The Dunlop SportMaxx RT is a premium max-performance summer tyre 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 tyre 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 tyre 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 tyre 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 prioritise braking confidence and all-round grip over mileage and long-term refinement.
The quick answer
Owners say78%from 181 owner reviews62% 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 tyre wearsSummarised from the tests and owner reviews
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated November 2026.
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Based on test and owner data, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT is expected to last around 23,980 miles (38,592 km).
What treadwear rating and mileage warranty does the Dunlop SportMaxx RT have?
In the US, the Dunlop SportMaxx RT carries a UTQG treadwear grade of 240, with traction AA and temperature A. UTQG treadwear is relative: a tyre graded 400 lasted four times as long as the reference tyre, graded 100, on the government test course. New tread depth is 8-10/32" (6.4-7.9 mm), depending on size.
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT?
Across 181 owner ratings the Dunlop SportMaxx RT averages 78%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 8.8 out of 10 and Wear lowest at 6. 63 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 71% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's EU tyre 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 163 reviews.
More questions about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT(8)
How well do the Dunlop SportMaxx RT wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 6 out of 10 for wear across 163 reviews. 63 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 8,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Dunlop SportMaxx RT again?
62% of owners say they would buy the Dunlop SportMaxx RT again, based on the 173 owner reviews that answered the question. 29% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Dunlop SportMaxx RT's dry grip?
Of the 158 owner reviews analysed for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, 95 mention dry grip: 89 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 158 owner reviews analysed 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 158 owner reviews analysed for the Dunlop SportMaxx RT, 72 mention wet grip: 59 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 tyre pressure for the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT is vehicle and load specific. The correct tyre 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 tyres.
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 tyres. 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 tyre best for those prioritizing grip over longevity.
What owners mention most counted across 158 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 181 ratings
Owner score78%
Dry Grip88%
Wet Grip84%
Road Feedback82%
Comfort82%
Handling81%
Wear60%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 84%
“Nice sport tyre, 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 tyres are just...”
“I had these tyres 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...”
I am very dissapointed as I have only had them on the car for 20 months and they already came up as an advisory on the MOT due to micro-cracking between the treads. No tyre should fail so early, and after some research online, its appears this is a known issue with Dunlop tyres and they know it. I will now have to replace them at less than 2 years old with 5mm + of tread left, so needless to say I will never buy this brand again...
Not so much grip on wet, and not so comfortabile tyre 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...
Which tyres do you drive?
Researching the Dunlop SportMaxx RT? Rate the tyres you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
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.
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 tyre 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.
Bought a Mini with these tyres 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 tyres . Have had similar problems on another car . This was fitted with Nexen tyres that were cracking on the shoulders. They have supplied new tyres . They offer lifetime guarantee .Looks as if my Mini will be getting some Nexen tyres fitted. So disappointed with Dunlop tyres.
Nice sport tyre, 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 tyre. 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 tyre) at my tyre size (unfortunately not many options of performance tyres anymore)
I had these tyres 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 tyre 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 tyres 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 tyres 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 tyres.
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 tyre 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 tyres sidewall damage so easily, unprovoked. Iv had to replace a tyre every 3rd month. My last one still maintained tyre pressure but sidewall had a huge slash in the inside so I couldn’t see it. Maybe i got a defective set
