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Summer tire Updated October 2026

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 review

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Owners 70 · 3,504 reviews analysed Road tests 76 · 41 tests

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The Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 generally receives positive reviews for daily and spirited driving, offering a comfortable ride, low road noise, and reliable wet and dry grip at a competitive price point. However, some drivers note that the tire's sidewalls are notably soft, which can lead to a slightly spongy feel or reduced steering feedback during aggressive cornering.

Community sentiment Positive Read the buzz
#Run-flat availability confusion#Low road noise#Value for money#All-weather grip#Older tire generation
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

How scores work
Relative score
0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests
0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews
0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

By owner reviews

70/100

From 3,504 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 63%
Dry
Overall dry
69.7
Corner stability
70.2
Dry traction
71.7
Steering response
69.9
Wet
Overall wet
71.8
Wet traction
71.9
Comfort
Overall comfort
69.9
Noise
Overall noise
72.4
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
66.4
Handling
Overall handling
69.5

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

76/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry
78.3
Wet
82.9
Comfort
69.6
Noise
63.7
Treadwear
70.3
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
57.6%
Dry Handling
57.1%
Subj. Dry Handling
71.4%
Wet Braking
40.9%
Subj. Wet Handling
57.1%
Wet Handling
29%
Straight Aquaplaning
66.9%
Inside Noise level
62.5%
Subjective Comfort
16.8%
Rolling Resistance
81.7%
Price
57.5%
Wear
67.5%

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

Specifications
Tread depth10/32″
UTQG300 A A
SidewallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi
SizeRetailer
205/40 R17 Amazon
205/45 R17 Amazon
205/50 R17 Amazon
215/40 R17 Amazon
215/45 R17 Amazon
215/50 R17 Amazon
215/55 R17 Amazon
225/45 R17 Amazon
225/50 R17 Amazon
225/55 R17 Amazon
235/45 R17 Amazon
235/55 R17 Amazon
235/60 R17 Amazon
245/40 R17 Amazon
245/45 R17 Amazon
215/40 R18 Amazon

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What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 3,504 owner reviews found online.

The Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 generally receives positive reviews for daily and spirited driving, offering a comfortable ride, low road noise, and reliable wet and dry grip at a competitive price point. However, some drivers note that the tire's sidewalls are notably soft, which can lead to a slightly spongy feel or reduced steering feedback during aggressive cornering. While most users report good wear characteristics, a minority experienced premature cracking or a drop in performance as the tires aged.

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
  • Useful built-in rim protectors to prevent curb damage
  • Lighter construction contributing to reduced unsprung weight

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
  • Varying opinions on longevity, with some front-axle applications wearing out quickly

Worth knowing

  • Heavier vehicles and higher-torque setups (such as BMWs and AMGs) tend to highlight the soft sidewall trait, leading to complaints about squishy handling or vague steering response.
  • Vehicles fitted with 17-inch and larger wheels frequently praised the balanced comfort and reduction in road noise over motorway miles.

Reviews from our readers

Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.

No reviews from our readers yet

Driving on the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2? Tell other drivers how it grips, rides and wears.

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41 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2026 Autobild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R19

13th of 20
Best: Subj. Comfort · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking16th of 20
Wet Handling11th of 20
Dry Braking20th of 20
Dry Handling14th of 20
Rolling Resistance16th of 20
Straight Aqua4th of 20
Subj. Dry Handling16th of 20
Subj. Comfort1st of 20
Subj. Wet Handling12th of 20
Noise13th of 20
Value17th of 20
Wear16th of 20
Abrasion13th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership17th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2026 Summer Braking Super tire Test - How do 52 tires Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? · 245/45 R19

17th of 50
Best: Wet Braking · 17th Weakest: Dry Braking · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking17th of 50
Dry Braking19th of 50

Source: Auto Bild

2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance tire Test · 225/40 R18

9th of 20
Best: Curved Aquaplaning · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking18th of 20
Wet Handling16th of 20
Wet Circle13th of 20
Dry Braking19th of 20
Dry Handling13th of 20
Rolling Resistance17th of 20
Straight Aqua4th of 20
Curved Aquaplaning1st of 20
Subj. Comfort1st of 20
Noise14th of 20
Value7th of 20
Wear7th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership12th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2025 ADAC Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

9th of 18
Best: Curved Aquaplaning · 1st Weakest: Abrasion · 16th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking13th of 18
Dry Braking13th of 18
Straight Aqua3rd of 18
Curved Aquaplaning1st of 18
Noise14th of 18
Value13th of 18
Wear11th of 18
Fuel Consumption12th of 18
Abrasion16th of 18
Wet Braking - Concrete11th of 18

