last treads, I exchanged the fronts and the rears as the Dunlop has about 70% amount of tread left. Oh wow! The noise I am hearing from the back has now transferred to the front. And the noise is horrible. Still the same wheel bearing like noise but much louder. It became so irritating that I have it replaced already even with that much tread left. In contrast, the Yokohamas which are down to their treadwear indicators are still so much quieter. The Dunlops being in the rear most of its life have probably not experienced too much flexing that the rubber had become hardened in an almost plastic-like consistency.
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Researching the Dunlop SP Sport 01? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
A fine tire with great feedback and a quiet experience. Fantastic grip in wet and dry conditions. Many miles of spirited cross country and motorway driving confirmed why this tire was usually the original choice on the car when it was new. The tires bring out the best performance of the car and give complete comfort and confidence in all the usual daily driving conditions. I will not hesitate in replacing these with the same ones again.
This tire is specifically designed for the Jaguar and it definitely feels right on my car. I recently had all four tires replaced with these and the car handles exactly as it should. The car has a fantastic sure footed and smooth ride with the expected feeling of being on rails on fast A roads.
A great looking tire too!
Just put these Dunlop SP01 BMW Star Rated tires on a BMW E83 X3 3.0d M-Sport with staggered set-up 235/50/R18 on the front and 255/45/R18 on the rear. Can't believe it has stopped the shuddering. The shuddering seems to be a major problem with this model of car when using any other tires except BMW Star Rated ones, and cause's major damage to the transfer case. I was very sceptical about this but decided to give it a try. The reason it cures the shuddering problem is to do with the rolling resistance and the diameter BMW have set-up this car to.
I had these tires for about 40.000 kms and 5 years they wear well and they still grip very well. The tire is kind of sporty and the road feedback is excellent. Now at the end of their tread they became noisy when turning fast around corners. All in all these were excellent tires with some sporty qualities.
Exception set of tires, have covered nearly 40,000 miles and are between 3.5-3mm tread left. I have checked the tire pressures every week and run them pretty high for economy at 38psi. Handling is good still, good turn in. Getting abit louder in the wet now but still sharp and precise braking even in the wet. Minimal signs of wear or cracking. It's an older model tire now and has been replaced, but if I can find a set of these tires writhing a few years of manufacture I will defiantly purchase again.
Only down side is rolling resistance, compared to the newer blue response or goodyear efficient grip performance.
Still a fab tire.
I have the Dunlop SP Sport on my S500 Mercedes - it is the noisiest tire I have ever owned and slippery in the wet .
It made a quiet car sound noisy and uncomfortable to drive .I will never buy Dunlop again.
Excellent tires all around and my tire of choice for my B6 VW Passat estate. Good grip in the wet and dry, good wear and a fair price. I've tried Bridgestone on the same car, they didn't do nearly as well.
Superb tire, good in all conditions, Rear tire's still have 5.5mm tread, front wheels down to 3mm. Less noise than Continental, or Bridgestone. Still a sharp looking tread would definitely recommend them to anybody with a Tiguan.
