The Dunlop SportMaxx RT is a premium max-performance summer tire that majors on strong grip and safety, especially when braking. Drivers consistently report confident dry and wet traction with reassuring high-speed stability, and professional testing backs this up with repeated top finishes and standout wet and dry braking. It's a tire that feels secure and predictable when driven hard, but it tends to trade longevity for performance.
In everyday use, owners often highlight a quiet, comfortable ride when new alongside dependable handling and aquaplaning resistance, making it an easy performance tire to live with in mixed summer conditions. Test data broadly aligns, showing the SportMaxx RT as a competitive UHP option in large group tests, with its best results coming in braking-led evaluations where it can challenge or beat key rivals.
Where both sources converge on drawbacks is wear: many users report a short tread life, and some tests also flag longevity as a meaningful weakness. As the tire wears, some drivers notice increasing road noise, and a softer sidewall feel can slightly blunt the initial steering response compared with sharper-feeling alternatives. Overall, it's an excellent choice if you prioritize braking confidence and all-round grip over mileage and long-term refinement.
The quick answer
Owners say78%from 180 owner reviews63% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesOutstanding wet and dry braking with strong overall safety marginsHigh levels of dry grip and confident wet traction with good aquaplaning resistanceFast wear/short tread life relative to peersNoise can increase noticeably as the tire wearsSummarised from the tests and owner reviews
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 2026.
Based on test and owner data, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT is expected to last around 24,109 miles (38,800 km).
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT?
Across 180 owner ratings the Dunlop SportMaxx RT averages 78%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 8.8 out of 10 and Wear lowest at 6. 61 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 72% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT most commonly carries EU label ratings of C for fuel efficiency, A for wet grip and 70 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Dunlop SportMaxx RT?
Owners rate the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 8.2 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 161 reviews.
How well do the Dunlop SportMaxx RT wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 6 out of 10 for wear across 161 reviews. 61 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 8,000 miles.
More questions about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT(7)
Would owners buy the Dunlop SportMaxx RT again?
63% of owners say they would buy the Dunlop SportMaxx RT again, based on the 171 owner reviews that answered the question. 30% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's dry grip?
Of the 157 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, 94 mention dry grip: 88 praise it (strong dry grip) and 6 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "The dry grip was very very good during their whole lifespan". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's tread life?
Of the 157 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, 78 mention tread life: 17 praise it (long-lasting) and 61 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "very very low wear. (tire almost done at 13000 miles)". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's wet grip?
Of the 157 owner reviews analyzed for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, 71 mention wet grip: 58 praise it (confident wet grip) and 13 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "grippier in all weather especially the wet". Read those reviews
The tire pressure for the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT is vehicle and load specific. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a sticker in the door shut of the driver's door, or in the manufacturer's handbook.
i have dunlop 225/45zr17 on my skoda suberb and i have 39000 kilometers on what millage would i expecp to get
July 30, 2016
That is excellent mileage for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, especially if it is the front pair of tires.
Drivers of the Dunlop SportMaxx RT largely praise its strong dry and confident wet grip, stable high-speed manners, and generally quiet, comfortable ride with good aquaplaning resistance. Many note predictable handling and strong braking, often comparing it favorably to OE or budget tires. The most consistent drawback is very fast wear, with several owners reporting short lifespans and rising noise as the tread diminishes; a minority also mention softer sidewalls that dull initial steering response. Overall, it's a high-performing summer tire best for those prioritizing grip over longevity.
What owners mention most counted across 157 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 180 ratings
Owner score78%
Dry Grip88%
Wet Grip84%
Road Feedback82%
Comfort82%
Handling81%
Wear60%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 84%
“Nice sport tire, it hasn’t disappoint me anywhere. It has rim protection (difficult to find at 205/55r16), it handles good & it’s predictable (you can push it to its limits without unpleasant surprises), but I would...”
“Just got my brand new leon at the end of August 17 ( so under 1 month) and to my disppointement it arrived with Dunlopp Maxx RT. I didn't like the bluesport model as the wear was shockingly bad but these tires are just...”
