Dunlop Snow Tires

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
March 04, 2013

I’ve used two other brands of snow tires before buying these, General (Articmax) and Bridgestone (Blizzak).
First impression is that in the dry weather, these ride more like an all season tire. The Generals and Bridgestones were very loud and kind of felt squirmy at highway speeds. Once you got used to is, it was fine. The Dunlops are smooth, quiet and responsive at all speeds.
On to the Snow, these are about 80% of the other two in the snow. They are still good, but not as sure footed, especially in heavy slush conditions. With the other two, I felt like my Mazda was an SUV!! I don’t have the same confidence with these, but if you drive “normally” they will get you were you need go without much drama.
Overall, I think they are a good tire, but just not up to the level of the other 2 I have used. I cannot comment on tire wear, as this is the first season.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
March 08, 2013

Nice tire. They respond well in cool conditions and in heavy rain. I have only driven on light ice, no snow. The tread pattern and blocks bite well cornering yet you get a comfortable ride. I have had Bridgstone Turanza OEM, Pirelli P4, Good Year Assurance-Directionals. The Continentals seems to give good perfomance when driving faster and yet are like a touring tire. I also use to work as a CAD person at Dunlop and researched before I purchased this tire. I do expect them to wear more in HOT weather.
Most tires do not last what they say.....I rotate all my tires ever 6K and have the balance checked.

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2013

These tires replaced some terrible Michelin all-seasons which made the hatchback Mercedes basically a hockey puck in the ice/snow. The LM-60 tires are absolutely the best rubber I've found, hands down, for winter sport tires. This opinion is compared to Dunlop Wintersport M3, D3, Blizzak WS-60, and Nokian Vatiiva. I have used all of these other tires extensively on multiple cars with multiple driving styles, and I would now go with the Blizzak marque in general for ALL winter vehicles from here on out.
Cons- winter tires are always noisier, and the Blizzaks fit the mold. Mileage suffers a bit, and wear is accelerated with the softer rubber. Driving with an average style can prolong life and get you hopefully 4-5 seasons out of them. Start getting some G's on your turns frequently, and you may only get a couple seasons at best. These tires will not wear well on cars with suspension work / increased cambers. Beware.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
February 28, 2013

Great for light snow and slippery roads. Not the best for deep snow but way better than all season. Tire performance in wet conditions is excellent overall. Handling is only slightly less than the OEM Bridgestones. Cornering on dry salty roads could use a little improvement

Initial Review, 45,000 Miles on Tires
January 30, 2013

well, after own this tires about 3 winters, time to say something about them. i drove around 30.000 every year and i drove 6months of it on winter tires... so im thinking i put around 45.000km on them and treads not even half way yet... i living in edmonton-alberta and we do get all kinda winter here... every intersection sheet of ice and this tires can do wht they desing for to do... every heavy snowfall i wish to other people luck, because i dont need luck from them about stucking somewhere.. this tires make my car feels like im driving a tank on sandy beach with about a foot high snow... best part of the seen this tires, when you stop somewhere in the pile of snow, takes you out like you driving on the pavement... feel like roads clean for high speed...
on the highway ride very smooth and comfi, noise level not too high at 120km/h above you shouldnt go above the that speed anyways, because winter and they are snow tire not a super sport tires... if you dont know how to use your tires than stop -----ing about tread life is not good because you doing something wrong like high speeding...
like i said i have them about 3 winters and i'll go maybe 4 more winters with them... always remember you paying high price dosent mean it will stay perfect forever, but if you do know how to use your winter tires they will serve you 100.000 clik no problem...
enjoy with your tires...

