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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 22 + 726 owner reviews. How we score

SP Sport FastResponse is ahead, 72–66

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Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    SP Sport FastResponse +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6575

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 65 = 66

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75 = 72

    No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 68

    Wet

    SP Sport FastResponse +7
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online6776

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.9 = 68

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 73.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 65

    Comfort

    SP Sport FastResponse +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6171

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 65

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 66

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online65–

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 65.2 = 66

    No road tests of noise for Direzza DZ102. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Treadwear

    SP Sport FastResponse +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5966

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 62

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 63

    Handling (owners)

    SP Sport FastResponse +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponse
    Reviews found online6372
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ102Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
Relative Score 66 72
Dry 66 72
Wet 68 75
Comfort 65 70
Noise 66 –
Treadwear 62 66
Handling (owners) 63 72

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Direzza DZ102

SP Sport FastResponse

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryDirezza DZ102SP Sport FastResponseΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/8 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test #2/14 2012 ACE Touring Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Direzza DZ102

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry pavement grip and cornering stability
  • Surprisingly high levels of ride comfort for a performance tire

Cons

  • Rapid or inconsistent tread wear
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ102 review

Tire B SP Sport FastResponse

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Low road noise and high initial ride comfort
  • Precise steering response and solid dry cornering grip

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some spirited drivers
  • Softer sidewalls can introduce slight flex or floatiness during high-speed maneuvers
  • Road noise can increase noticeably as the tires near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport FastResponse review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 B · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—7
Rim diameters—15″ – 17″
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 72 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 75 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 72 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 70 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
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Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 72 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 66 vs 62 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