Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D vs Dunlop Winter Sport 5 — Compared (September 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.
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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 Winter Sport 4D leads by 8
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
90
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
82
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Professional tests (TWG score)
–
81
Tyre Reviews owners
90
83
Wet
Weight: Important
Score (0–100)SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 12
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
93
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
81
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Professional tests (TWG score)
–
79
Tyre Reviews owners
93
85
Snow
Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)Winter Sport 5 leads by 9
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
75
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
84
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Professional tests (TWG score)
–
80
Tyre Reviews owners
75
91
Comfort
Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 6
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
93
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
87
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Professional tests (TWG score)
–
90
Tyre Reviews owners
93
84
Noise
Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D–
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
78
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Professional tests (TWG score)
–
78
Treadwear
Weight: Important
Score (0–100)SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 1
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
88
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
87
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Tyre Reviews owners
88
87
Handling
Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 9
A — Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
88
B — Dunlop Winter Sport 5
79
Why this score
Source
SP Winter Sport 4D
Winter Sport 5
Tyre Reviews owners
88
79
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D vs Dunlop Winter Sport 5: scores by category (0–100)
Category
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Relative Score
88
83
Dry
90
82
Wet
93
81
Snow
75
84
Comfort
93
87
Noise
–
78
Treadwear
88
87
Handling
88
79
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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
88
/ 100
Tire A
83
/ 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.
Tire ADunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
The Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in cold, wet, and slushy conditions while maintaining impressive comfort and low noise levels. While most users praise its stability and traction in snow and ice, a minority of drivers report a 'squirmy' handling sensation during high-speed cornering, likely due to the softer tread compound.
Pros
Exceptional grip and stability in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions.
Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tire counterparts.
High level of ride comfort and refined road manners.
Strong performance in deep snow and on icy inclines.
Good tread longevity for a dedicated winter compound.
Cons
Noticeable 'squirm' or lack of sharpness during high-speed cornering.
Occasional reports of understeer in specific wet or icy conditions.
Some users noted a 'hard' ride quality compared to previous iterations like the 3D.
Potential for clearance issues if incorrect aspect ratios are selected for specific vehicle fitments.
Observations
Users with wider tire setups noted that while traction is excellent, they may be slightly less effective in deep snow compared to narrower configurations.
Drivers of heavier vehicles (e.g., Mercedes S-Class, E-Class) reported high satisfaction with comfort and grip, though they noted the 'squirm' sensation more prominently during aggressive maneuvers.
Fitment caution: Owners of vehicles like the Mercedes W213 should ensure correct aspect ratios to avoid clearance issues with suspension components.
Tire BDunlop Winter Sport 5
The Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and confidence-inspiring performance in deep snow, ice, and slush. While it excels in cold-weather environments, some users note that its soft sidewall construction can lead to a 'mushy' steering feel and reduced stability on dry pavement when temperatures rise above 10°C.
Pros
Outstanding traction and braking performance on snow and ice
Excellent longevity and slow tread wear
High level of ride comfort and low road noise
Strong resistance to hydroplaning in heavy rain and slush
Cons
Soft sidewalls can cause unstable handling or 'squirming' in dry, warmer conditions
Lack of effective rim protection despite marketing claims
Steering response can feel lazy or imprecise on certain vehicle setups
Performance noticeably degrades when ambient temperatures exceed 10-12°C
Observations
Users with high-torque vehicles (e.g., Tesla Model 3, performance-oriented cars) reported that the tire can feel nervous or lack precision during hard acceleration.
Drivers of heavier vehicles or those using wider tire formats noted that maintaining higher inflation pressures is often necessary to mitigate soft sidewall flex and improve steering feedback.
The tire is highly regarded for AWD vehicles (e.g., Subaru Forester, Skoda Yeti), where it effectively complements the drivetrain's capability in deep snow.
Specifications
Specs side by side
Attribute
A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Category
—
Winter Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle type
—
Passenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
88
/ 100
Dunlop
83
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Dunlop Winter Sport 5 if snow matters most to you.
Pick tire AYour priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 93 vs 81 on wet.
Pick tire AYou enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 88 vs 79 on handling.
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.
