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Dunlop Direzza DZ03 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 vs Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 7 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Direzza DZ03 is ahead, 69–64

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Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Direzza DZ03 +10
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Sport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7661

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 60.8 = 63

    No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Sport Maxx 050+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Direzza DZ03 +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Sport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6762

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64

    No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Sport Maxx 050+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Comfort

    Direzza DZ03 +1
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Sport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5251

    Direzza DZ03: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 51.9 = 58

    Sport Maxx 050+: 40% × 65.9 (est.) + 60% × 51.3 = 57

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 64

    Treadwear

    Sport Maxx 050+ +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Sport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6267

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.9 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Sport Maxx 050+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  5. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza DZ03 +9
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Sport Maxx 050+
    Reviews found online7465
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ03Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Relative Score 69 64
Dry 73 63
Wet 68 64
Comfort 58 57
Treadwear 64 67
Handling (owners) 74 65

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Direzza DZ03

± 8

Sport Maxx 050+

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Direzza DZ03

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and cornering confidence
  • Significant lap time improvements compared to entry-level semi-slicks
  • High durability and consistent performance under intense heat cycles

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise, often compared to failing wheel bearings
  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • Poor performance in standing water with high risk of aquaplaning
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ03 review

Tire B Sport Maxx 050+

Pros

  • Reliable and confident dry grip for high-speed cornering and handling
  • Impressive tread wear and long-lasting durability over tens of thousands of kilometers
  • Good value for money relative to premium European brands

Cons

  • Excessive road and cabin noise, particularly at motorway speeds
  • Stiff and harsh ride quality over bumps and rough surfaces
  • Mediocre to poor wet-weather traction with tendencies to slip or aquaplane
All owner themes in the Sport Maxx 050+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 B · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+

Winner: Dunlop Direzza DZ03 — better dry, handling and wet. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ if treadwear matters most to you. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 73 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 74 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 68 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+ scores 67 vs 64 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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Tire B · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
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Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 68 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 73 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+?

Neither, by our numbers: 58 vs 57 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or Sport Maxx 050+?

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+, 67 vs 64 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology