75
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
71/100
86 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — 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
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
73/100
9 professional tests
User signal (40%)
94/100
1,959 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — better wet, handling and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT if comfort and noise 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)
Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 90 |
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 92 |
| SimpleTire owners | 95 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 95 |
| Tire Rack owners | 83 | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 67 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 70 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 33
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 1 |
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 68 | 72 |
| SimpleTire owners | 95 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 76 |
| SimpleTire owners | 95 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 73 | 80 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 66 | 71 |
| SimpleTire owners | 70 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | SP Sport Maxx GT | Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 72 | 85 |
| DriverReviews owners | 84 | 86 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 84 |
| Dry | 87 | 93 |
| Wet | 70 | 94 |
| Snow | 70 | – |
| Comfort | 71 | 38 |
| Noise | 95 | 82 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 90 |
| Handling | 72 | 96 |
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
75
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 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 SP Sport Maxx GT is a polarizing ultra-high-performance summer tire that excels in dry-weather handling and steering feedback but receives highly inconsistent feedback regarding wet-weather safety and tread longevity. While many users praise its quiet ride and stability on premium sedans, a significant portion of the user base reports poor traction in wet or cold conditions and premature sidewall degradation.
Pros
- Exceptional dry-weather grip and cornering stability
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality for a performance tire
- Strong steering feedback and predictable handling characteristics
- Attractive aesthetic design with effective rim protection
Cons
- Significant loss of traction and aquaplaning risk in wet or cold conditions
- Inconsistent tread life, with many reports of rapid wear or premature inner sidewall failure
- High price point relative to competitors with similar or better performance
- Susceptibility to tramlining and harshness on poor road surfaces
Observations
- Users with high-horsepower AWD vehicles (Audi Quattro, etc.) generally report better satisfaction with the tire's performance than those with high-torque RWD sports cars.
- Owners of larger, heavier vehicles (Audi A7, BMW 6-series) frequently report issues with sidewall integrity and inner-edge wear.
- The tire is noted to be particularly unsuitable for winter or near-freezing temperatures, with multiple reports of it becoming brittle and losing all traction.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is widely regarded as a premium, high-performance tire that significantly improves ride quality and handling dynamics, particularly when replacing harsh OEM run-flat tires. While users consistently praise its exceptional wet-weather grip and confident dry-road handling, the consensus is tempered by reports of rapid tread wear and elevated road noise in certain applications.
Pros
- Exceptional wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance.
- Significant improvement in ride comfort and steering feel compared to OEM run-flats.
- Predictable and progressive handling at the limit.
- Strong dry-road grip and braking performance.
Cons
- Faster-than-average tread wear, particularly on heavy or high-torque vehicles.
- Increased road noise reported by some users, especially as the tire wears.
- Higher price point compared to competitors.
- Noticeable reduction in fuel economy or EV range due to rolling resistance.
Observations
- EV owners (notably Tesla Model Y/3) report a measurable decrease in range (approx. 10-20%) compared to OEM efficiency-focused tires.
- Users transitioning from factory-fitted run-flat tires on luxury SUVs (BMW X3, Mercedes GLC) report the most significant satisfaction regarding ride compliance and noise reduction.
- Heavy, high-torque SUVs and performance vehicles experience accelerated tread wear, with some users reporting significant degradation under 20,000 miles.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is widely regarded as a high-performance tire option for luxury and sport utility vehicles, often compared against alternatives like Pirelli Scorpions and Michelin's own Latitude series. Users appreciate its strong grip and dynamic capabilities, though questions regarding tread wear, run-flat options, and comparisons with all-season variants are common.
r/CX5
·103 upvotes ·2021-05-15
“Loving my new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires and Enkei Raijin wheels”
r/PorscheMacan
·1 upvote ·2026-04-04
“I'm leaning towards the Pilot Sport 4 SUV over the LS3. I'd really like to see how much better these tires grip. Although it sounds like I'll be sacrificing a little comfort, but with air suspension I'm not too worried.”
r/Audi
·1 upvote ·2026-07-09
“Nope nope nope. I live in the SE and my RWD sports car get squirrelly with normal driving when it drops below 40 on my PS4Ss. You’d be in a ditch first bit of snow.”
r/Howsmytire
·1 upvote ·2026-07-15
“Used Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV I am looking to buy these used Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires. They have 7+ mm thread left, DOT 0923. I am wondering why the two tires on the right are so rough / full of small holes, while the ones on the left are so smooth. Probably the right ones were on the front, but still what could this condition be indicating? I still haven't been to the shop to see them and feel how is the rubber, wanted to hear an advice first.”
Top themes
#handling and grip#tread life and wear#comparison with other tires#luxury SUV fitment#seasonal performance
Based on 9 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Extreme Performance tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 5 | — |
| Rim diameters | 20″ – 21″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 240 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
75
/ 100
Dunlop
84
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — better wet, handling and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT if comfort and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 71 vs 38 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 94 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 96 vs 72 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 90 vs 67 on treadwear.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV 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.