Writing about the
Dunlop SportMaxx RT given
59% (245-40-18-)
Driving on
a combination of roads for 25000
spirited miles
I live and drive an above normal amount across Colorado. I have these tires fitted to my 2018 Subaru WRX Limited (Vehicle is stock). These tires were the O.E.M. fitment from Subaru. While they are sporty and do fit the vehicle’s driving dynamics, they leave a lot to be desired. Straight line, high speed grip was a little floaty at first but as the tire wore this settled out. At highway speeds the tire tends to try and track any ruts in the road which causes constant steering input to stay centered in your lane. At city speeds, as the tire wore down, it began to track more aggressively in these ruts resulting in an increasing amount of steering input. Driving in the mountains, spiritedly of course, the tire felt on the limit well before you reached that limit. There was a vagueness when you turned in on what would be the acceptable speed for a corner, regardless of previous speeds entering the same corner. This vagueness was consistent throughout the life of the tire. In the wet, the tires performed admirably. Significantly less grip in the wet when cornering, but no aquaplaning issues. On highway in the wet, the tires were stable and relatively predictable when encountering aquaplaning through deeper water. In the snow you are better off walking to your destination. The road noise was a bit loud, and when encountering bumps and cracks in the road you felt every millimeter of rebound. At 25,000 miles I expected a bit more life from these tires, seeing as majority of the mid-to-outer tread was still well within the legal limit. However, the inside edge of the tires began wearing suddenly and rapidly causing a light grey band of wear to appear which also began a slight squeaking noise. Upon checking my alignment, finding nothing abnormal, and resetting the alignment even more accurately, the tires continued this odd wear pattern. In summary, these tires were acceptable tires fitted from the factory, but with the staggering amount of options available with better characteristics I would not purchase them. They are no cheaper than any Michelin, Goodyear, or Continental offering, which would be the only reason I would repurchase them. These tires will do when you first purchase your vehicle and start to learn its characteristics. But once you’ve achieved a certain proficiency with your vehicle, the next step up in tires is a necessity.