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 03, 2013

It rarely snows in Portland, but some life changes required that we drive over the Cascades to Central Oregon in winter. This is the first set of dedicated winter tires for this car, and I'm very happy with them. I had zero traction issues with my RWD car, even when climbing fairly steep hills with 2-4" of packed snow. No issues descending, either. Sure, I could slide the tail under power if I chose to; but that's not unexpected. At near highway speeds (45-50) in the mountains, I encountered patchy ice with a lot of embedded gravel and chain rutting interspersed with wet pavement at temperatures at or just below freezing. The car tracked beautifully; on occasion I could feel it squirm just a bit but that wasn't even enough motion to light up the ESP warning light...so the car wasn't alarmed by the level of traction. The tires do "sing" more on dry surfaces than my Pilot Sport Al-Seasons, but the level of grip in true winter conditions is far, far superior. I'll only put this set of wheels on when snow threatens or when we need to go over the mountains, so they won't be worn all winter. At this rate I'll get many years of service out of them.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
February 27, 2013

I've driven these tires on dry and wet pavement, and they handle both pretty well. No snow driving yet. There is more roll when cornering aggressively than the original Dunlops, but it's predictable. My only complaint is they make a whining noise on certain road surfaces under acceleration.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 22, 2013

Simply put the best all around tire I have ever owned, smooth ride, little if any road noise and great traction in all conditions. Just had a major winter storm in St Louis and the tire was excellent in the snow and ice. I would have never made it home or up my driveway with the orginal Dunlops that came as standard on the car. Just an excellent all around tire!

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
February 18, 2013

I just purchased the new ZIIs and ran them for a day at a POC time trial at Willow Springs, and I was very impressed. The dry grip is excellent as expected, but their greatest asset to me is the steering response and communication. I can really feel subtle changes in grip through the steering wheel and seat, which is invaluable for track use. I was the only car in the run group on true street tires (all of the rest were R-comp) and my times were top 6 out of the group of 20 or so). The rear end grip in the slower uphill Omega section of the track was particularly impressive.
I had 7-8 sets of the Z1 Star Specs for track/street use in the past few years, as well as a couple sets of Hankook RS-3 since then. The Z1 Star specs are the best all-around tire that I have experienced in terms of a dual-purpose street/track tire and dry/wet grip for the money. The Hankooks have excellent mid-corner grip in the dry and are dirt cheap, but I felt the sidewalls were too soft and the steering response/communication was not as good as the Z1 Star Specs. They also had no grip in colder ambient temps (below 60 F) and in the wet. The Z1s had excellent grip during the wet track days that I ran them on and would only hydroplane in deep standing water. Judging by the massive tread blocks on the new ZIIs, I am not sure if they will be quite as good as their predecessor in the wet. However, I did have to drive through some slush/light snow in 30 degree temps for a short period on the ZIIs on the way to Willow Springs (which is of course NOT recommended with this type of tire!) and they actually did pretty well! The excellent communicability of the tires conveyed that there was not much grip available and I never felt unsafe. I will report back after more track events (I will run them back to back with my Toyo RA1s at Streets of Willow this weekend), but I am extremely satisfied with the ZIIs so far!

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
February 24, 2013

I've probably never been more satisfied with a tires all around performance than I am am with these. Replaced the OEM Dunlop (junk) with these and have been extremely impressed. The only imperfect aspects of this tire are that the didn't normally hold balance for any longer than 6-8k (not bad for a rig that was kept outside), and there isn't a very prominent center line, so they don't pull your wheels straight on the highway like a touring / highway tire would. Dry, wet and snow traction are phenomenal, and I never expected to get 50k out of them, yet here I am, just about ready to throw on a new set.

Initial Review, 125 Miles on Tires
February 18, 2013

Ran last autocross season on the Z1 Star Specs and loved them. They were the Street Touring tire of choice and for good reason. They were done after one season and so it was time for a new tire. The ZII had a huge reputation to live up to because of the great success of the Z1. Just recently ran first autocross of the season this past Saturday in rain/snow/sleet/hail/puddle weather condition on asphalt that is slick with sealant even on a dry hot day. So you can imagine the slippery-ness of the surface. And the ZII held great stability and grip. I'm placing a big part of my class victory that day on their amazing wet grip and handling even in extended sub-freezing temperatures.

