tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza ZIII 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 1 + 0 road tests and 2 + 33 owner reviews. How we score

Direzza ZIII leads, 66–64 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Direzza ZIII or Sport Maxx 050+ on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Dunlop Direzza ZIII
Tire ADunlop

Direzza ZIII

Summer

± 9Provisional

Tests 65 · 1 test Owners 66 · 2 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Direzza ZIII +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza ZIIISport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests65≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6660

    Direzza ZIII: 60% × 65 + 40% × 66.3 = 65

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 60.3 = 63

    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 0.41).

  2. 69

    Wet

    Direzza ZIII +4
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza ZIIISport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6862

    Direzza ZIII: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 67.8 = 69

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 62.4 = 65

    No road tests of wet for Direzza ZIII. 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 Sport Maxx 050+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. 62

    Comfort

    Direzza ZIII +5
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza ZIIISport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5851

    Direzza ZIII: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 58.3 = 62

    Sport Maxx 050+: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 50.9 = 57

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

  4. 67

    Treadwear

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza ZIIISport Maxx 050+
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6868

    Direzza ZIII: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 67

    Sport Maxx 050+: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 68.1 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza ZIII. 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. 66

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza ZIII +2
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza ZIIISport Maxx 050+
    Reviews found online6664
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza ZIIIDunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Relative Score 66 64
Dry 65 63
Wet 69 65
Comfort 62 57
Treadwear 67 67
Handling (owners) 66 64

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 9

Direzza ZIII

± 8

Sport Maxx 050+

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Direzza ZIII

Pros

  • High level of predictability and ease of handling
  • Consistent performance during extended track sessions
  • Good durability and tread life for a 200tw tire

Cons

  • Lacks the peak grip required for top-tier competitive autocross
  • Tendency to 'grease up' or lose optimal grip after prolonged hard driving
  • Not the fastest option in its category for pure lap times
All owner themes in the Direzza ZIII 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 ZIII B · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza ZIII

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+

Narrow edge: Dunlop Direzza ZIII — better comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop Direzza ZIII rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Direzza ZIII scores 62 vs 57 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza ZIII scores 69 vs 65 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza ZIII
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Direzza ZIII or Sport Maxx 050+?

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

Dunlop Direzza ZIII, 69 vs 65 on our wet score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 63 on the dry score, within 3 points.

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

Dunlop Direzza ZIII, 62 vs 57 on our comfort score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 67 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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