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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT vs Pirelli P Zero — 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.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT

Summer Extreme Performance tires

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
71/100
86 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
70
Snow
70
Comfort
71
Noise
95
Treadwear
67
Handling
72

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli P Zero

Summer Max Performance tires

Pirelli P Zero tread pattern
Objective (60%)
70/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
68/100
195 owner reviews
Dry
85
Wet
78
Snow
80
Comfort
42
Noise
78
Treadwear
58
Handling
72

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT — better comfort, noise and treadwear. Pick the Pirelli P Zero if snow and wet 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 2
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
87
B — Pirelli P Zero
85
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Professional tests (TWG score) – 86
Tire Rack owners 89 90
Tyre Reviews owners 86 84
SimpleTire owners 95 93

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) P Zero leads by 8
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
70
B — Pirelli P Zero
78
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Professional tests (TWG score) – 84
Tire Rack owners 83 79
Tyre Reviews owners 67 68
SimpleTire owners 90 83

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) P Zero leads by 10
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
70
B — Pirelli P Zero
80
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
SimpleTire owners 70 72

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 29
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
71
B — Pirelli P Zero
42
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Professional tests (TWG score) – 26
Tire Rack owners 82 80
Tyre Reviews owners 68 63
SimpleTire owners 95 88

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 17
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
95
B — Pirelli P Zero
78
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Professional tests (TWG score) – 73
SimpleTire owners 95 84

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SP Sport Maxx GT leads by 9
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
67
B — Pirelli P Zero
58
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Tire Rack owners 73 63
Tyre Reviews owners 66 57
SimpleTire owners 70 73

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
72
B — Pirelli P Zero
72
Why this score
SourceSP Sport Maxx GTP Zero
Tyre Reviews owners 72 72
DriverReviews owners 84 84

Scores at a glance

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT vs Pirelli P Zero: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport Maxx GTPirelli P Zero
Relative Score 75 70
Dry 87 85
Wet 70 78
Snow 70 80
Comfort 71 42
Noise 95 78
Treadwear 67 58
Handling 72 72

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

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 Maxx GT

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.
Tire B Pirelli P Zero

The Pirelli P Zero is widely regarded as a high-performance summer tire that excels in dry, warm-weather conditions, offering sharp handling and significant grip. However, user consensus is polarized by its rapid tread wear, inconsistent performance in cold or wet weather, and reports of high road noise, leading many owners to favor competitors like Michelin for daily driving.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry weather grip and cornering stability
  • Precise steering feedback and handling responsiveness
  • Strong rim protection due to robust sidewall design
  • Effective performance once the tire reaches optimal operating temperature

Cons

  • Rapid and often uneven tread wear
  • Poor traction and confidence in cold, wet, or damp conditions
  • High levels of road noise, particularly as the tire ages
  • Susceptibility to tramlining and vibration issues

Observations

  • Users with high-performance EVs and heavy sedans (e.g., Tesla Model Y, Audi S7) frequently report faster-than-expected tread wear.
  • Owners of front-wheel-drive hot hatches (e.g., Hyundai i30N, Fiesta ST) note significant wheel spin and traction loss in damp conditions.
  • Drivers using larger rim diameters (19-inch+) often report a harsher ride quality and increased sensitivity to road imperfections.
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

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community opinion on the Pirelli P Zero lineup is sharply divided based on the specific variant. While summer tires and certain OEM specifications face severe criticism for poor wet weather grip, rapid wear, and difficult installation (particularly in cycling applications), the aftermarket All Season Plus 3 and newer high-performance variants receive strong praise for comfort, quietness, and excellent value compared to Michelin and Continental competitors.

r/TeslaModel3 ·26 upvotes ·2024-07-25

“After one year with Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus Elect 2020 SR+ I replaced the Michelins on my 2020 SR+ at 42,000 miles and 3.5 years with the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus Elect on my 2020 SR+. Since there are so many "What tire should I buy" posts, I thought I would give a one year review. Background: Live in the Washington, DC area so mild winters and 85% of my miles are local, suburban driving. With local traffic and traffic cameras all around, I drive pretty conservatively only occasionally punching it. Efficiency- Pirellis are about 3% less efficient than Michelins Michelin OEM MXMs 42,006 miles before replacing, 204 Wh/mi lifetime Pirelli P Zero All Season Elect Plus 13,832 miles 210 Wh/mi after 1 year. started out higher for the first 1,000 miles or so, so I expect this to drop to 208 or 209 lifetime. Ride is definitely smoother and quieter. Handling, well, I don't push it, so for me, equal. Grew up locally learning to drive in snow with 60's and 70's RWD cars, so I know how to drive in the light snow we get and the Pirellis handled the snow we got just fine. Just a few inches of heavy, wet snow at a time. Overall I would recommend the Pirellis. I am a bit efficiency minded but am debating taking another hit and getting the caps and pulling the aero covers off, but keeping them for the couple of road trips I do. I expect that would take another 3% hit, so still better than the EPA rated 220 Wh/mi.”

r/mazda3 ·3 upvotes ·2026-04-07

“I put a set of Pirelli P Zero AS3's on my 2019 Mazda 3. After driving about 1,500 miles, I can say that I love them. The steering has a very direct feel - it turns in almost immediately. Needless to say the grip is fantastic. ... and that is only with outside air temps in the 50's. I can't wait to see how they perform when it gets to be in the 70's and they can get some heat in them. One of the reasons I was attracted to this tire is that Pirelli claims to have incorporated technology that helps the tires maintain the same level of performance as they wear over time. I have been frustrated in the past to see how tires loose their grip long before the treadwear gets low. Also, it didn't hurt that Pirelli had a $100 instant rebate!”

r/TyreReviews ·3 upvotes ·2026-06-23

“I just put PZ5 on my vehicle! I live in Louisiana ! They are absolutely insanely sticky! Especially in the rain! My vehicle came with the P-zeros. I’ve had Pirelli’s on my car’s in the past and yes, Pirelli’s are soft. The trade off is sticking to the road! I am an aggressive driver & was aware the sacrifice. I have to change my tires every oil change. 9-12k miles. These PZ5’s grip in the rain. Crazy awesome! Pirelli knocked these suckers out!!! I love ‘em!!!”

r/cycling ·2 upvotes ·2026-09-17

“I used to ride Conti since the GP4K and switched over to Pirelli when I had my new bike 3 years ago. The P-Zero Race was fine I guess but the P-Zero Race RS TLR were the worst. Nightmare to put on and wore out quite fast as well. Punctured the one in the back after 300km and couldn’t seal it. I’m back on the GP5k STR now with no issues or mounting problems. Probably gonna stick to them for some time longer”

Top themes
#Wet weather grip performance#Treadwear and mileage lifespan#All Season Plus 3 vs competitors#OEM spec vs aftermarket variants#Cycling tire installation and rolling resistance#Ride comfort and noise levels#Pricing and discount availability

Based on 99 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT B · Pirelli P Zero
CategorySummer Extreme Performance tiresSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available589
Rim diameters20″ – 21″17″ – 22″
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
UTQG240 A A220 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT — better comfort, noise and treadwear. Pick the Pirelli P Zero if snow and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 71 vs 42 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 95 vs 78 on noise.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Pirelli P Zero scores 80 vs 70 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT scores 67 vs 58 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
Tire B · Pirelli P Zero

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.