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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SP Sport 270 vs Kumho Solus KL21 — 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 270

Summer Premium Touring tires

Dunlop SP Sport 270 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
55/100
21 owner reviews
Dry
78
Wet
54
Snow
–
Comfort
68
Noise
–
Treadwear
53
Handling
49

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Kumho

Kumho Solus KL21

All Season Touring tires

Kumho Solus KL21 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
76/100
26 owner reviews
Dry
83
Wet
76
Snow
72
Comfort
76
Noise
86
Treadwear
81
Handling
61

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Kumho Solus KL21 — better treadwear, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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) Solus KL21 leads by 5
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
78
B — Kumho Solus KL21
83
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tire Rack owners – 79
Tyre Reviews owners 67 73

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Solus KL21 leads by 22
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
54
B — Kumho Solus KL21
76
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tire Rack owners – 71
Tyre Reviews owners 27 67

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
–
B — Kumho Solus KL21
72
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tire Rack owners – 45

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Solus KL21 leads by 8
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
68
B — Kumho Solus KL21
76
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tire Rack owners – 73
Tyre Reviews owners 55 65

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
–
B — Kumho Solus KL21
86

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Solus KL21 leads by 28
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
53
B — Kumho Solus KL21
81
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tire Rack owners – 63
Tyre Reviews owners 35 73

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Solus KL21 leads by 12
A — Dunlop SP Sport 270
49
B — Kumho Solus KL21
61
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 270Solus KL21
Tyre Reviews owners 49 61

Scores at a glance

Dunlop SP Sport 270 vs Kumho Solus KL21: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport 270Kumho Solus KL21
Relative Score 59 76
Dry 78 83
Wet 54 76
Snow – 72
Comfort 68 76
Noise – 86
Treadwear 53 81
Handling 49 61

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

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 270

The Dunlop SP Sport 270 receives a polarized reception, often serving as polarizing original equipment (OE) on various luxury and performance vehicles. While some users appreciate its quiet ride and stiff-walled handling characteristics, a significant portion of the user base reports severe safety concerns regarding wet-weather traction and rapid, uneven tread wear.

Pros

  • Quiet and smooth ride quality
  • Stiff sidewall construction provides predictable handling for specific vehicle architectures
  • Solid dry-weather performance and cornering stability
  • Competitive longevity compared to certain ultra-high-performance alternatives

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather traction and high risk of hydroplaning
  • Rapid and premature tread wear
  • Inadequate grip for high-horsepower applications
  • Vague steering feedback in certain conditions

Observations

  • Lexus RX450h owners frequently report significant understeer and dangerous handling characteristics in wet conditions.
  • High-performance vehicle owners (e.g., C63s AMG) note that the tire struggles to manage high torque, leading to excessive wheel spin.
  • Users of larger SUVs like the Chevy Captiva report premature tread depletion, often requiring replacement before 30,000 km.
Tire B Kumho Solus KL21

The Kumho Solus KL21 is a polarizing tire that frequently serves as original equipment on SUVs and crossovers. While many owners report exceptional tread life and value, a significant subset of users expresses concerns regarding road noise, inconsistent grip in adverse weather, and premature structural degradation.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability, with some users reporting over 60,000 miles of use.
  • Strong value proposition as a cost-effective alternative to premium tire brands.
  • Generally reliable performance in dry, warm-weather conditions.
  • Consistent ride comfort for daily commuting and long-distance driving.

Cons

  • Reports of excessive road noise and a harsh ride quality.
  • Poor traction and braking performance in snow, ice, or cold conditions.
  • Inconsistent quality control, with isolated reports of tire deformation or premature wear.
  • Lack of confidence-inspiring grip during emergency braking maneuvers.

Observations

  • Users with mid-size SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento report highly variable experiences, ranging from extreme longevity to early failure.
  • The tire is frequently noted as a standard OEM fitment for Korean-manufactured SUVs, which influences user expectations regarding replacement intervals.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 270 B · Kumho Solus KL21
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresAll Season Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Kumho

Winner: Kumho Solus KL21 — better treadwear, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Solus KL21 scores 81 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Solus KL21 scores 76 vs 54 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Solus KL21 scores 61 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Solus KL21 scores 76 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 270
Tire B · Kumho Solus KL21

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.