“I had these tires fitted three years ago on my heavy Alfa Romeo 1.9 JTS (1.5 tons) knowing fully well that they will not last as long as my previous ones (Continental Premium Contact 2) which I could not find anymore...”
Not so much grip on wet, and not so comfortabile tire on bad roads...
Noise and stability is very good on high speed on highway even in flatout on the autobahn. When tires are heated up on road, they get much better for driving...
Tires are adequate, I wouldn't call them amazing in any field. They struggled with traction in both the dry and the wet even under moderate acceleration.
For those who do mostly city or backcountry driving these are okay, I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who does mostly highway driving, especially given there are competitors which cost the same or less.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
I bought them brand new in 2016 for my Mazda 3. The dry grip was very very good during their whole lifespan. Somehow the wet grip improved, when the tire got older and wore down, which is opposite to what it should be. They lasted for well over 55k km. In the end, before I sold the car with them, they got uneven wear because of bad wheel alignment. They are still available from some warehouses and would recommend them even now, if they are cheaper.
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Bought a Mini with these tires fitted. Very very disappointed . They still have 4 - 5 mm tread. however the side walls are cracking. Along with cracks between the treads. Contacted Dunlop direct. Very pleasant chat. however they will not look at any goodwill gesture towards replacing tires . Have had similar problems on another car . This was fitted with Nexen tires that were cracking on the shoulders. They have supplied new tires . They offer lifetime guarantee .Looks as if my Mini will be getting some Nexen tires fitted. So disappointed with Dunlop tires.
Nice sport tire, it hasn’t disappoint me anywhere. It has rim protection (difficult to find at 205/55r16), it handles good & it’s predictable (you can push it to its limits without unpleasant surprises), but I would prefer stiffer sidewalls. It has quite soft rubber so it’s quiet & of course it wears faster than a touring tire. It keeps the good handling until the end of it’s life.
It’s my second set, probably I will buy them again for 3rd time (or I will try pilot sport 4)
I believe it’s one of the best choices (if you are looking for a high performance tire) at my tire size (unfortunately not many options of performance tires anymore)
I had these tires on the Mini for some time and they have been very confident and competent. Given that they are a ten year old design and the tire is still so competent, I wonder if Dunlop has improved them quietly over the years as they are very widely available at BMW/Mini dealerships still. So after hitting the biggest pot hole in the world and broke the springs and many things, the dealer had to replace my front tires as well. They recommended the starred (bmw fitment) Dunlop Sport Maxx RT again and even though I could have got the supreme Michelin Pilot Sport 5 for a much cheaper price outside a dealership, I agreed with the dealer and chose the Dunlop again. That is how highly I rate these tires after years of driving with them and the Dunlops are phenominal at dealing with aquaplaning!
I bought the car with the Dunlops fitted all round. They were old and only had about 3mm of tread on them, so I was soon to get new tires.
For the short while I did have them, they were outstanding in the dry, I've heard that the turn in on them can be slow to reslpond but to my usage I did not see this. In fact id say the turn in and maximum high speed turning grip was outstanding and felt almost like a semi slick. I couldn't get the wheels to spin at all in the dry and were a joy to drive. Was a shame that they had such a low tread when I bought the car because I'd love to have felt how they were in the wet with a decent amount of tread on them.
If they were not so expensive I would buy them again definitely so if you have the money and live in a mostly dry area then these are damn gold.
50%
Member
Audi
245/35 R19
2,000 miles
Mostly Motorways
Put these on Audi ,not good in wet as car is spinning alot more with them on take off and snow really bad, can't wait till get them off again as they are that bad
Dispite that its an old model tire of dunlop it work so good with sporty characteristics hard compound but noisy. I replaced them after 45000 KM driven mostly in dry conditions and high temperatures but it seemed that they had another 5000 km more life easily. I was very satisfied in general and now replace them with AS6 with too much soft compound with no sporty characteristics and unsteable when you push them a little more . i wish i had chosen the same.
These tires sidewall damage so easily, unprovoked. Iv had to replace a tire every 3rd month. My last one still maintained tire pressure but sidewall had a huge slash in the inside so I couldn’t see it. Maybe i got a defective set