Source: ADAC

2025 Summer tire Test Shootout · 225/40 R18

19th of 52
Best: Dry Braking · 19th Weakest: Wet Braking · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking20th of 52
Dry Braking19th of 52

Source: Auto Bild

2024 Sport Auto Summer tire Test · 215/40 R18

5th of 6
Best: Rolling Resistance · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 6
Wet Handling5th of 6
Wet Circle5th of 6
Dry Braking5th of 6
Dry Handling4th of 6
Rolling Resistance2nd of 6
Straight Aqua2nd of 6
Curved Aquaplaning2nd of 6
Noise2nd of 6

Source: Sport Auto

2024 ADAC Summer tire Test · 215/55 R17

5th of 16
Best: Curved Aquaplaning · 2nd Weakest: Noise · 15th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 16
Dry Braking4th of 16
Straight Aqua3rd of 16
Curved Aquaplaning2nd of 16
Noise15th of 16
Value15th of 16
Price12th of 16
Wear9th of 16
Fuel Consumption8th of 16
Abrasion11th of 16
Wet Braking - Concrete9th of 16

Source: ADAC

2023 AutoBild UHP Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18

7th of 20
Best: Wear · 6th Weakest: Noise · 16th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 20
Wet Handling9th of 20
Dry Braking13th of 20
Dry Handling15th of 20
Rolling Resistance15th of 20
Straight Aqua14th of 20
Noise16th of 20
Value13th of 20
Price16th of 20
Wear6th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership13th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2023 Summer tire Market Overview · 225/45 R18

13th of 48
Best: Wet Braking · 12th Weakest: Dry Braking · 13th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 48
Dry Braking13th of 48

Source: Auto Bild

2023 ACE / Gute Fahrt UHP Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

5th of 7

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Gute Fahrt

2022 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 215/55 R17

8th of 21
Best: Straight Aqua · 2nd Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 21
Wet Handling6th of 21
Wet Circle5th of 21
Dry Braking6th of 21
Dry Handling18th of 21
Rolling Resistance19th of 21
Straight Aqua2nd of 21
Curved Aquaplaning9th of 21
Noise19th of 21
Value14th of 21
Wear6th of 21
Total Cost of Ownership17th of 21

Source: Auto Bild

2022 Summer tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17

7th of 44
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 44
Dry Braking7th of 44

Source: Auto Bild

2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires · 215/60R18

8th of 22
DisciplinePlacementField position
Tested Tread Life (Miles)17th of 22

Source: Consumer Reports

2021 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

4th of 9
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 9
Wet Handling5th of 9
Dry Braking7th of 9
Dry Handling3rd of 9
Rolling Resistance6th of 9
Straight Aqua1st of 9
Subj. Dry Handling3rd of 9
Subj. Wet Handling3rd of 9

Source: evo

2021 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

10th of 10

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2021 Motor Summer tire Test · 225/55 R17

5th of 10
Best: Straight Aqua · 2nd Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking6th of 10
Wet Handling3rd of 10
Dry Braking4th of 10
Dry Handling7th of 10
Rolling Resistance8th of 10
Straight Aqua2nd of 10
Curved Aquaplaning2nd of 10
Subj. Dry Handling6th of 10
Noise8th of 10
Price7th of 10

Source: Motor

2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

7th of 15
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Price · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 15
Wet Handling8th of 15
Dry Braking8th of 15
Dry Handling8th of 15
Rolling Resistance6th of 15
Straight Aqua1st of 15
Curved Aquaplaning1st of 15
Noise4th of 15
Price10th of 15

Source: Auto Bild Sportscars

2021 ADAC Summer tire Test - 225/50 R17 · 225/50 R17

6th of 17
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 17

Source: ADAC

2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP tire Test · 225/40 R18

8th of 10
Best: Rolling Resistance · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 10
Wet Handling5th of 10
Dry Braking10th of 10
Dry Handling10th of 10
Rolling Resistance1st of 10
Straight Aqua1st of 10
Subj. Dry Handling10th of 10
Subj. Comfort2nd of 10
Subj. Wet Handling7th of 10
Noise2nd of 10
Price8th of 10

Source: Auto Zeitung

2020 EVO UHP Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

6th of 7
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 7
Wet Handling5th of 7
Wet Circle4th of 7
Dry Braking6th of 7
Dry Handling7th of 7
Rolling Resistance2nd of 7
Straight Aqua1st of 7
Subj. Dry Handling5th of 7
Subj. Comfort4th of 7
Subj. Wet Handling2nd of 7
Price7th of 7

Source: evo

2020 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R18

14th of 20
Best: Rolling Resistance · 3rd Weakest: Wet Braking · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking19th of 20
Wet Handling18th of 20
Dry Braking12th of 20
Dry Handling16th of 20
Rolling Resistance3rd of 20
Straight Aqua16th of 20
Noise8th of 20
Value12th of 20
Price16th of 20
Wear10th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership7th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2020 tire Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18

