Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 vs Pirelli Powergy — Compared

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

Sport Maxx RT2 is ahead, 73–67

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Tire ADunlop

Sport Maxx RT2

Summer

Tests 75 · 32 tests Owners 70 · 3,504 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test (curved aquaplaning)

“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.”

Tire BPirelli

Powergy

Summer

Tests 76 · 1 test Owners 61 · 1,805 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test (noise)

“Avg 29mpg on a 2015 Mazda 3 Sport Nav 2L 165bhp, any ideas? I've had this car for about 3-4 weeks now, posted it here on this subreddit too. So far, I've done about 800 miles and my average fuel consumtion seems to be around 29mpg - 10.2L/100km. The car doesn't have its original rims, its on **MAM RS3** 18" rims with Pirelli Powergy tires 215/45/R18 (internet says these tires provide good fuel economy). On longer trips the average is about 40mpg-45mpg which still seems a bit high. My work commute is about 2 miles, and I do occasionally drive in a spirited manner. Is this okay? Thank you all!”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Sport Maxx RT2 +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)7877
    Reviews found online7064
    Dry Braking (% of best)95%94%
  2. 78

    Wet

    Sport Maxx RT2 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)8376
    Reviews found online7267
    Wet Braking (% of best)86%96%
    Wet Circle (% of best)96%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%97%
  3. 70

    Comfort

    Sport Maxx RT2 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)7074
    Reviews found online7058
  4. 67

    Noise

    Powergy +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)6479
    Reviews found online72–
  5. 69

    Treadwear

    Sport Maxx RT2 +12
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online6651
  6. 70

    Handling

    Sport Maxx RT2 +7
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Powergy
    Reviews found online7063
Scores at a glance
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 vs Pirelli Powergy: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sport Maxx RT2Pirelli Powergy
Relative Score 73 67
Dry 75 72
Wet 78 72
Comfort 70 68
Noise 67 74
Treadwear 69 57
Handling 70 63

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Sport Maxx RT2

Powergy

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 RT2PowergyΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 100% #1/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 81% #8/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +19.1 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 95% #8/15 · 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test 94% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +1.4 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 99% #2/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 81% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +18.4 Different tests
Noise Other 99% #2/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −1.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/10 · 2021 Motor Summer Tyre Test 20% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 100% #1/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test 92% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +8.2 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 90% #4/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −2.9 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 67% #16/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −25.8 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 86% #7/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test 96% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −9.2 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 96% #5/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 98% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test −1.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #2/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 97% #2/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +3.1 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the Sport Maxx RT2 review

Tire B Powergy

Pros

  • Significantly reduced road noise and quiet highway ride
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting
  • Comfortable and smooth ride quality compared to run-flats

Cons

  • Faster than average tread wear or shallow initial tread depth
  • Negative impact on fuel economy (MPG) for some users
  • Soft sidewalls leading to muted steering feedback and less precise handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Powergy review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

Positive

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.

Top themes
#Run-flat availability confusion#Low road noise#Value for money#All-weather grip#Older tire generation#Wet performance rating

Based on 19 community posts

Tire B

Pirelli Powergy

Mixed

Community discussions around Pirelli Powergy show mixed views, with many users regarding them as an eco or budget-oriented alternative rather than a performance tire. While some drivers appreciate the attractive pricing and consider them decent for daily driving and fuel economy, others report issues such as highway vibrations or express uncertainty about mixing them with premium lines like Cinturato.

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-31

“Ripples in side wall Just been washing the car and found what I can only describe as ripples in the side wall of my front-right tyre. Had these fitted in June, only just noticed the ripples. The other tyres are perfect. I’ve probably done around 2,000 miles on them. Should I be concerned, and do they look like a manufacturing defect, or as a result of damage? (I’ve not hit any serious potholes that I’m aware of). These tyres are Pirelli Powergy, fitted to a Volvo XC60. Date code is 3325. Any help gratefully received. Read more”

r/GRYaris ·3 upvotes ·2025-03-07

“Are Pirelli Powergy Winter the right winter tires for the GR? Hey, my parents bought a GR Yaris last week and it’s a great car but I looked at its winter tires and those are Pirelli Powergy Winter. I’m not an expert on tires but as far as I know the P-Zero Winter would be the right choice for a GR. My father didn’t bought them because he thought it was the right tires rather a tire salesman talked him into it. I talked him into Pirelli as those were the factory tires for his Volvo 850R and would be a better choice then his current Conti Premium 5 but somehow my father misunderstood me to that point that Pirelli’s are the greatest tires ever. So he asked the salesmen for the best Pirelli Tires and told the car it’s for but the salesman sold him those Powergy tires and said that not all Pirelli’s are in stock. As my father isn’t an enthusiast but loves likes to drive performance cars he didn’t knew better and now it’s too late. In my eyes a good salesman (not in the way of profit for the company rather costumer experience) would have told him that the P-Zeros winter are out of stock but can be ordered or would show him tires from different companies. Another option is the salesman though he meant the GR Sport Yaris for which P-Zero winters are too much as not many persons in their sixties drive a real GR. So my question are the Powergy enough for the GR or should he get P-Zeros next Winter (in a few weeks we will put on summer tires)”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-05-18

“Pirelli cinturato P7 and Pirelli Powergy Hi all 👋🏼 So I had 4 Pirelli Cinturato P7’s on my Ford Focus ST. I got a flat tire (front left) while I was on vacation so I decided to get 2 new tires at the front. I asked the guy at the tire shop to get the same tires (so the Pirelli Cinturato’s). He got me Pirelli Powergy’s instead… He didn’t really speak English and there was not time as I was driving home the next day. So I just accepted it. Now my question is what’s the main difference between these tires? And does it matter I got 2 different tires now? (2 powergy’s at the front and 2 Cinturato’s at the back) Thanks!🙏🏼”

Top themes
#budget and eco line#tire mixing and compatibility#ride comfort and vibrations#pricing and promotions#daily winter driving performance#sidewall durability concerns

Based on 17 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 B · Pirelli Powergy
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available5687
Rim diameters17″ – 21″15″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG300 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

Pirelli Powergy

Winner: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Pick the Pirelli Powergy if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 69 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 70 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Powergy scores 74 vs 67 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 78 vs 72 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Tire B · Pirelli Powergy

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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.

73

Leads

Sport Maxx RT2

Amazon