Dunlop

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
March 11, 2013

My new Honda Pilot SUV came equipped with Goodyear Integrity tires. When it came to time to replace the tires, I decided to replace them with the same exact tire since I was happy with their pass performance. After getting the new Integrity's put on, I noticed a road noise that I never heard before. I gave the tires a week, but the road noise did not go away. I went back to the dealer and they heard the noticed the noise too. The dealer re-balanced the tires, checked my wheel bearings, etc. But that did not help. I called Goodyear to ask for a refund under their 30 day drive policy, they said they do not refund money, they will only put me in another GY tire. GY decided to put another set of Integrity tires on. Well that did not help either. I asked GY for a refund again, they said no. Then GY wanted to put on Dunlop Signature tires. Since the dunlop tire cost sligthly more they gave me a minimal upagrade price I would have to pay. After they put the dunlops on, the price all of a sudden went up substantially. I said I did not what the tires. Then GY said they would refund all my money and take their tires back. At this point I was just feed up, I paid the difference and kept the dunlop tires. I've had the dunlop's for a few weeks and they are fine, I like them and there is no road noise. I think that Goodyear had a bad batch of Integrity tires because both sets had the same problem of noticable road noise.

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
April 01, 2013

I just went through a winter that delivered record snowfalls and the tires performed as I had hoped they would - excellent. I drive in deep snow all the time and despite driving a high performance rear-wheel drive car, I had no problems driving on ice and deep snow on a regular basis. I put them to the test while driving through the Adirondacks in a blizzard after a day of skiing Whiteface...the tires got me through 6-8 inches of snow on the icy roads without a problem...even the step hills and sharp turns...outstanding winter tire fit for my car. I know winter and I love winter driving..great recommendation Tire Rack

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

Great tires so far. Best off road traction tire I have used and my last 2 mud tires were BF goodrich M/t and Maxxis mudders. The difference is very pronounced and the tires are also very affordable. I can go up a pretty steep, rocky, rutted wet hill in 2wd (rear locker) that it took 4x4 with the Maxxis. Only about 5,000 miles but I rated them a 10 on wear cause they still look new. Maybe there are better off road tires made. I haven't found any, but for 99% of folks out there the combination of performance and price can't be beat. I'm 100% satisfied with the tires and Tire Rack.

Initial Review, 750 Miles on Tires
April 04, 2013

This is basically a fun HPDE / Autocross tire for me. I plan to switch to a different set of wheels/tires for daily driving. Last year I used Conti DW and Michelin Supersports for daily, autocross and HPDE use, howevever that was with a different car, so I can't make a direct comparison.

Ride quality is actually pretty reasonable given the "extreme" nature of this tire. Actually, ride has improved over the oem Dunlop SP Sport 2050 tires, however, some of that may be due to the smaller and lighter wheels. I'm sure a more recent max performance summer tire will ride better, and a gran touring tire better still, but these are quite reasonable for what they are, and not at the level of harshness of a run flat tire.

Noise is deeper and a little louder than oem, but still not bad. It is more noticeable at lower speeds (40-50mph) now. Smooth tarmac is still quiet, but rough tarmac, or concrete is where you will hear them.

OK, now for the performance aspect. So far I have just 2 days on track with these tires, 1 dry and 1 wet. I was very happy with them in both conditions. In the dry, these held up well for a 25 minute session. They did get slightly greasy feeling after a few hot laps, but much less so than the Supersports I last ran at this track and adjusting tire pressures helped dial that out. There is another comment on here saying that the traction is harder to judge for the beginner due to the lack of audible feedback. I did find it hard to judge traction in my first session, however once I had learned to understand the feedback after that first session, I found them to be very communicative and was able to push up to the limit of traction. I'm not a complete beginner, but neither am I that experienced yet. In the wet, they worked well on track and I also drove through some storms on the way home with no aqua planing.

Overall, I am very happy with these tires and would recommend them for anyone who wants an aggressive street tire.

