tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter Response 2 vs Dunlop Winter Sport 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 2 + 25 road tests and 10 + 47 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Response 2 leads, 82–78 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5 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.

Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire ADunlop

Winter Response 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 89 · 2 tests Owners 84 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)

Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Tire BDunlop

Winter Sport 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 75 · 25 tests Owners 78 · 47 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    Winter Response 2 +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 19 tests≈ 74 (est.)66
    Reviews found online8374

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 82.7 = 77

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 65.7 + 40% × 73.7 = 69

    No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 91

    Wet

    Winter Response 2 +7
    84
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 25 tests9386
    Reviews found online8982

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 93 + 40% × 88.6 = 91

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.2 + 40% × 81.6 = 84

  3. 84

    Snow

    Winter Response 2 +1
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 25 tests8487
    Reviews found online8478

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 84.3 = 84

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 77.8 = 83

  4. 80

    Comfort

    Winter Response 2 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)74
    Reviews found online8576

    Winter Response 2: 40% × 72 (est.) + 60% × 85.1 = 80

    Winter Sport 5: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 76 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    33
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests–10
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 10.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 33

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    Winter Sport 5 +4
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 72 (est.)78
    Reviews found online8180

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 79.5 = 79

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Response 2 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Reviews found online8376
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–79
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Winter Response 2Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Relative Score 82 78
Dry 77 69
Wet 91 84
Snow 84 83
Comfort 80 75
Noise – 33
Treadwear 75 79
Handling (owners) 83 76
Efficiency – 79

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Winter Response 2

± 4

Winter Sport 5

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

The professional test results behind the scores

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Response 2Winter Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Wet Braking Wet 98% #3/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! 92% #13/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/31 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! 97% #4/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/51 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! #5/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter Response 2

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
  • Excellent wet weather performance and braking
  • High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some users
  • Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
All owner themes in the Winter Response 2 review

Tire B Winter Sport 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance in snow, slush, and heavy winter conditions
  • Strong wet weather handling and reliable water clearance to prevent hydroplaning
  • Impressive tread wear and long-term durability across multiple seasons

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a mushy or floating steering response and unstable cornering when temperatures rise above 5-10°C
  • Reduced dry handling precision and longer braking distances in warmer ambient conditions
  • Inadequate or missing effective rim protection despite manufacturer claims
All owner themes in the Winter Sport 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Winter Response 2 B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1546
Rim diameters14″ – 16″15″ – 21″
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter Response 2

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

Narrow edge: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better dry, wet and handling. Pick the Dunlop Winter Sport 5 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 77 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 91 vs 84 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 83 vs 76 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 80 vs 75 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter Response 2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Check price on Amazon

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

Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 91 vs 84 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 77 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 83 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 80 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Response 2 or Winter Sport 5?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 79 vs 75 on our treadwear score.

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.

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