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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 vs Pirelli P Zero — 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 + 3 road tests and 31 + 3,486 owner reviews. How we score

P Zero is ahead, 62–57

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Pirelli P Zero
Tire BPirelli

P Zero

Summer

± 7

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 47 · 3,486 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    P Zero +15
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 61 (est.)80
    Reviews found online5261

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 60% × 61.2 (est.) + 40% × 51.5 = 57

    P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.4 = 72

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx 050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 54

    Wet

    P Zero +17
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 58 (est.)81
    Reviews found online4755

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 60% × 57.9 (est.) + 40% × 47.3 = 54

    P Zero: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 54.9 = 71

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

  3. 61

    Snow

    SP Sport Maxx 050 +11
    50
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5536

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 61

    P Zero: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 36.4 = 50

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport Maxx 050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

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

  4. 52

    Comfort

    P Zero +4
    56
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)70
    Reviews found online4546

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 40% × 63.8 (est.) + 60% × 44.7 = 52

    P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 46.2 = 56

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx 050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 63

    Noise

    SP Sport Maxx 050 +5
    58
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)61
    Reviews found online5753

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 63

    P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.1 = 58

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport Maxx 050. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    SP Sport Maxx 050 +7
    50
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)65
    Reviews found online5128

    SP Sport Maxx 050: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.7 = 57

    P Zero: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 28.1 = 50

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx 050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 55

    Handling (owners)

    P Zero +1
    56
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Reviews found online5556
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx 050P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–59
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport Maxx 050Pirelli P Zero
Relative Score 57 62
Dry 57 72
Wet 54 71
Snow 61 50
Comfort 52 56
Noise 63 58
Treadwear 57 50
Handling (owners) 55 56
Efficiency – 59

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

SP Sport Maxx 050

± 7

P Zero

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 SP Sport Maxx 050

Pros

  • Reliable and responsive dry road handling
  • Good steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Attractive pricing relative to competitors

Cons

  • Subpar and confidence-lacking wet weather traction
  • High levels of road noise on the motorway
  • Fast tread wear and short lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx 050 review

Tire B P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding Pirelli P Zero tires is polarized across its automotive and bicycle product lines. While users praise the tire lineup for sharp steering responsiveness, comfortable ride quality, and strong dry grip—especially on newer models like the AS Plus 3 and PZ5—many drivers report fast tread wear, wet grip issues on certain summer variants, and vulnerability to sidewall bubbles. Additionally, cyclists frequently note that the tubeless road variants offer impressive rolling speed but can be exceptionally difficult to mount.

z4-forum.com ·2018-01-21

“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
f30.bimmerpost.com

“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”
mbworld.org

“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#wet weather grip#difficult tubeless mounting#sharp steering response#ride comfort and quietness#sidewall bubble issues#AS Plus 3 performance

Based on 277 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 B · Pirelli P Zero
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available23194
Rim diameters17″ – 21″17″ – 24″
Tread depth7/32″10/32″
UTQG280 A A220 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common1818

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050

Pirelli P Zero

Winner: Pirelli P Zero — better wet, dry and comfort. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 if snow, treadwear and noise matter most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli P Zero scores 71 vs 54 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli P Zero scores 72 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 scores 61 vs 50 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 scores 57 vs 50 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero
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SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 71 vs 54 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 72 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050, 61 vs 50 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050, 63 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 56 vs 52 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx 050 or P Zero?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050, 57 vs 50 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