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Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 vs Vredestein Ultrac Satin — Compared

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

Ultrac Satin leads, 75–73 Narrow edge

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Tire ADunlop

Sport Maxx RT2

Summer

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

Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test (straight aqua)

“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 BVredestein

Ultrac Satin

Summer

Tests 70 · 8 tests Owners 80 · 45 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (straight aqua)

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 +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Professional tests (TWG score)7854
    Reviews found online7083
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%91%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%97%
  2. 78

    Wet

    Level
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Professional tests (TWG score)8375
    Reviews found online7282
    Wet Braking (% of best)98%80%
    Wet Circle (% of best)98%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%96%
  3. 70

    Comfort

    Ultrac Satin +19
    89
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Professional tests (TWG score)7095
    Reviews found online7080
  4. 67

    Noise

    Ultrac Satin +10
    77
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Professional tests (TWG score)6484
    Reviews found online72–
  5. 69

    Treadwear

    Ultrac Satin +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Professional tests (TWG score)7070
    Reviews found online6674
  6. 70

    Handling

    Ultrac Satin +11
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RT2Ultrac Satin
    Reviews found online7081
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Sport Maxx RT2Vredestein Ultrac Satin
Relative Score 73 75
Dry 75 66
Wet 78 78
Comfort 70 89
Noise 67 77
Treadwear 69 72
Handling 70 81

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

Ultrac Satin

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 RT2Ultrac SatinΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 96% #6/10 · 2017 AMS Summer UHP Tyre Test 91% #6/8 · 2020 ViBilagare SUV Tyre Test +4.6 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #4/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 97% #8/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test +0.6 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 99% #2/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 96% #5/8 · 2020 ViBilagare SUV Tyre Test +2.9 Different tests
Noise Other 100% #4/15 · 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test 99% #7/10 · 2020 New 17 Inch Summer Tyre Test +0.4 Different tests
Price Other 75% #8/10 · 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tyre Test 74% #5/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test +0.8 Different tests
Wear Other 71% #6/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 71% #8/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test −0.3 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 11% #9/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 29% #6/8 · 2021 Gute Fahrt Summer Tire Test R18 −17.5 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 100% #1/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 90% #4/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · 2020 ViBilagare SUV Tyre Test −10.0 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 88% #3/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 67% #5/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test +21.1 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 90% #4/7 · 2019 EVO Summer Tyre Test 33% #7/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test +56.5 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #2/6 · 2018 EVO UUHP Tyre Test 80% #10/10 · 2020 New 17 Inch Summer Tyre Test +18.5 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 98% #5/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 98% #2/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test −0.2 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #16/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 96% #5/8 · 2020 ViBilagare SUV Tyre Test +0.9 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 Ultrac Satin

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and low road noise levels
  • Strong wet-weather grip and resistance to aquaplaning
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to top-tier premium brands

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause a 'wobbly' or 'sway' feeling during hard cornering
  • Lack of sharp steering feedback compared to dedicated performance tires
  • Inconsistent tread life reports, with some users noting rapid wear
All owner themes in the Ultrac Satin 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.

zroadster.org ·1 upvote ·2018-11-27

“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.”
forums.m3cutters.co.uk ·2021-01-21

“Thanks everyone! I knew this forum would have the answer I think in this case what the tyre fitter might have meant was "there are no Dunlop run-flats for e46 M3s" (he did ask what car it was for) as this size based search does not bring up tyres with the run flat feature. Which I presume means the ones I ordered previously were not run-flats (it certainly looked properly flat, would not want to drive on it let alone at the claimed 50mph) and thence the new one I've ordered is also a not a run-flat. Garage should be able to fit them. Bloody confusing of the Dunlop website.”
z4-forum.com ·2024-01-07

“Dunlop sportmaxx RT2 in XL are only 'B' for rain though :thumbsdown:”
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

Vredestein Ultrac Satin

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 B · Vredestein Ultrac Satin
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available5652
Rim diameters17″ – 21″16″ – 20″
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG300 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

Vredestein Ultrac Satin

Winner: Vredestein Ultrac Satin — better comfort, handling and noise. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Vredestein Ultrac Satin scores 89 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Vredestein Ultrac Satin scores 81 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Vredestein Ultrac Satin scores 77 vs 67 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 scores 75 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
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Tire B · Vredestein Ultrac Satin
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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.

75

Narrow edge

Ultrac Satin

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