Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D is widely praised as an excellent, confidence-inspiring winter tire, with standout grip and stability in snow, slush, cold wet, and dry conditions, plus low noise and good comfort for a winter tire. Many report strong wear/longevity and consistent performance over multiple seasons and high mileages. A minority note squirmy/soft handling feel at high speeds and occasional wet/ice shortcomings in extreme or Nordic conditions, but overall sentiment is strongly positive and repeat purchase intent is high.
What owners mention most counted across 36 reviews
One word: wow! I've been using the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme's on my Audi A4 for the last few Winters & boy they were good but these are even better. Only put them on last week so obviously can't comment on wear but they really excel in all winter conditions. Took the car up Cairngorm mountain road where there was a few inches of fresh snow and the car felt solid as if you were driving on a dry summers road! Had temps of -1c with black ice recently in Inverness and again the car feels planted on the road in icy conditions. In cold rainy weather going through puddles isn't daunting anymore…the car just goes through them without any fuss. In dry cold weather again the grip is amazing.
Comfort is excellent, very quiet and just a gentle rumble when going over rough tarmac or potholes
On the downside they weren't cheap, around £155 per corner from lovetires but I did buy them in the middle of winter so suppose I had to pay a premium. Buy them, you won't regret it!
Superb tires. I was warned that winter tires wear quickly. Rubbish. They did over 20k and still had more grip than my wife's summer tires over the same distance (remember, you are starting out with tonnes more tread depth and so have more to lose!). Also, I found no problem keeping these tires fitted during summer. No noticeable change in performance. Ultimately, the mean annual UK temperature is just 11C. In the early mornings and evenings (when most people drive to and from work), the temperature is well below this, and so hard to understand why you wouldn't use a winter or all season tire for the UK roads. I have a 320d rear wheel drive and its almost impossible to spin these tires! Get involved.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Well, it's something when you put these on an they're quieter than the summer tires! (Pirelli P7 Cinturato).
They are best to be used in bellow 0-5C. I've found that on dry and wet roads, on over 5C the Pirelli's are better gripping. But boy oh hoy, things do change under 0C.
I've run these really hard on wet at -1(still water on the ground, not ice) and they grip almost like the Pirelli's in the summer.
They do however shine when tackling almost zero traction conditions like thick slush or fresh snow. You can just feel them grip. I have NEVER been stuck anywhere, even when tackling 20+ cm snow. On glass ice they grip really when, and you can feel when they're going to lose traction. You don't end up in the ditch just like that.
To sum this up, they are brilliant for snow/ice/cold&wet conditions. I've went with my FWD car where 4WD cars were stuck or stuggling.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
Had them on for two seasons, about to hit the third. It was awesome being able to drive a lightweight rear wheel drive coupe in the snow. The outside Lane of the motorway is empty in the snow and this set up handled it perfectly, massively exceeding my expectations. The only limiting factor is the snow and ice in the middle of the road which catches on such a low car. No fault of the tires though. Absolute convert to winter tires now and will be fitting them to the other car too. Been through two seasons and they've lost 3-4mm at the rear and 2 on the front. However this may have been because I've enjoyed provoking the rears into deliberate, controllable slides. Such fun added to the massively increased driveability and safety.
I've driven them for two seasons now in Mitsubishi Lancer 205/60 R16.
They really shine in all conditions, especially in wet.
Previously I've used Goodyear UltraGrip 7+, which I recon to be v. good, but these Dunlops are even better.
Drove them all year around in the UK. Probably 60% motorway driving, with usually minimum 2 passengers and speed around 65mph. These are excellent winter tires that lasted me around 50k miles! Will definitely buy again!
84%
Member
Kia Motors
205/55 R16 H
9,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Average
this is a reliable tire. wet grip good. noise not a problem. wear so far not noticeable much.
First impressions are excellent, very quiet, comfortable, great handling and immense grip in both dry & wet cold conditions, significantly better than my standard OE summer tires. Would buy again & recommend without hesitation. Too early to tell how they ware or cope with snow, but other reviews give me confidence.
93%
Member
Jaguar
225/45 R17 V
1,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Average
Thiis is an excellent tire and the difference in ride quality is second to none. Does everything it says on the tin, not cheap, but definitely worth it!
After two winters and 17 000 miles all four tires are evenly worn down to 4.5mm, which means that I will need to replace them during the next winter, and I will go for WS 4D again.
Wear is one of the less-than-stellar aspects of this tire, but around 1/2 of those miles were driven on highways at 100+mph, the rest was in cities with a lot of breaking and acceleration, so I guess it is adequate.
Dry grip is fine for a winter tire, as is wet grip. When approaching its limit, the tire is extremely progressive, so reduced grip levels when compared to summer tires are fine with me.
Where these tires absolutely shine is snow, ice, and slush.
I have owned UltraGrip 7, Blizzak 25 and SnowSport 240, and these are the best of them. I have driven through half frozen snow so deep that the car ended up stuck on its axes, but the ESP never even blinked. I have driven through bends on compacted snow at speeds that I normally drive at in the wet. I had to do an emergency breaking on an icy road when the tires were already half worn and the car stayed rock solid. The tires were driven close to their speed rating for hours on long journeys, at temperatures close to -20, and never lost any of their capabilities.
I cannot recommend these enough if you want a soft, quiet tire that will have your back on snow and ice. If you are looking for more mileage out of one set and don't mind a bit of noise and harder sidewalls, I would probably go for the Blizzaks.
Simply amazing tires. Probaly the best ones I have ever driven. They provide stunning grip on snow and wet conditions. They are also very good on extreme low temperatures on dry roads.
Update from my previous review on the Ford Mondeo. Still not regretting buying them. In the slush it genuinely is like the slush isn't there. They aren't as grippy in the snow as I was hoping but then my tires are quite wide so I suspect that is the main contributor rather than the tread/compound. Since English gritted roads in the snow are mainly slushy then these tires are ideal for what I need them for. They will still go OK on snowy roads but you have to be a bit more careful. Maybe I was expecting too much!
The wear hasn't been great on the front but then the Mondeo is a bit of a tire eater and I've got a heavy diesel engine up front pressing down on them. Back tires still look new.
