tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT vs Firestone Firehawk SZ90 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Sport Maxx RT is ahead, 64–58

Check price on Amazon · Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk SZ90 on Amazon
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.

Tire ADunlop

Sport Maxx RT

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 59 · 195 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 10 in 2015 EVO Magazine Performance Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BFirestone

Firehawk SZ90

Summer

Tests 56 · 2 tests Owners 56 · 25 reviews

Best test result: #14 of 14 in 2011 Auto Zeitung Max Performance Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    Sport Maxx RT +9
    58
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Professional tests (TWG score)–60
    Reviews found online6755
  2. 68

    Wet

    Sport Maxx RT +13
    55
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Professional tests (TWG score)–52
    Reviews found online6859
  3. 54

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Reviews found online44–
  4. 64

    Comfort

    Sport Maxx RT +5
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Reviews found online5850
  5. 64

    Noise

    Sport Maxx RT +5
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Professional tests (TWG score)–53
    Reviews found online61–
  6. 55

    Treadwear

    Firehawk SZ90 +5
    60
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Reviews found online4856
  7. 64

    Handling

    Sport Maxx RT +7
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90
    Reviews found online6457
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Sport Maxx RTFirestone Firehawk SZ90
Relative Score 64 58
Dry 67 58
Wet 68 55
Snow 54 –
Comfort 64 59
Noise 64 59
Treadwear 55 60
Handling 64 57

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Sport Maxx RT

Firehawk SZ90

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategorySport Maxx RTFirehawk SZ90ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 17% #6/10 · 2015 EVO Magazine Performance Tyre Test 7% #14/14 · 2011 Auto Zeitung Max Performance Tyre Test +9.5 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
All owner themes in the Sport Maxx RT review

Tire B Firehawk SZ90

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet surface grip
  • Effective water displacement and braking performance
  • Competitive price point

Cons

  • Excessive road noise
  • Rapid or uneven tread wear
  • Unpredictable handling and stability issues
All owner themes in the Firehawk SZ90 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT B · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available27—
Rim diameters16″ – 22″—
Tread depth9/32″—
UTQG240 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT

Firestone Firehawk SZ90

Winner: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT — better wet, dry and handling. Pick the Firestone Firehawk SZ90 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 68 vs 55 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 67 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 64 vs 57 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 64 vs 59 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
Check price on Amazon

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

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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

64

Leads

Sport Maxx RT

Amazon