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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT — 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.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Summer Max Performance tires

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
67/100
180 owner reviews
Dry
80
Wet
70
Snow
70
Comfort
66
Noise
95
Treadwear
64
Handling
67

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
VerdictWinner: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — better noise, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full

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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 18
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
80
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
62
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Tire Rack owners – 63
Tyre Reviews owners 79 –
SimpleTire owners 100 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 19
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
70
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
51
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Tire Rack owners – 56
Tyre Reviews owners 69 –
SimpleTire owners 60 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
70
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
–
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
SimpleTire owners 60 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 28
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
66
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
38
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Tire Rack owners – 45
Tyre Reviews owners 64 –
SimpleTire owners 100 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 63
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
95
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
32
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
SimpleTire owners 80 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 20
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
64
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
44
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Tire Rack owners – 47
Tyre Reviews owners 63 –
SimpleTire owners 80 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx leads by 4
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
67
B — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
63
Why this score
SourceSP Sport MaxxSP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Tyre Reviews owners 67 –

Scores at a glance

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport MaxxDunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Relative Score 72 48
Dry 80 62
Wet 70 51
Snow 70 –
Comfort 66 38
Noise 95 32
Treadwear 64 44
Handling 67 63

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

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.

Tire A Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx is a polarizing ultra-high-performance tire that excels in dry-weather handling and steering responsiveness but faces significant criticism regarding tread longevity and noise levels. While many users praise its initial grip and stability, a substantial portion of the user base reports inconsistent performance in wet conditions and premature wear, leading to a mixed overall consensus.

Pros

  • Strong dry-weather grip and cornering stability
  • High level of steering feedback and precision
  • Effective rim protection design
  • Good aquaplaning resistance in straight lines

Cons

  • Rapid and often uneven tread wear
  • High levels of road noise, particularly as the tire ages
  • Inconsistent or poor wet-weather traction
  • Susceptibility to sidewall cracking and bubbling

Observations

  • Owners of high-torque, rear-wheel-drive vehicles frequently report excessive wheel spin and poor traction off the line.
  • Drivers of heavier luxury sedans and SUVs often note that the tire's stiff sidewall provides good handling but can lead to a harsh ride and increased cabin noise.
  • Users with high-performance hatchbacks frequently report 'sawtoothing' wear patterns, resulting in significant humming noises.
Tire B Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
CategorySummer Max Performance tires—
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Dunlop

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — better noise, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 95 vs 32 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 66 vs 38 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 64 vs 44 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 70 vs 51 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT

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.