72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
73/100
20 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
71/100
86 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Dunlop Direzza DZ102 and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Direzza DZ102 is stronger on wet. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT is stronger on dry and handling.
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 95 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Direzza DZ102 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 67 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 90 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 70 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 68 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 95 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 95 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 73 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 67 | 66 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 70 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Direzza DZ102 | SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 69 | 72 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Direzza DZ102 | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 72 |
| Dry | 82 | 87 |
| Wet | 73 | 70 |
| Snow | – | 70 |
| Comfort | 70 | 71 |
| Noise | – | 95 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 67 |
| Handling | 69 | 72 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Tire A
72
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Dunlop Direzza DZ102 is widely regarded as a high-value, entry-level Ultra-High Performance summer tire that balances impressive dry grip and comfort with an attractive price point. While many users praise its handling and road manners, consensus is split regarding its longevity and wet-weather performance, with some users reporting rapid tread wear and inconsistent traction in heavy rain.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement grip and cornering stability
- Surprisingly high levels of ride comfort for a performance tire
- Low road noise levels compared to competitors in the segment
Cons
- Rapid or inconsistent tread wear
- Inconsistent wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
- Increased road noise as the tire ages
- Difficult to balance for some users
Observations
- Users with high-torque or tuned vehicles (300hp+) report that the tire provides sufficient grip to manage power delivery effectively.
- Drivers on 17-inch and 18-inch setups frequently highlight a significant improvement in comfort compared to previous touring or OEM tires.
- Some users noted that the tire's performance is highly sensitive to correct inflation pressures, with improper settings leading to immediate degradation in feel.
The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT is a polarizing ultra-high-performance summer tire that excels in dry-weather handling and steering feedback but receives highly inconsistent feedback regarding wet-weather safety and tread longevity. While many users praise its quiet ride and stability on premium sedans, a significant portion of the user base reports poor traction in wet or cold conditions and premature sidewall degradation.
Pros
- Exceptional dry-weather grip and cornering stability
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality for a performance tire
- Strong steering feedback and predictable handling characteristics
- Attractive aesthetic design with effective rim protection
Cons
- Significant loss of traction and aquaplaning risk in wet or cold conditions
- Inconsistent tread life, with many reports of rapid wear or premature inner sidewall failure
- High price point relative to competitors with similar or better performance
- Susceptibility to tramlining and harshness on poor road surfaces
Observations
- Users with high-horsepower AWD vehicles (Audi Quattro, etc.) generally report better satisfaction with the tire's performance than those with high-torque RWD sports cars.
- Owners of larger, heavier vehicles (Audi A7, BMW 6-series) frequently report issues with sidewall integrity and inner-edge wear.
- The tire is noted to be particularly unsuitable for winter or near-freezing temperatures, with multiple reports of it becoming brittle and losing all traction.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 | B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Extreme Performance tires | Summer Extreme Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 5 |
| Rim diameters | — | 20″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 240 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Dunlop
72
/ 100
Dunlop
Too close to call: Dunlop Direzza DZ102 and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Direzza DZ102 is stronger on wet. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT is stronger on dry and handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 87 vs 82 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 73 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 72 vs 69 on handling.
Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 also compared with
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.