Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Dunlop SP Sport LM705 — 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 22 + 39 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Direzza DZ102 64, SP Sport LM705 65.

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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. 65

    Dry

    SP Sport LM705 +1
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6366

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.5 = 66

    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 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Direzza DZ102 +5
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6659

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 67

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 64.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.2 = 62

    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 0.54).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–56

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 56.3 = 62

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 61

    Comfort

    SP Sport LM705 +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5871

    Direzza DZ102: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 57.7 = 61

    SP Sport LM705: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.7 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–56

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.9 = 62

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport LM705. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    SP Sport LM705 +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5668

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 56.2 = 60

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 68

    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 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 61

    Handling (owners)

    SP Sport LM705 +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102SP Sport LM705
    Reviews found online6166
Scores at a glance
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Dunlop SP Sport LM705: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ102Dunlop SP Sport LM705
Relative Score 64 65
Dry 65 66
Wet 67 62
Snow – 62
Comfort 61 70
Noise – 62
Treadwear 60 68
Handling (owners) 61 66

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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
± 8

Direzza DZ102

± 8

SP Sport LM705

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

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 LM705

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and smooth bump/pothole absorption
  • Very low road noise and quiet highway operation
  • High value for money compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Significantly compromised wet grip and poor performance in heavy rain
  • Soft sidewalls lead to mushy steering response and lack of high-speed handling feedback
  • Faster-than-expected wear reported by some users
All owner themes in the SP Sport LM705 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 B · Dunlop SP Sport LM705
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—6
Rim diameters—16″ – 19″
UTQG460 A A400 B A
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102

Dunlop SP Sport LM705

Too close to call: Dunlop Direzza DZ102 and Dunlop SP Sport LM705 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Direzza DZ102 is stronger on wet. Dunlop SP Sport LM705 is stronger on comfort and treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport LM705 scores 70 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport LM705 scores 68 vs 60 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 67 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport LM705

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Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport LM705?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport LM705?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 67 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport LM705?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 66 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport LM705?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705, 70 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ102 or SP Sport LM705?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705, 68 vs 60 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