As for the 'Comfort' ratings I find them to be Not Applicable. These tires are a purpose built tire for autocross/and light-moderate track day use that you can also drive home on. There is road noise and the tread will wear faster than most other tires. This is to be expected and the people who buy this tire more than likely mount them up only for events. I do. However, for the Z1's I had the tread held up very well considering they had 100+ autocross runs, 6 run's on the Tail of the Dragon and driving to/from events on them. The comfort is ok as well. But again you don't buy a tire like this for the comfort of the ride. You buy it to drive. If you wan't a comfortable kush ride then look elsewhere. If you want the most out of your car short of R-Comps or Hoosiers then this is the tire to buy.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 01, 2013

Great grip in the snow.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
February 09, 2013

These tires are a great set of winter tires, and paired with my AWD Subaru they are absolutely amazing. I decided to get these tires over other winter tires because of their wet and dry traction. These tires are very quiet for a winter tire, quieter than some all-season tires, and treadwear seems pretty good as well especially since they are considered winter performance. While they're may be other tires that handle better in deep snow and ice, these still handle better than I had expected. I've only noticed the tires slip slightly while cornering through deep snow (6"+ unplowed). No one has passed me on the highway yet in a snowstorm. I would definitely buy another set of these, and would highly recommend these to anyone.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
February 09, 2013

I bought a 2007 Nissan Xterra with 50k miles and these tires came with it. I have 90k miles on the Xterra now, and these tires have been great. I live in Wisconsin and have run the Xterra through 15 inches of snow going through corn fields, and they handled great. Even in moderate mud they still grip and pull you out. To give you some perspective, last winter a UPS truck was stuck in my cul-de-sac and I have able to tow it out. With 4 wheel drive, a little knowledge of snow driving, and these tires.. You'll be fine.

Initial Review, 26,000 Miles on Tires
February 02, 2013

This tire has great snow and ice traction for a non studded tire. I have driven through numerous snow storms in the mountains of Vermont with these tire on a front wheel dive car and never had a problem getting where I wanted to go. These tire are also very good in dry conditions as well. They handle extremely well for a winter tire and feel like a summer performance tire in dry conditions.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 04, 2013

I've been using various Dunlop Wintersports for years because that's what everyone recommends for this car. When it came time to replace two I couldn't get them in my size so I bought a pair of the LM60s. Now I don't know why people recommend the Wintersports ... the LM60s are significantly better on snow and ice and at least as good dry and wet. The only unknown is treadware but so far it looks like they should be every bit as good there too. No more Wintersports for me...

Initial Review, 65,000 Miles on Tires
February 04, 2013

Bought this vehicle new these tires came as OEM...when I replaced them at 44500mi I searched around but finally went with them again....have never been disappointed with their performance. Have driven them in deep/moderate snow as well as heavy rain, never had a worry...have been pleasantly surprised with the mileage of the 2nd set...will need new ones in a couple of months and will be choosing these again.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 03, 2013

These tires perform extremely good for an all season tire. They feel more like a high performance summer tire than an all season. I had Kumho 4X before these and I sold them after 6 months because they felt so vague that I no longer enjoyed driving my car. These Dunlops transformed the car back to its glorious self. They have very good and linear response to steering inputs and feel very composed in the way they go down the road.

The Dunlops have very good dry and wet traction. Maybe a little less ultimate grip than the Kumho 4X, but more than enough for road driving. They are also reasonably good on snow and ice. Compared to Kumhos similar traction, but a little less cornering grip in winter conditions. They also have good comfort and noise levels, especially when you consider how responsive they are.

I would highly recommend these tires to anyone that needs some winter capability without sacrificing driving pleasure in the other 3 seasons. I will definitely buy another set of Dunlop SP Sport Signatures when it is time to replace them.