Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 32 + 0 road tests and 3,524 + 30 owner reviews. How we score
Sport Maxx RT2 is ahead, 75–55
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Tests 76 · 32 tests Owners 71 · 3,524 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”
Tests – · none yet Owners 49 · 30 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 30 / – tests | 79 | ≈ 61 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 71 | 50 |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 79.2 + 40% × 70.6 = 76
FK453: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 50 = 56
No road tests of dry for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 31 / – tests | 84 | ≈ 63 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 73 | 56 |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 83.7 + 40% × 72.6 = 79
FK453: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.9 = 60
No road tests of wet for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 49 |
Sport Maxx RT2: 40% × 70.5 + 60% × 70.1 = 70
FK453: 40% × 64.7 (est.) + 60% × 48.8 = 55
No road tests of comfort for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests | 64 | – |
| Reviews found online | 73 | – |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 63.5 + 40% × 73.1 = 67
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 57 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 41 |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 70.1 + 40% × 68.3 = 69
FK453: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
No road tests of treadwear for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 70 | 45 |
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests | 64 | – |
| Category | Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 | Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 55 |
| Dry | 76 | 56 |
| Wet | 79 | 60 |
| Comfort | 70 | 55 |
| Noise | 67 | – |
| Treadwear | 69 | 51 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 45 |
| Efficiency | 64 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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 RT2
FK453
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 finished ahead 1 times and Falken FK453 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Sport Maxx RT2 | FK453 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/8 | #6/8 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2016 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test · 235/40 R18 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“Dunlop sportmaxx RT2 in XL are only 'B' for rain though :thumbsdown:”
“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.”
“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.”
Based on 19 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 | B · Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 56 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 21″ | 17″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 300 A A | 240 - 300 A - AA A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Falken FK453
Winner: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 70 vs 45 on handling.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 76 vs 56 on dry.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 79 vs 60 on wet.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 69 vs 51 on treadwear.
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Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 79 vs 60 on our wet score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 76 vs 56 on our dry score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 70 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 69 vs 51 on our treadwear score.
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
