Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT vs Pirelli Powergy — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 300 + 1,807 owner reviews. How we score

Powergy leads, 68–64 Narrow edge

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 SP Sport Maxx TT
Tire ADunlop

SP Sport Maxx TT

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 300 reviews

“I have the Maxx TT on my car for about 1000 Km which included two slalom sessions. I am very pleased with the ride quality and dry traction. It is much quieter than the OEM tires. I have not had a chance to drive in wet road yet.”

Pirelli Powergy
Tire BPirelli

Powergy

Summer

Tests 76 · 1 test Owners 61 · 1,807 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test (noise)

“Ripples in side wall Just been washing the car and found what I can only describe as ripples in the side wall of my front-right tyre. Had these fitted in June, only just noticed the ripples. The other tyres are perfect. I’ve probably done around 2,000 miles on them. Should I be concerned, and do they look like a manufacturing defect, or as a result of damage? (I’ve not hit any serious potholes that I’m aware of). These tyres are Pirelli Powergy, fitted to a Volvo XC60. Date code is 3325. Any help gratefully received. Read more”

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    Powergy +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)77
    Reviews found online6564

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66

    Powergy: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 64.4 = 72

    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).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Powergy +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)76
    Reviews found online6467

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64 = 66

    Powergy: 60% × 75.6 + 40% × 67.2 = 72

    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).

  3. 61

    Comfort

    Powergy +7
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)74
    Reviews found online5358

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 61

    Powergy: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 58 = 68

    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.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–80
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Powergy: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for Powergy. 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.

  5. 58

    Treadwear

    SP Sport Maxx TT +1
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online5351

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58

    Powergy: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    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).

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

  6. 61

    Handling (owners)

    Powergy +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTPowergy
    Reviews found online6164
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT vs Pirelli Powergy: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport Maxx TTPirelli Powergy
Relative Score 64 68
Dry 66 72
Wet 66 72
Comfort 61 68
Noise – 75
Treadwear 58 57
Handling (owners) 61 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
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

SP Sport Maxx TT

Powergy

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.

DisciplineCategorySP Sport Maxx TTPowergyΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/14 2011 Auto Zeitung Max Performance Tyre Test #5/10 2026 autozurnal Eco 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
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx TT review

Tire B Powergy

Pros

  • Significantly reduced road noise and quiet highway ride
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting
  • Comfortable and smooth ride quality compared to run-flats

Cons

  • Faster than average tread wear or shallow initial tread depth
  • Negative impact on fuel economy (MPG) for some users
  • Soft sidewalls leading to muted steering feedback and less precise handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Powergy review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT

Positive

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.

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

Pirelli Powergy

Mixed

Community discussions around Pirelli Powergy show mixed views, with many users regarding them as an eco or budget-oriented alternative rather than a performance tire. While some drivers appreciate the attractive pricing and consider them decent for daily driving and fuel economy, others report issues such as highway vibrations or express uncertainty about mixing them with premium lines like Cinturato.

r/mazda3 ·1 upvote ·2026-10-05

“Avg 29mpg on a 2015 Mazda 3 Sport Nav 2L 165bhp, any ideas? I've had this car for about 3-4 weeks now, posted it here on this subreddit too. So far, I've done about 800 miles and my average fuel consumtion seems to be around 29mpg - 10.2L/100km. The car doesn't have its original rims, its on **MAM RS3** 18" rims with Pirelli Powergy tires 215/45/R18 (internet says these tires provide good fuel economy). On longer trips the average is about 40mpg-45mpg which still seems a bit high. My work commute is about 2 miles, and I do occasionally drive in a spirited manner. Is this okay? Thank you all!”

r/GRYaris ·3 upvotes ·2025-03-07

“Are Pirelli Powergy Winter the right winter tires for the GR? Hey, my parents bought a GR Yaris last week and it’s a great car but I looked at its winter tires and those are Pirelli Powergy Winter. I’m not an expert on tires but as far as I know the P-Zero Winter would be the right choice for a GR. My father didn’t bought them because he thought it was the right tires rather a tire salesman talked him into it. I talked him into Pirelli as those were the factory tires for his Volvo 850R and would be a better choice then his current Conti Premium 5 but somehow my father misunderstood me to that point that Pirelli’s are the greatest tires ever. So he asked the salesmen for the best Pirelli Tires and told the car it’s for but the salesman sold him those Powergy tires and said that not all Pirelli’s are in stock. As my father isn’t an enthusiast but loves likes to drive performance cars he didn’t knew better and now it’s too late. In my eyes a good salesman (not in the way of profit for the company rather costumer experience) would have told him that the P-Zeros winter are out of stock but can be ordered or would show him tires from different companies. Another option is the salesman though he meant the GR Sport Yaris for which P-Zero winters are too much as not many persons in their sixties drive a real GR. So my question are the Powergy enough for the GR or should he get P-Zeros next Winter (in a few weeks we will put on summer tires)”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-05-18

“Pirelli cinturato P7 and Pirelli Powergy Hi all 👋🏼 So I had 4 Pirelli Cinturato P7’s on my Ford Focus ST. I got a flat tire (front left) while I was on vacation so I decided to get 2 new tires at the front. I asked the guy at the tire shop to get the same tires (so the Pirelli Cinturato’s). He got me Pirelli Powergy’s instead… He didn’t really speak English and there was not time as I was driving home the next day. So I just accepted it. Now my question is what’s the main difference between these tires? And does it matter I got 2 different tires now? (2 powergy’s at the front and 2 Cinturato’s at the back) Thanks!🙏🏼”

Top themes
#budget and eco line#tire mixing and compatibility#ride comfort and vibrations#pricing and promotions#daily winter driving performance#sidewall durability concerns

Based on 17 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT B · Pirelli Powergy
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available587
Rim diameters16″ – 18″15″ – 21″
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT

Pirelli Powergy

Narrow edge: Pirelli Powergy — better comfort, dry and wet. Where the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Powergy scores 68 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Powergy scores 72 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Powergy scores 72 vs 66 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
Tire B · Pirelli Powergy

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

SP Sport Maxx TT or Powergy?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport Maxx TT or Powergy?

Pirelli Powergy, 72 vs 66 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport Maxx TT or Powergy?

Pirelli Powergy, 72 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx TT or Powergy?

Pirelli Powergy, 68 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx TT or Powergy?

Neither, by our numbers: 58 vs 57 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