17th of 49
Best: Dry Braking · 11th Weakest: Wet Braking · 23rd
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking23rd of 49
Dry Braking11th of 49

Source: Auto Bild

2019 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

4th of 7
Best: Rolling Resistance · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 7
Wet Handling4th of 7
Dry Braking6th of 7
Dry Handling3rd of 7
Rolling Resistance1st of 7
Straight Aqua2nd of 7
Subj. Dry Handling3rd of 7
Subj. Comfort6th of 7
Subj. Wet Handling4th of 7

Source: evo

2019 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

13th of 20
Best: Straight Aqua · 3rd Weakest: Subj. Comfort · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 20
Wet Handling18th of 20
Dry Braking11th of 20
Dry Handling6th of 20
Rolling Resistance10th of 20
Straight Aqua3rd of 20
Subj. Comfort20th of 20
Noise9th of 20
Value7th of 20
Price12th of 20
Wear5th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership10th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2019 Gute Fahrt Summer 18 Inch tire Test · 225/40 R18

3rd of 10
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 10
Dry Braking5th of 10
Straight Aqua1st of 10
Price4th of 10

Source: Gute Fahrt

2019 Summer 53 tire Braking Shootout · 225/45 R17

11th of 45
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 45
Dry Braking12th of 45

Source: Auto Bild

2018 EVO UUHP tire Test · 235/35 R19

3rd of 6
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 4th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 6
Wet Handling1st of 6
Dry Braking3rd of 6
Dry Handling4th of 6
Rolling Resistance1st of 6
Straight Aqua1st of 6
Subj. Dry Handling4th of 6
Subj. Wet Handling2nd of 6
Price4th of 6

Source: evo

2018 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

3rd of 10

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2018 Test World Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

8th of 16
Best: Straight Aqua · 6th Weakest: Subj. Dry Handling · 13th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking11th of 16
Wet Handling10th of 16
Dry Braking7th of 16
Straight Aqua6th of 16
Subj. Dry Handling13th of 16
Subj. Wet Handling10th of 16
Noise11th of 16

Source: Test World

2017 Motor Mag UHP tire Test · 235/35 R19

6th of 9
Best: Dry Braking · 6th Weakest: Wet Braking · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 9
Dry Braking6th of 9
Dry Handling7th of 9

Source: Motor

2017 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

5th of 9
Best: Dry Handling · 3rd Weakest: Wet Braking · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 9
Wet Handling8th of 9
Dry Braking6th of 9
Dry Handling3rd of 9

Source: evo

2017 Auto Bild UHP tire Test · 245/40 R18

4th of 9
Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 6th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking1st of 9
Wet Handling2nd of 9
Dry Braking3rd of 9
Dry Handling6th of 9
Rolling Resistance2nd of 9
Noise4th of 9

Source: Auto Bild

2017 AMS Summer UHP tire Test · 245/45 R18

9th of 10
Best: Wet Handling · 4th Weakest: Wet Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 10
Wet Handling4th of 10
Dry Braking6th of 10
Dry Handling7th of 10

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2017 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 225/50 R17

2nd of 20
Best: Wear · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking11th of 20
Wet Handling3rd of 20
Dry Braking3rd of 20
Dry Handling5th of 20
Wear2nd of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars tire Test · 235/35 R19

5th of 9
Best: Wet Braking · 2nd Weakest: Dry Handling · 6th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 9
Wet Handling3rd of 9
Dry Braking3rd of 9
Dry Handling6th of 9

Source: Auto Bild

2017 Auto Bild Summer tire Shootout · 225/50 R17

7th of 43

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Bild

2016 EVO Summer Performance tire Test · 235/35 R19

5th of 9

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: evo

2016 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

4th of 9

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2016 Test World Performance tire Test · 225/40 R18

3rd of 13

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Test World

2016 Sport Auto UHP Summer tire Test · 235/40 R18

2nd of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Sport Auto

2016 GTU Performance Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

3rd of 14

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: GTÜ

What owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of the scores above.

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.

forums.m3cutters.co.uk ·2 upvotes

“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”

2021-01-21

z4-forum.com

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

2024-01-07

zroadster.org ·1 upvote

“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.”

2018-11-27

z4-forum.com

“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.”

2022-09-27

forums.m3cutters.co.uk

“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.”

2021-01-21

Sentiment breakdown
Positive26%
Mixed53%
Negative21%
Top themes
#Run-flat availability confusion#Low road noise#Value for money#All-weather grip#Older tire generation#Wet performance rating

From 19 threads and comments.

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 compared

Compare any two
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