77
/ 100
Objective (60%)
80/100
25 professional tests
User signal (40%)
77/100
92 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 vs Falken FK453 — 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.
VS
67
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
30 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
6 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)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 77 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 80 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 70 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 69 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 69 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 71 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 60 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 60 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 | Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 77 | 67 |
| Dry | 78 | 77 |
| Wet | 79 | 70 |
| Comfort | 73 | 69 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 75 | 60 |
| Handling | 77 | 60 |
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
77
/ 100
Tire A
67
/ 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 SportMaxx RT 2 is generally regarded as a comfortable, quiet, and high-performing tire that excels in daily driving and wet weather conditions. While many users praise its grip and value, a significant segment of the enthusiast community finds the sidewalls too soft for aggressive, high-speed cornering, leading to a 'spongy' or unstable feeling under heavy load.
Pros
- Excellent wet weather traction and aquaplaning resistance
- High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
- Strong value proposition compared to other premium UHP tires
- Effective rim protection features
- Good steering feedback for normal to spirited road driving
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can feel unstable or 'wobbly' during aggressive cornering
- Reports of premature tread cracking or uneven wear in some cases
- Performance can degrade significantly as the tire wears down
- Some users report vibration issues or difficulty balancing the tires
- Not ideal for track use or extremely heavy, high-torque vehicles
Observations
- Users with heavier or high-torque vehicles often report that the soft sidewalls struggle to maintain composure during quick maneuvers.
- Drivers of lighter, sporty hatchbacks generally report higher satisfaction with the tire's responsiveness and weight-saving benefits.
- Several users noted that increasing tire pressure slightly can mitigate the 'spongy' sidewall sensation, though this may come at the cost of some grip.
The Falken FK453 presents a polarizing experience for drivers, often viewed as a budget-friendly alternative to premium brands that delivers strong dry grip but inconsistent performance in other areas. While some users praise its handling and value, a significant portion of the user base reports issues with rapid tread wear, harsh ride quality, and unpredictable stability at higher speeds.
Pros
- Strong dry weather traction and cornering grip
- Competitive price point offering good value for money
- Aesthetically pleasing sidewall design
- Effective wet weather performance for many users
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on rear axles
- Harsh ride quality and high road noise
- Unstable handling characteristics at high speeds
- Inconsistent performance compared to premium competitors like Michelin
Observations
- Users with high-performance rear-wheel-drive vehicles frequently reported premature tread wear and traction control intervention.
- Drivers of luxury saloons and vehicles with sport-tuned suspensions noted a significant increase in cabin noise and a 'thudding' sensation over road imperfections.
- Some users noted that the tire's stiff sidewall construction led to twitchy steering and instability on uneven road surfaces.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 | B · Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Max Performance tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 4 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 300 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
77
/ 100
Dunlop
67
/ 100
Falken
Winner: Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 scores 77 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 scores 75 vs 60 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 scores 79 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 scores 73 vs 69 on comfort.
Tire A · Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
Tire B · Falken FK453
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 also compared with
Falken FK453 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.