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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D vs Dunlop Winter Sport 5 — 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 + 25 road tests and 45 + 47 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sport 5 is ahead, 75–67

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Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Tire BDunlop

Winter Sport 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 75 · 25 tests Owners 78 · 47 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Winter Sport 5 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 19 tests≈ 65 (est.)66
    Reviews found online6074

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 65.7 + 40% × 73.7 = 69

    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).

  2. 73

    Wet

    Winter Sport 5 +11
    84
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 72 (est.)86
    Reviews found online7482

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.3 + 40% × 81.6 = 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).

  3. 69

    Snow

    Winter Sport 5 +14
    83
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 70 (est.)87
    Reviews found online6978

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.7 + 40% × 77.9 = 83

    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).

  4. 63

    Comfort

    Winter Sport 5 +12
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6176

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

    Winter Sport 5: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 76 = 75

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    SP Winter Sport 3D +30
    33
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests≈ 66 (est.)10
    Reviews found online58≈ 66 (est.)

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 10.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 33

    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.

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Winter Sport 5 +17
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 64 (est.)78
    Reviews found online6080

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 79.5 = 79

    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).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sport 5 +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Reviews found online6776
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–79
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 3DDunlop Winter Sport 5
Relative Score 67 75
Dry 63 69
Wet 73 84
Snow 69 83
Comfort 63 75
Noise 63 33
Treadwear 62 79
Handling (owners) 67 76
Efficiency – 79

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
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
± 7

SP Winter Sport 3D

± 4

Winter Sport 5

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 3DWinter Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/8 2011 Auto Bild 4x4 Winter Tyre Test #5/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 – 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 Winter Sport 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance in snow, slush, and heavy winter conditions
  • Strong wet weather handling and reliable water clearance to prevent hydroplaning
  • Impressive tread wear and long-term durability across multiple seasons

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a mushy or floating steering response and unstable cornering when temperatures rise above 5-10°C
  • Reduced dry handling precision and longer braking distances in warmer ambient conditions
  • Inadequate or missing effective rim protection despite manufacturer claims
All owner themes in the Winter Sport 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2146
Rim diameters16″ – 20″15″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common88

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

Winner: Dunlop Winter Sport 5 — better treadwear, snow and comfort. Pick the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 63 vs 33 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 79 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 83 vs 69 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 75 vs 63 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
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Tire B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
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SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 84 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 69 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 83 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, 63 vs 33 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 75 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Winter Sport 3D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 79 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