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 + 3 road tests and 3,519 + 3,486 owner reviews. How we score
Sport Maxx RT2 is ahead, 73–63
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Tests 76 · 32 tests Owners 71 · 3,519 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 74 · 3 tests Owners 47 · 3,486 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 30 / 3 tests | 79 | 80 |
| Reviews found online | 71 | 61 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–2 | 96% | 96% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 99% | 100% |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 79.2 + 40% × 70.6 = 76
P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.4 = 72
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 31 / 3 tests | 84 | 81 |
| Reviews found online | 73 | 55 |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 96% | 93% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–2 | 90% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 94% | 99% |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 83.7 + 40% × 72.7 = 79
P Zero: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 54.9 = 71
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 60 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 36 |
P Zero: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 36.4 = 50
No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests | 70 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 46 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 22% | 67% |
Sport Maxx RT2: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 70.2 = 70
P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 46.2 = 56
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 1 tests | 64 | 61 |
| Reviews found online | 73 | 53 |
| Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 99% | 97% |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 63.5 + 40% × 73.3 = 67
P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.1 = 58
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / 1 tests | 70 | 65 |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 28 |
| Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 77% | 66% |
Sport Maxx RT2: 60% × 70.1 + 40% × 68.3 = 69
P Zero: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 28.1 = 50
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 70 | 56 |
| Source | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 1 tests | 64 | 59 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 79% | 73% |
| Category | Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 | Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 63 |
| Dry | 76 | 72 |
| Wet | 79 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 50 |
| Comfort | 70 | 56 |
| Noise | 67 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 56 |
| Efficiency | 64 | 59 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. 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.
Sport Maxx RT2
P Zero
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 9 tests that ran both, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 finished ahead 6 times and Pirelli P Zero 3 times.
| Discipline | Category | Sport Maxx RT2 | P Zero | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 96% | −0.1 | 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 100% | −0.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 96% | 93% | +3.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 90% | 94% | −4.0 | 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 94% | 99% | −4.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 22% | 67% | −44.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 97% | +1.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 77% | 66% | +10.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 79% | 73% | +6.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 76% | 66% | +10.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #10/20 | #17/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Value | Cost | 71% | 53% | +18.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #17/49 | #25/49 | – | 6–3 in 9 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 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.
“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”
“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
Community sentiment regarding Pirelli P Zero tires is polarized across its automotive and bicycle product lines. While users praise the tire lineup for sharp steering responsiveness, comfortable ride quality, and strong dry grip—especially on newer models like the AS Plus 3 and PZ5—many drivers report fast tread wear, wet grip issues on certain summer variants, and vulnerability to sidewall bubbles. Additionally, cyclists frequently note that the tubeless road variants offer impressive rolling speed but can be exceptionally difficult to mount.
“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”
“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
Based on 277 community posts
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 | B · Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 56 | 194 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 21″ | 17″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 300 A A | 220 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 43 | 43 |
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Pirelli P Zero
Winner: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 69 vs 50 on treadwear.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 70 vs 56 on comfort.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 70 vs 56 on handling.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 67 vs 58 on noise.
Pirelli P Zero won 2 of 3 shared dry braking tests.
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Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 79 vs 71 on our wet score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 76 vs 72 on our dry score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 67 vs 58 on our noise score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 70 vs 56 on our comfort score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 69 vs 50 on our treadwear score.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 64 vs 59 on our efficiency 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
