76
/ 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 Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — 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
79
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
84 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better noise, dry and comfort. Pick the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 if treadwear and handling matter most to you.
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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)
Ventus S1 evo3 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 86 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 85 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Ventus S1 evo3 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 80 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 81 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 83 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Ventus S1 evo3 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 69 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 78 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 77 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Ventus S1 evo3 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 71 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 57 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 69 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportMaxx RT 2 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | SportMaxx RT 2 | Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 74 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 79 |
| Dry | 78 | 86 |
| Wet | 79 | 84 |
| Snow | – | 80 |
| Comfort | 73 | 79 |
| Noise | 71 | 80 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 71 |
| Handling | 77 | 74 |
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
76
/ 100
Tire A
79
/ 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 Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 is widely regarded as a high-value, comfortable summer tire that excels in wet and dry traction, often serving as a competent OEM choice for premium vehicles. While many users praise its ride quality and wet-weather confidence, a significant portion of enthusiasts note a lack of steering feedback and 'soft' sidewall characteristics that can make the handling feel less precise compared to top-tier competitors like the Michelin Pilot Sport series.
Pros
- Excellent wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Strong dry-road traction and predictable handling at the limit
- Competitive pricing relative to premium performance alternatives
- Good overall durability for many daily driving applications
Cons
- Lack of steering precision and 'numb' road feedback
- Soft sidewalls can lead to a wobbly or unstable feel during aggressive cornering
- Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature wear on specific vehicle platforms
- Occasional reports of sidewall bubbling or structural issues on rough road surfaces
Observations
- Users with heavy EVs and SUVs often report mixed results, with some praising the low rolling resistance and comfort, while others note rapid tread wear.
- Drivers of performance-oriented sedans (e.g., BMW 3-series, Audi S3) frequently highlight the tire's comfort advantage over competitors but criticize the lack of sharp steering response.
- The tire is frequently noted as a significant upgrade over stock Pirelli P Zero or Dunlop Sport Maxx tires in terms of wet-weather confidence and noise reduction.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 | B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Max Performance tires | Max Performance Summer tire |
| 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?
76
/ 100
Dunlop
79
/ 100
Hankook
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better noise, dry and comfort. Pick the Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 if treadwear and handling matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 80 vs 71 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 86 vs 78 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 79 vs 73 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 84 vs 79 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 also compared with
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 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.