Initial Review, 5,900 Miles on Tires
April 02, 2013

I bought these tires right after I purchased my 2004 4 Runner to get rid of the Dunlops that were standard on that vehicle. What a difference right from the start. These Michelins are the perfect tire for this vehicle. I keep this SUV in the garage and it has never seen snow or ice. I still own an 86 4 Runner for those conditions, but the "new" 4 Runner(2004) IS beautiful to drive any for all other conditions and the tires make this vehicle ride like a dream. Great on the open highway especially. No noise, nice traction, great ride. I just hope Michelin continues to make this tire for many years to come.

Initial Review, 19,000 Miles on Tires
April 05, 2013

Not understanding all the hate for this tire. Most likely it's because they come standard on 2010 thru 2013 GTI's and drivers who never experience sub-zero temperatures and snow have no need for an A/S tire on a high-performance car. As a result, they compare this tire to either max or extreme performance summer tires.
However, comparing this tire to the Kumho ECSTA 4X A/S tires on my son's Mazda 3, I would rate them at least as equals, and probably a bit better when below zero.
Additionally, using a regular rotation period of 5k miles, these tires demonstrate fantastic wear resistance. Currently at 19k miles and less than 50% wear. Very quiet on the freeway as well. The only negative is the braking and cornering traction in the wet should be a little higher.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
April 05, 2005

They are a predictable tire when throwing it around. The lateral grip isnt what Im used to, though it should last longer than my previous tires. I am certain I cant get over 1g of lateral grip on these liky my Azenis, but they are fun. They step out in a very predictable manner then pushed hard on the Miata.



Just put them on my wifes Protege and they are a lot of fun on that. Lift throttle oversteer is beautiful on this tire. For the price you cant go wrong.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
June 15, 2011

Great set of tires. Don't have that many miles but they have been great so far. Wet traction is outstanding. They are much better than my old dunlop's, much softer ride with a lot less road noise. Very happy with these tires hopefully they last close to the 100,000 miles they are rated to go.

Initial Review, 35,021 Miles on Tires
March 21, 2013

These are my first winter tires....and I wore them throughout the whole year, from 2009-2013. I was initially impressed with the snow.

I DON'T KNOW WHY RALLY GUYS HAVEN'T PICKED THIS TIRE UP YET.

Great sand traction, I used them for all season. Treadware was OK, and I did have one small blowout due to a nail, but I guess, for the average treadlife, it was a good buy. In my subaru, with these tires just installed, the little car could STEAM right up hills in deep snow. I think it did better than my jeep in the snow. I rotated the snot out of them to get extra life, and found that this helped.

Road noise is OK. I'm guessing, for a winter tire, the road noise was outstanding. Towards the end, it was a little shaky and there was some traction flaking off. I live on mountain roads and zip through turns, and I felt very comfortable in these tires. Off road, and yes, I did take the beast far off road at least once a month, there were no complaints.


A great melding of tire and awd vehicle.


To sum up:
If you:
Go off road, rally, or are in lots of snow, often, get these.
Great tire to have all winter long if you rotate out.

On long trips, ride comfort is medium, noise level is there but quite bearable.

If you are looking for tread life, and don't have much snow, don't get these.

Ultimately the second time around I'm trying out Defenders as I found myself wanting comfort and tread life to be priority 1. I'll post more if I find drastic differences.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 28, 2013

Great autocross tire. Superb performance!

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 28, 2013

Great tire for aggressive driving and autocross!

