Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 — 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 173 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport A/S 3 is ahead, 76–55

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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. 58

    Dry

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +19
    77
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online5382

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 61.7 (est.) + 40% × 52.8 = 58

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 57

    Wet

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +24
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online5284

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.8 = 57

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

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

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 52

    Snow

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +19
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online4172

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 52

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 53

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +18
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online4571

    SP Sport Maxx: 40% × 64.7 (est.) + 60% × 45.3 = 53

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71.2 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 60

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online50–

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 50.3 = 60

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 51

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +18
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4171

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 57.5 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 51

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx. 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 Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 50

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +32
    82
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport MaxxPilot Sport A/S 3
    Reviews found online5082
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport MaxxMichelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Relative Score 55 76
Dry 58 77
Wet 57 81
Snow 52 71
Comfort 53 71
Noise 60 –
Treadwear 51 69
Handling (owners) 50 82

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

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

SP Sport Maxx

± 8

Pilot Sport A/S 3

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

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet grip when brand new
  • Responsive handling and sharp cornering precision
  • Low initial road noise and good ride comfort on smooth surfaces

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear (often wearing out in under 10,000–15,000 miles)
  • High road noise and 'sawtoothing' issues as the tires age
  • Noticeable drop in wet-weather traction and sudden loss of grip near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx review

Tire B Pilot Sport A/S 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip in both wet and dry weather conditions
  • Outstanding cornering stability and steering responsiveness
  • Stiff sidewalls providing superior handling compared to competitors

Cons

  • Noticeable and bothersome road noise
  • Heavy tire construction
  • Shorter than expected tread life for certain drivers on abrasive surfaces
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport A/S 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available86
Rim diameters16″ – 21″19″ – 20″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 82 vs 50 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 81 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 77 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 71 vs 52 on snow.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

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SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 81 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 77 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 71 vs 52 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 71 vs 53 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 69 vs 51 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