Skip to content
Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo — 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.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
60/100
44 owner reviews
Dry
77
Wet
67
Snow
90
Comfort
59
Noise
90
Treadwear
74
Handling
78

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Hankook

Hankook Ventus S1 evo

Summer Max Performance tires

Hankook Ventus S1 evo tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
76/100
62 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
82
Snow
80
Comfort
76
Noise
89
Treadwear
77
Handling
73

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo — better comfort, wet and dry. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ if snow and handling matter most to you.
Read full

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.

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) Ventus S1 evo leads by 10
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
77
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
87
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Professional tests (TWG score) – 89
Tyre Reviews owners 80 81

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ventus S1 evo leads by 15
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
67
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
82
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Professional tests (TWG score) – 85
Tyre Reviews owners 69 73

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sport Maxx 050+ leads by 10
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
90
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
80

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ventus S1 evo leads by 17
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
59
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
76
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Tyre Reviews owners 62 72

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sport Maxx 050+ leads by 1
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
90
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
89
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Professional tests (TWG score) – 95

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ventus S1 evo leads by 3
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
74
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
77
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Tyre Reviews owners 81 75

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sport Maxx 050+ leads by 5
A — Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
78
B — Hankook Ventus S1 evo
73
Why this score
SourceSport Maxx 050+Ventus S1 evo
Tyre Reviews owners 78 73

Scores at a glance

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sport Maxx 050+Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Relative Score 75 80
Dry 77 87
Wet 67 82
Snow 90 80
Comfort 59 76
Noise 90 89
Treadwear 74 77
Handling 78 73

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+

The Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ receives a polarized reception, often serving as a divisive Original Equipment (OE) choice for premium vehicles. While many users praise its dry-weather handling and value-for-money proposition, a significant portion of owners report severe dissatisfaction regarding cabin noise, ride harshness, and unpredictable wet-weather performance.

Pros

  • Strong dry-weather grip and cornering stability
  • Competitive pricing compared to premium European rivals
  • Good tread longevity for a performance-oriented tire
  • Responsive steering feedback

Cons

  • High levels of road and cabin noise
  • Harsh ride quality and lack of comfort
  • Poor wet-weather traction and susceptibility to hydroplaning
  • Inconsistent performance on uneven road surfaces

Observations

  • Owners of Lexus and Infiniti models frequently cite this tire as a major detractor from the vehicle's intended luxury and comfort experience.
  • Users transitioning from Run-Flat tires to the 050+ often report an improvement in ride comfort, whereas those moving from premium touring tires report a significant increase in noise.
  • Performance-oriented drivers on high-power sedans generally report higher satisfaction with grip levels than those using the tire for daily commuting on standard passenger vehicles.
Tire B Hankook Ventus S1 evo

The Hankook Ventus S1 evo is widely regarded as a high-value performance tire that bridges the gap between premium pricing and budget accessibility. While many users praise its excellent wet and dry traction and progressive handling characteristics, experiences regarding tread longevity and road noise are notably polarized, often depending on vehicle weight and driving style.

Pros

  • Strong wet and dry grip performance
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
  • Predictable and progressive handling at the limit
  • Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Effective hydroplaning resistance

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread wear life across different vehicle platforms
  • Reports of premature sidewall cracking or perishing in some climates
  • Occasional difficulty with balancing and road-force vibration
  • Performance drop-off as the tire ages or reaches lower tread depths

Observations

  • Users with Audi Quattro models frequently report high satisfaction with the tire as an OE replacement, citing a balanced feel.
  • Owners of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Ford Fiesta) report highly variable experiences, with some noting excellent longevity while others report poor wet-weather performance in specific small-diameter sizes.
  • High-torque or heavier vehicles occasionally report rapid rear-tire wear and a 'twitchy' feeling when using run-flat variants.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo
CategorySummer Ultra High Performance tiresSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Hankook

Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo — better comfort, wet and dry. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ if snow and handling matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus S1 evo scores 76 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Ventus S1 evo scores 82 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ scores 90 vs 80 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Ventus S1 evo scores 87 vs 77 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo

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.