tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D 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 38 + 44 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: SP Winter Sport 4D and Winter Sport 5 are level at 78.

Check price on Amazon · SP Winter Sport 4D Check price on Amazon · Winter Sport 5
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 Winter Sport 5
Tire BDunlop

Winter Sport 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 75 · 25 tests Owners 78 · 44 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. 79

    Dry

    SP Winter Sport 4D +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 19 tests≈ 75 (est.)66
    Reviews found online8473

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 74.9 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 79

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 66.1 + 40% × 73.3 = 69

    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 0.42).

  2. 84

    Wet

    Level
    84
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 81 (est.)86
    Reviews found online8981

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 81 (est.) + 40% × 89.2 = 84

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.5 + 40% × 81.1 = 84

    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. 71

    Snow

    Winter Sport 5 +12
    83
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 71 (est.)87
    Reviews found online7178

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 70.9 = 71

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.7 + 40% × 78.3 = 83

    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 0.37).

  4. 80

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 4D +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)75
    Reviews found online8577

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 40% × 72 (est.) + 60% × 85.1 = 80

    Winter Sport 5: 40% × 75.2 + 60% × 76.5 = 76

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    33
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests–11
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 10.8 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 33

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Sport 5. 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.

  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Winter Sport 5 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 72 (est.)78
    Reviews found online8279

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 81.7 = 76

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 79.3 = 78

    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 0.35).

  7. 85

    Handling (owners)

    SP Winter Sport 4D +8
    77
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Reviews found online8577
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DWinter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–79
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 4DDunlop Winter Sport 5
Relative Score 78 78
Dry 79 69
Wet 84 84
Snow 71 83
Comfort 80 76
Noise – 33
Treadwear 76 78
Handling (owners) 85 77
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

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
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
± 8

SP Winter Sport 4D

± 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 4DWinter Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview #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 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

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 4D B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2046
Rim diameters16″ – 21″15″ – 21″
Sizes in common1010

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

Too close to call: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D and Dunlop Winter Sport 5 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D is stronger on dry, handling and comfort. Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is stronger on snow.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 83 vs 71 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 79 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 85 vs 77 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 80 vs 76 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Check price on Amazon

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

SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 84 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 79 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 83 vs 71 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 80 vs 76 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Winter Sport 4D or Winter Sport 5?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 78 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