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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D vs Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — 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 45 + 38 owner reviews. How we score

SP Winter Sport 4D is ahead, 78–67

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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. 63

    Dry

    SP Winter Sport 4D +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6084

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 63

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 83.6 = 78

    No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 73

    Wet

    SP Winter Sport 4D +11
    84
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 81 (est.)
    Reviews found online7489

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 73.7 = 73

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 80.8 (est.) + 40% × 89.1 = 84

    No road tests of wet for SP Winter Sport 3D. 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 SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 69

    Snow

    SP Winter Sport 4D +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6971

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 71

    No road tests of snow for SP Winter Sport 3D. 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 SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 63

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 4D +16
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6185

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61 = 63

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 40% × 71.8 (est.) + 60% × 84.5 = 79

    No road tests of comfort for SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online58–

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 57.7 = 63

    No road tests of noise for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    SP Winter Sport 4D +14
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6082

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 72 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    SP Winter Sport 4D +18
    85
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4D
    Reviews found online6785
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 3DDunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
Relative Score 67 78
Dry 63 78
Wet 73 84
Snow 69 71
Comfort 63 79
Noise 63 –
Treadwear 62 76
Handling (owners) 67 85

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
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
± 7

SP Winter Sport 3D

± 8

SP Winter Sport 4D

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 Winter Sport 3DSP Winter Sport 4DΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/8 2011 Auto Bild 4x4 Winter Tyre Test #3/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Winter Sport 3D

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in deep and packed snow
  • Confident handling and braking performance on cold, wet roads
  • Great dry-road handling and steering response during winter temperatures

Cons

  • High and sometimes unbearable road noise as the tires age
  • Degradation of grip and hardening of rubber compound over multiple seasons
  • Faster or below-average tread life reported by some drivers
All owner themes in the SP Winter Sport 3D review

Tire B SP Winter Sport 4D

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions.
  • Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tire counterparts.
  • High level of ride comfort and refined road manners.

Cons

  • Noticeable 'squirm' or lack of sharpness during high-speed cornering.
  • Occasional reports of understeer in specific wet or icy conditions.
  • Some users noted a 'hard' ride quality compared to previous iterations like the 3D.
All owner themes in the SP Winter Sport 4D review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2120
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D

Winner: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 85 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 79 vs 63 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 78 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 76 vs 62 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
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SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Which is better in the wet, SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 84 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 78 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 79 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Winter Sport 3D or SP Winter Sport 4D?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 76 vs 62 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