48%
- BMW E46 330d
- 245/40 R18 W
- 7,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
Very disappointed!!! Only 7000 miles,Lack of words
Dunlop SportMaxx RT Owner Reviews
Review this tireWhat owners say summarised from 161 reviews
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 score 78%
- Dry Grip 88%
- Wet Grip 84%
- Road Feedback 82%
- Comfort 82%
- Handling 81%
- Wear 60%
Dunlop SportMaxx RT Reviews - Page 8
Score spread across 158 written reviews
69%
- Volvo V70 T5
- 205/50 R16 V
- 9,000 miles
- Mostly Country Roads
- Average
Initially these were very good: grip in the wet and dry was good. They are quiet.
However after just 9000 miles, the tread is down to 3mm, and on the wet autobahn in the slow lane (which in Germany collects lots of water), the grip was poor (wheel spin on accelerating getting onto the motorway at relatively low speeds) and risk of aquaplaning with not enough water dispersal when tread thickness is low. Dry grip when the tread is low is still very good, but some tendency also to get wheelspin on hard accelration which never happened when the tires had more tread.
So initially very pleased, and now disppointed that they have worn out so quickly and will need replacement so soon.
However after just 9000 miles, the tread is down to 3mm, and on the wet autobahn in the slow lane (which in Germany collects lots of water), the grip was poor (wheel spin on accelerating getting onto the motorway at relatively low speeds) and risk of aquaplaning with not enough water dispersal when tread thickness is low. Dry grip when the tread is low is still very good, but some tendency also to get wheelspin on hard accelration which never happened when the tires had more tread.
So initially very pleased, and now disppointed that they have worn out so quickly and will need replacement so soon.
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73%
- Renault Laguna 1.9 dCI
- 215/55 R16
- 9,500 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Easy Going
Very good performance tires, I would only not buy again because those are first tires what I have to excchange after driving 15 000Km I drive family car, any other brands I had before lasted minimum 30 000Km if not more I find the short lasting as very expensieve variant, that is why I will not buy those tires any more, but if I would drive some light sport car, I would definitely buy them because of very good performance on road, becasue with sport car you do not watch on the tires long lasting :) but perfomance only....
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77%
- Volkswagen Golf Mk6 1.4 TSI 160
- 205/55 R16 W
- 15,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
The RTs are really decent tires, with amazing dry grip when warm and new and excellent wet grip, although I always go very cautiously when it rains. Dry grip does deteriorate with age and tread getting more shallow. The tire also needs to get slightly warm to grip really well.
Although Dunlop calls it SportMaxx, it ain't really that max(x)... It is sporty and goes through corners very nicely, not letting go easily, but you don't get much information through the steering wheel. But I guess the same can be said of many a "sporty" tire of today...
Comfort-wise, it is very quiet and compliant. You do lose some of the compliance if you increase the air pressure to get it to talk to you though. And the noise increases with age and the tread getting shallower.
The most troubling thing for me about this tire is that at some point one of the tires developed a fault that caused it to vibrate. The tire originally was at the rear and the vibration was slight, but when I rotated and it got at the front, it made the steering wheel vibrate at 120-140 kph, which is really annoying. Yes, I went through multiple wheel-balancing sessions and I checked the car's alignment, everything was fine, so I blame the tires. I guess their light construction (their weight is very low) didn't cope too well at some point with the Greek roads..
Although Dunlop calls it SportMaxx, it ain't really that max(x)... It is sporty and goes through corners very nicely, not letting go easily, but you don't get much information through the steering wheel. But I guess the same can be said of many a "sporty" tire of today...
Comfort-wise, it is very quiet and compliant. You do lose some of the compliance if you increase the air pressure to get it to talk to you though. And the noise increases with age and the tread getting shallower.
The most troubling thing for me about this tire is that at some point one of the tires developed a fault that caused it to vibrate. The tire originally was at the rear and the vibration was slight, but when I rotated and it got at the front, it made the steering wheel vibrate at 120-140 kph, which is really annoying. Yes, I went through multiple wheel-balancing sessions and I checked the car's alignment, everything was fine, so I blame the tires. I guess their light construction (their weight is very low) didn't cope too well at some point with the Greek roads..
99%
- Renault Megane RenaultSport Cup
- 225/45 R18 W
- 7,500 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
I have found the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT XL tires very good, dry and wet both excellent performance for my light weight Renault Megane Sport Cup. Previous tires Continental Sport Contact 5 M0 XL and Avon ZZ3's, both good tires but the Dunlop Sport Maxx's out do both of these tires in handling, fuel economy and lasting far better, my driving habits are fast, hard braking and combination of town driving. Definitely a very good setup for my car and would recommend and buy these again. Suit my car well.
