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 157 reviews
2.4 litre engine with slight CR increase. Water/alcohol cooled intake, highly milled spark plugs. Caltex - RON 95 petrol + additives. BC coilovers lowered by 45 mm. Full floating front disc c/w 6 pistons calipers. Front undercarriage brace. Front camber 2.5 degrees & read camber 1.5 degrees - both Negative. Testing done on 1500 km of Malaysian Highway & mountain roads in dry & torrential rainfall. 3 adults + luggage.
210 km/hr - straight sections Highway - dry grip & dry braking feel was superb (10).
170 km/hr - straight sections Highway - wet grip & wet braking was excellent (9).
120 km/hr - curved sections Highway - dry grip was very good (8) ( did not try braking at this speed ! ).
80 Km/hr - curved sections Highway - wet grip was fantastic considering the amount of water on road surface (9) ( also did not try braking on wet curves ! ).
At speeds over 190 Km/hr, tyre roar was very high especially on rough surfaces.
But it was on twisting sections of mountain roads (Cameroon Highlands), the Dunlops really shine. Grip was so tenacious, could not break into any slides; only a chirping feel from lightest-loaded rear tyre.
Altogether an excellent experience over 2 days - well worth the money spent upgrading/replacing major suspension components.
Brakes $2000, Dunlops $1000, Rims $2000, Front Wheel Bearings $300, Front A-arms $600, BC "VR" Coilovers $1500, Underbrace $300, Engine work $3000.
The RT is very quiet and has good initial bite on turn-in. However, it's very non-progressive in its behaviour - initial grip is strong but this is then given up far too quickly.
They may suit overweight, nose-heavy FWD cars very well, due to that strong initial grip on turn-in and the good ride quality, but on a RWD car they're mediocre at best - it's very difficult to get a progressive slide out of the back end. You get understeer as the back end grips, then snappy oversteer as it gives up. Mildly amusing as long as you have lots of run-off and a forgiving car, but on, for example, an S2000, they'd be terrifying.
They're a poor show for Dunlop, especially given the price is on a par with the current Goodyear Eagles. I've run two sets of ancient and theoretically inferior Goodrich G-Grips on the same car, and even nearly down to the cords, they're progressive and easy to find the limit with. Not so the Dunlops.
After 3 years and 45000km there is no real wear but it seems that they have become hard because dry and especially wet grip is now bad. A very nice tire when new but now they need replacing
Fitting these tyres absolutely transformed the car after moving from a set of Avon ZZ3. The rumbling noise I had previously thought was a faulty rear wheel bearing had disappeared and the car felt incredibly smooth, soft and SO SO QUIET, I was honestly amazed. They are a really nice looking tyre, especially the smooth sidewall with minimal graphics, a nice tread pattern and logo embossed in the tread. Dry grip very good and stability and braking, especially in the wet, was superb. They really seemed to shift water well. On the whole, I thought I had found my ideal tyre...however there is one huge drawback. The wear is absolutely shocking, especially at 80-90 GBP per corner. 16k miles and they were down to the limit. For that reason I won't buy again, which is a shame as otherwise they would be perfect.
Fitted these to all 4 corners, initial choice was due to excellent grip rating and low road noise. Instantly.... the car handled so much better, very comfortable and stuck to the road giving me the confidence to push the car through corners in both wet and dry conditions.
I am finding the wear rate to be a little higher than some HP tyres but not any more than other brands. Excellent through standing water and as mentioned.... fantastic grip overall.
Q, would i buy these tyres again.... A, Too right i would !
These tires look good but all the published info about how good they were supposed to be is obviously not true based on the facts of my experience. Over the years I have tried various brands and I believe that some cars are suited to specific tires, driving style and road type and so on, therefore you get better wear etc. Because this is my belief and experience I wont express in detail my disappointment and annoyance as I have only achieved 15000 miles of mainly motorway miles. Obviously before some bright spark says it, no I don't just drive at 70 mph but come on.
Each to there own but for me I will not buy again.
After 45000km it still grips reasonably well and still has at least 20000km worth of tread. In my case the wear is good althought I mainly drive in town with occasional fast bursts. The only negative i find is soft side walls and slow steering response
I have these fitted to my 2014 volvo S60 front,and have only done 7000 miles with them and they are down to 1.7mm.
I had done plenty of research but not on wearequest.
Stay clear of these if you have a performance car. Buy Bridgestone or Continental.
