Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 300 reviews
“In Hong Kong, if your style is aggresive, sport maxx is not enough, i am using AD08 and RE11 is not bad”
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 19 road tests and 300 + 3,359 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus S1 evo3 is ahead, 71–64
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Tests 77 · 19 tests Owners 59 · 3,359 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (wet braking)
“Tire preferences? My MK8 has a little over 18,000 miles now and the stock tires look like they’ve already gone to sh*t? Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 aren’t as good as they advertise? What do you recommend for tires?”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
66
Dry
Ventus S1 evo3 +1076Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 85 Reviews found online 65 63 SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85 + 40% × 62.9 = 76
No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx TT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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66
Wet
Ventus S1 evo3 +1581Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 89 Reviews found online 64 69 SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64 = 66
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 88.8 + 40% × 68.9 = 81
No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx TT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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61
Comfort
Ventus S1 evo3 +162Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 65 Reviews found online 53 59 SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 61
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 64.7 + 40% × 58.8 = 62
No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx TT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison73Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests – 77 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 77.1 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 73
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo3. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
58
Treadwear
SP Sport Maxx TT +355Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 62 (est.) 61 Reviews found online 53 45 SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 45.4 = 55
No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx TT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
-
61
Handling (owners)
SP Sport Maxx TT +160Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx TT Ventus S1 evo3 Reviews found online 61 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 71 |
| Dry | 66 | 76 |
| Wet | 66 | 81 |
| Comfort | 61 | 62 |
| Noise | – | 73 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 55 |
| Handling (owners) | 61 | 60 |
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
64
/ 100
SP Sport Maxx TT
71
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo3
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.
| Discipline | Category | SP Sport Maxx TT | Ventus S1 evo3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/14 2011 Auto Zeitung Max Performance Tyre Test | #6/8 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A SP Sport Maxx TT
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and precise cornering stability
- Stiff sidewalls providing sharp steering feedback and confidence
- Better-than-average tread life and mileage for many everyday drivers
Cons
- High levels of road noise and cabin hum at speeds above 50 mph
- Stiff, harsh ride quality, particularly with run-flat variants
- Inconsistent or poor grip in wet, damp, or cold weather conditions
Tire B Ventus S1 evo3
Pros
- Exceptional grip and confidence in wet and dry conditions
- Low road noise and high ride comfort
- Competitive pricing compared to premium tier-one brands
Cons
- Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on rear axles or heavy vehicles
- Soft sidewalls leading to reduced steering feedback and precision
- Vulnerability to sidewall damage or bubbling from potholes
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Positive
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
Community members generally praise the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT for its quiet road manners, respectable dry and wet grip, and solid track and cold-weather road performance compared to stock competition-oriented tires. Some drivers note relatively soft sidewalls during aggressive slalom events on heavier vehicles or limited grip before coming up to temperature. Overall, drivers find it to be a capable, comfortable summer tire that balances performance and daily drivability.
corvetteforum.com
“We have these tires on my 18 Grand Sport and my wife’s 17 Z51 Convertible driving in Ohio. Very pleased with these tires! Probably should be OEM for these cars. Handle very well. Doesn’t throw gravel up on the cars like stock tires. Cold weather grip is very good! Stock MPSS are scary below 50 degrees. We have had good success with Discount Tire for purchase and install.”
alfaowner.com
·2011-01-04
“In Hong Kong, if your style is aggresive, sport maxx is not enough, i am using AD08 and RE11 is not bad”
acurazine.com
“After 3 sessions of autoslalom, I can say that the sidewall is too soft for this heavy car. I have the front tires set at 39 psi cool. I may try higher pressure next time to see if it can reduce the tire roll and maintain traction. In term of day to day driving, this is a great quiet summer tire. It performs well in wet too.”
Top themes
#quiet ride quality#track and slalom handling#wet and dry traction#cold weather performance#sidewall stiffness concerns#replacement for OEM tires
Based on 19 community posts
Tire B
Mixed
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Community sentiment toward the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 is mixed, with users frequently praising its strong dry and wet grip, comfort, and competitive pricing. However, notable drawbacks include relatively fast tread wear, reports of increasing road noise over time, and mixed experiences with OEM specs versus premium competitors like Michelin.
jaguarforums.com
“I had Hankook tires on my XKR, and thought they were the noisiest tires I had ever heard on a car, and I had to get rid of them as I couldn't stand it.”
insideevsforum.com
·2022-12-19
“So, I was conversing on a Canadian EV group on Facebook and someone said their SE arrived with run flats…Hankook Ventus S1 evo3. My Mini also has Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 and I was not aware they are considered run flats. So I looked them up online and it appears that in 205/45R17 XL it says Run Flat…Y on . Was anyone else aware of this? Should it say run flat somewhere on the tire?”
r/BMW
·2026-02-14
“Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 uneven wear I’ve been using this tyre and have been satisfied with its performance on my BMW G30. Just that I realised that there is an uneven thread wear on the outer side. The main thread has still some thread about 2mm from the thread wear indicator. This is the right front tyre. All other tyres thread wear looks fine. Is this particular tyre still safe to be used for another 10,000km? Or urgently needs to be changed? Anyone has any experience with uneven wear like this? Read more”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Value for money#Road noise levels#Tread wear and longevity#OEM fitments and EV variants#Run-flat identification confusion#Ride comfort
Based on 33 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT | B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 5 | 110 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 18″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Sizes in common | 3 | 3 |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
71
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better wet and dry. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 76 vs 66 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT scores 58 vs 55 on treadwear.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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SP Sport Maxx TT or Ventus S1 evo3?
Which is better in the wet, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ventus S1 evo3?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 81 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ventus S1 evo3?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 76 vs 66 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ventus S1 evo3?
Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 62 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ventus S1 evo3?
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT, 58 vs 55 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