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
February 10, 2013

Just yesterday we had a blizzard and this was my first opportunity to try out these winter tires. The roads were all covered with snow so it was Perfect to see if the tires are going to perform well in these conditions. First I started with starting and abrupt stopping. I was great! Tires kept grip well and stopped only after a minimal slip (the car had no ABS system). Next test was a hill. Next to exxon gas station across from pathmark. It was pretty steep. I stopped in the middle. Car was not sliding down, I started to step on gas pedal, it was difficult and tires were slipping but we made it! I'm sure I wouldn't make it with all season tires. It was impressive but also a very extreme effort. Next was an empty parking lot were I was slaloming in the snow trying to lose control and make the car fishtail. I failed. Tires did a great job! I couldnt believe it. The difference between all season and winter tires is huge. Last part was a long hill on Goerge Rd, I went uphill no problem, downhill I was hitting brakes to see what happens, every time tires made the car stop with minimal slip. Tires totally passed the test. I was amazed how well they performed and how safe they make you feel. I would totally recommend them. You may need them only a couple of times before they plough but they can make a huge difference when you need them and save you. I was so excited to try them out and I was not disappointed. Great tires for a good price. Buy buy buy!

Initial Review, 43,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2013

Tires were on a 2010 tacoma that i traded upyo 2012 tacoma. I did not like the Dunlops that were oem on the 2012. Best riding and handlings tires I have ever owned, not to mention the great tire wear. Should get another 30 to 40 thousand miles out this set. I had mechilens installed on my wifes Prius and you would not believe the dirference in the ride, handling and noise reduction from the tire difference. I recommend Michelin over any tire.

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

Got this tyre 2 winters ago for my outback. At the time it was just about the cheapest snow tyre around. My original outback died last autumn and I got another outback, and i kept the graspics on their rims. I am a confirmed michelin fanboy and was jealous of my GF who had michelin xices on her van. But my graspics have performed flawlessly. I kept them on last Summer and simply pumped them up to 36psi. My commute is 55m each way and I drive 78-90mph traffic and Smokey permitting. Tyres still have 1/3 left up front and 1/4 at the back at 50k miles (was the other way around on my original car). My GF's xices are worn after 20k miles. The tyres have pulled through ice and snow flawlessly. The graspics are also much better in the dry than the OEM tyres which are plainly awful. 4wd is no use if you don't have the right tyre-I spun out in a snowstorm on the OEM all season tyres. If you live in a winter climate region I wholeheartedly recommend the graspics.

Initial Review, 28,000 Miles on Tires
March 20, 2013

Good tire for spirited driving. I did loose approx 2mpg over the original Dunlop tires. The tire is a little hard and takes time to warm up. Noise level a little higher than I prefer. And the ride comfort is not great. After 20000 miles the noise level increased significantly. Was hopeing for 30000 miles but they are now right at wear limit.

Initial Review, 1,100 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2013

I travel a minimum of 160 miles a day speeds ranging from 70- 105+ with hard braking and taking corners off exit ramps at high speed been through a few sets of tires throughout the years these are very responsive and weigh 2 lbs less than the stock replacements I would recommend these tires for almost any application As I do drive hard in all conditions and can say I do put my tires to the test daily I also run high tire pressures and still rides nice 41psi is where I have them set 51 psi max on tires

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
March 13, 2013

These tires are great so far much better then the Dunlop's that cam on my 2011 Subaru WRX. they made a huge difference in handling with an proper alignment. I am very vigorous on checking inflation rates as well. Dry weather- Hnadles excellent steering response turn-in and driver control/confidence. Wet- Handles great in my opinion drove through plarge puddles with plenty of confidence no hydroplaning in the rain now this might be bias due to the Subaru AWD system(4wheels are always in motion)But over all I like them so far and have owned several Kumho's in the past like the Ecsta and ASX. My favorite were the ASX and I really wanted the 4X this time around but didn't have the budget. So there you go if you want an inexpinsive affordable tire with great control low noise and grip in dry weather and decent in wet weather BUY THIS. If you have the extra money get the KUMHO 4X and Im sure you will be happy.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
March 15, 2013

Put this tire on to replace the factory Dunlop Grand Trek 20 that I rated here.
The fuel max tires were outright dangerous; if you hit any slush or water puddle more then 1/4" deep you need to hang on because it will jerk you all over the road. I traded them back to Goodyear before my 30 days was up.