83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
6 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec vs Nitto NT05 — 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.
VS
65
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
68/100
8 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec — better comfort, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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Category breakdown
5 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)
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 92 | 84 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 97 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 63 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 69 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec leads by 39
Why this score
| Source | Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 43 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 92 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec leads by 18
Why this score
| Source | Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 59 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 81 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 65 |
| Dry | 92 | 84 |
| Wet | 83 | 63 |
| Comfort | 82 | 43 |
| Treadwear | 77 | 59 |
| Handling | 88 | 84 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
83
/ 100
Tire A
65
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is widely regarded as a high-performance tire that offers exceptional dry grip and handling feedback at a competitive price point. While users consistently praise its spirited driving capabilities and stiff sidewall construction, the consensus notes a trade-off in terms of rapid tread wear and inconsistent wet-weather performance.
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and handling feedback
- High value-to-performance ratio
- Stiff sidewall construction for improved cornering
- Reduced tire squeal during spirited driving
Cons
- Rapid tread wear compared to OEM alternatives
- Mediocre performance in wet conditions
- Increased road noise levels
- Potential quality control issues regarding tire balancing
Observations
- Users noted that the tire requires significantly more balancing weight compared to premium competitors like Bridgestone.
- The tire exhibits a shorter lifespan, with reports of replacement intervals occurring around 24,000 kilometers.
The Nitto NT05 is widely regarded as a specialized extreme performance tire that excels in track-day environments and spirited driving scenarios. While users appreciate its predictable handling and progressive feedback, it is frequently criticized for rapid tread wear and significant road noise, making it a polarizing choice for daily commuting.
Pros
- Predictable and balanced handling during track use
- Informative feedback near the limit of adhesion
- Strong cornering confidence and stability
- Aesthetically pleasing sidewall and tread design
Cons
- High levels of road noise during daily driving
- Rapid tread wear, particularly under high-torque applications
- Inconsistent dry grip performance for high-horsepower vehicles
- Not recommended for daily use due to comfort and longevity trade-offs
Observations
- High-horsepower vehicles (e.g., 360rwkw turbo applications) report that the tire struggles to manage power delivery effectively.
- Users with AWD platforms, such as the Audi A4, report satisfactory performance in wet conditions when driven conservatively.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | B · Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Extreme Performance tires | Summer Extreme Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 23 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 7.2/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Dunlop
65
/ 100
Nitto
Winner: Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec — better comfort, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec scores 82 vs 43 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec scores 83 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec scores 77 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec scores 92 vs 84 on dry.
Tire A · Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
Tire B · Nitto NT05
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec also compared with
Nitto NT05 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.