66%
- Ford Focus mk2
- 205/50 R17 W
- 15,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
Bought these after much research. Dry and wet grip is generally very good with good turn in and handling qualities. However the road noise was much greater than what I was expecting. This was a shame after reading it was supposed to be a quiet ride. The main issue was the very fast wear rate. I only got about 15000 miles out of them which is about half of what I normally get.
So in all a good tire if you do low miles but not if you do more and value refinement.
So in all a good tire if you do low miles but not if you do more and value refinement.
87%
- Peugeot
- 225/45 R17
- 7,000 miles
- Mostly Country Roads
- Average
Best tires I've ever had! Really fun, I can always trust on them nomatter what situation Im in. Wet grip is insane, just like driving with slicks on a dry track!
But theres always a minus with good things.. and that's the wear..absolutly rubbish with a big R! Driven 10000km with them now, and the pattern have vanished. :/
Would buy these again if they can make them last atleast 20000km or more
But until they find a good rubbermixture Im gonna buy Vredestein Ultrac Vorti/Sessanta.
But theres always a minus with good things.. and that's the wear..absolutly rubbish with a big R! Driven 10000km with them now, and the pattern have vanished. :/
Would buy these again if they can make them last atleast 20000km or more
But until they find a good rubbermixture Im gonna buy Vredestein Ultrac Vorti/Sessanta.
74%
- Volkswagen GOLF MK5 R32 3.2 V6 4MOTION
- 225/40 R18
- 10,000 miles
- Mostly Country Roads
- Spirited
Fantastic grip wet and dry, very quiet and comfortable for a performance tire BUT the wear is horrible on a hot hatch with an aggressive front camber. Both fronts are down to 0mm on the inside shoulder after only 15,000km (~10,000mi) of mostly spirited driving on twisty country roads and are now unroadworthy, while the rears still have 4mm left and are wearing evenly. I have never had any tires that lasted such a short time, so I would not buy again.
91%
- Audi A8
- 255/40 R19 W
- 3,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
Exceptional tire. I fitted them on my A8L W12 and the feedback is awesome, esspecially when they are warm enough. Wet grip is excellent for such wide tire that my car needs. Still don't have a clue how long they will last but for now tire wear is OK. They are also very quiet and very good for long highway trips at high speed. Definetely will buy again if the wear is as good as performance so far. Price is very reasonable, my other choise was the Yokohama V105 but their price was almost double.
99%
- Audi A4 2.0 TFSI (205 bhp)
- 215/55 R16 W
- 8,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
Great tires, both on dry and wet roads. Grip is very good, they are holding the car very vell, also nice desgin/ good looking tires. Recommended buy, worth the money. For sport cars and spirited drivers is a must have.
87%
- Peugeot 206 1.6 xt
- 200/45 R16
- 3,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
My previous Goodyear Eagle F1 tires where pretty stiff, offering not much of comfort. These Dunlop tires are way more forgiving, softening the bumps in the road, making the ride more comfortable. Yes, as a result, they are a little less direct, but I don't care, I'm not driving a race car to my work.
Compared to the Eagle F1 tires, I find these Dunlops more silent, although on paper the Dunlops should be 1dB louder (67dB). In my experience, these tires are very quiet.
One thing that made me drop my jaw on the floor is the amount of grip in the rain. I have never experienced so much grip in wet conditions before. Accelerating, cornering and braking in wet feels pretty much the same as in dry, it's that good!
I'm very happy with the Dunlops and there is a very big chance my next tires will be the same!
Compared to the Eagle F1 tires, I find these Dunlops more silent, although on paper the Dunlops should be 1dB louder (67dB). In my experience, these tires are very quiet.
One thing that made me drop my jaw on the floor is the amount of grip in the rain. I have never experienced so much grip in wet conditions before. Accelerating, cornering and braking in wet feels pretty much the same as in dry, it's that good!
I'm very happy with the Dunlops and there is a very big chance my next tires will be the same!
73%
- Ford Mondeo TDCI
- 235/45 R17 W
- 4,000 miles
- Mostly Country Roads
- Average
Bought these after reading other reviews. Grip is superb in the dry and wet and they are reasonably quiet for a wide low-profile tire. The downside to this is the very high wear rate on the tire. After 4k miles I'm down to about 4mm on the fronts. Another 2 or 3 k before they need changing so I'll be getting something else. A mondeo diesel is hardly a performance car so I'm guessing the rubber is very soft and wears quickly when used on the fwd mondeo. Incidentally, the car's tracking is spot on and the wear is even across the full tire width.
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