Tests – · none yet Owners 59 · 195 reviews
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT vs Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 — 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 + 32 road tests and 195 + 3,507 owner reviews. How we score
Sport Maxx RT2 is ahead, 74–65
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Tests 76 · 32 tests Owners 71 · 3,507 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))
“Everybody is right. The tyre is available in both a RF and a non-RF versions - so it will simply depend on what you buy. e.g. the rears for my F31 are not RF”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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67
Dry
Sport Maxx RT2 +976Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 30 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 79 Reviews found online 67 71 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 79.1 + 40% × 71.1 = 76
No road tests of dry for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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69
Wet
Sport Maxx RT2 +1180Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 31 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 84 Reviews found online 69 74 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 73.5 = 80
No road tests of wet for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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55
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 61 (est.) – Reviews found online 46 – Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 45.6 = 55
No road tests of snow for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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63
Comfort
Sport Maxx RT2 +770Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 59 71 Sport Maxx RT: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 59.3 = 63
Sport Maxx RT2: 40% × 69.6 + 60% × 70.7 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Noise
Sport Maxx RT2 +167Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 63 Reviews found online 65 74 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 63.5 + 40% × 73.5 = 67
No road tests of noise for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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53
Treadwear
Sport Maxx RT2 +1669Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 58 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 44 68 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 44 = 53
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 68.1 = 69
No road tests of treadwear for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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67
Handling (owners)
Sport Maxx RT2 +471Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Reviews found online 67 71 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison64Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Sport Maxx RT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests – 64
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Sport Maxx RT | Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 74 |
| Dry | 67 | 76 |
| Wet | 69 | 80 |
| Snow | 55 | – |
| Comfort | 63 | 70 |
| Noise | 66 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 53 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 67 | 71 |
| Efficiency | – | 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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Sport Maxx RT
Sport Maxx RT2
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.
| Discipline | Category | Sport Maxx RT | Sport Maxx RT2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/14 2015 AZ 225/40 R18 Summer Tyre Test | #17/50 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Sport Maxx RT
Pros
- Outstanding grip and traction in both dry and wet conditions
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Predictable and progressive handling at limits
Cons
- Fast tread wear leading to short tire lifespan
- Prone to developing cracks in the tread blocks or sidewalls prematurely
- Subpar performance in freezing temperatures, snow, or slush
Tire B Sport Maxx RT2
Pros
- Excellent grip and stability in both wet and dry conditions
- Significantly lower road noise and high ride comfort compared to competitors
- Competitive pricing offering great value for a premium-tier brand
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can cause a spongy feel and lack of precision during fast cornering
- Some reports of premature cracking in the tread valleys or sidewalls
- Performance and noise levels can degrade noticeably as the tread wears down
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Community opinion portrays the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT 2 as a solid, quiet, and good-value performance tire that performs well in all weather conditions. While some drivers note it is an older design compared to newer flagship releases and point out its 'B' wet rating in certain sizes, it is generally considered capable and competitively priced. There is also frequent discussion clarifying the availability of both run-flat and non-run-flat variants across different dimensions.
“For what it's worth, I put a full new set of 18inch Sport Maxx RT2's on my E85 a couple of years ago and found them more than adequate/good when your a looking for a value/capability compromise. Like B21 mentions, if you want a really upto date tyre, you pick a newer release from the manufacturer provided that pushing on a couple of hundred quid extra can be justified. (When you don't need to tell the wife) I just put a set of 19inch Continental Conti Sport 7's on my E89 but wouldn't have had an issue fitting 19inch Sport Maxx RT2's.”
“I have Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2's on my Audi A3 2.0TDI (buckets of torques) and they work incredibly well in all weather conditions. Granted a different proposition with FWD Audi, but for the price it was a no brainer to stick with them when I needed the fronts replacing.”
“Dunlop sportmaxx RT2 in XL are only 'B' for rain though :thumbsdown:”
Based on 19 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT | B · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 27 | 56 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 22″ | 17″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 240 A A | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 14 | 14 |
Which one should you actually buy?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Winner: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 — better treadwear, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 69 vs 53 on treadwear.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 80 vs 69 on wet.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 76 vs 67 on dry.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 70 vs 63 on comfort.
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Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Which is better in the wet, Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 80 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 76 vs 67 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 67 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 70 vs 63 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Sport Maxx RT or Sport Maxx RT2?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 69 vs 53 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