Given
83%
while driving a
Ford Fiesta ST180
(205/40 R17 W) on
a combination of roads
for 5,500
spirited miles
I bought these tires instead of Asy 3's or PS3's (PS4's wasn't available at the time of purchase), because they was slightly cheaper at the time of purchase and I was curious to see how they performed. In the Fiesta ST180 world, the majority of people tend to go for PS3's or Rainsports as a cheaper alternative however I didn't see the point in getting rainsports when they apparently don't last very long. Back to the Sport Maxx RT2. I am quite an aggressive driver in terms of late braking when safe to do so, typical spirited drive around country side etc. I am very impressed with how they handle. After a couple of thousand miles of typical commuting and the odd country drive, I went for a driving day with some friends around the lake district. The weather was typical beginning of summer / end of spring, and was a mixture of greasy roads and sunshine throughout the day. I gave the car some beans through the country roads expecting oversteer or a bit of a wobble, however the RT2's just kept me planted. Especially when they are warm they are superb handling in the dry and are very impressive in the wet. They give you a lot of confidence going into a corner and again with the braking and sort of let you know when your pushing a bit too much in the wet and give you a chance to sort yourself out. The wear rate so far is absolutely fine, I have had a unknown tracking issue which has lead one tire to wear a lot faster however overall they have taken a beating and have plenty of life left. I'm hoping to take them on track soon. A potential downside for some but equally a good thing for daily driving is the side walls. They seem a little soft in comparison to say the PS3's and have a similar contrast to the Ays 3's in that respect. The road noise is minimal and as expected when you go over a poorly tarmac road and are very comfortable. I would most certainly buy these tires again, however I am tempted to try PS4's further down the line to see if they are as good as people make out. But for a lesser popular tire, I would most definitely recommend the Sport Maxx RT2. Well done Dunlop.