Dunlop Sportmaxx Tyres

[ub7rm]

So how much is your insurance excess?    Or how much does it cost to get a kerbed Monza 2 repaired?

My insurance excess is about £250.  No idea on the monza's - about £100? Are you suggesting that unless I pay £30 more for my tyres I will prang my car and scrape my wheels?  LMAO    nah mate, I know how to drive.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they are great tyres, I got rid of mine, but lets not blow things out of proportion either.  They are not so bad that their use will result in a greater likelyhood of ending up in a wall or hedge.  How many GTI's have ended up in either wall or hedge as a direct result of the use of Dunlop Sportmaxx?

[DOTE]

Thanks for all the replies guys, they've been very interesting reading and really helpful.  If my tyres were at the end of their life it would be a no-brainer for me to go with the F1s or the PS2s, the decision is hard because there's so much tread left on them, and it seems such a waste to bin tyres with so many miles left in them.  Although I do note how poor some of you with direct experience think they are.  I know its been suggested I could keep them in the garage as a spare set but, in all honesty, they'll just clog up the garage with all the other stuff I leave in there, "just in case I need it".  Despite feeling they lack a bit of grip, and are perhaps a bit noisy, I havn't found them dangerous in any way, I just don't drive quick enough on public roads for that - you can be the best driver in the world on the best rubber in the best car, but they're still public roads with cyclists, pedestrians etc. and I save that kind of stuff for the racetrack (although not in the GTI).  I'm still undecided, if I find myself flush with cash (I wish!!!) I'll get them changed, otherwise I'll hang on to them for a bit longer, and look forward to seeing for myself how much better the F1s and PS2s are when it gets time to change.

ATB and ta for all the info

[illyun]

Thanks for all the replies guys, they've been very interesting reading and really helpful.  If my tyres were at the end of their life it would be a no-brainer for me to go with the F1s or the PS2s, the decision is hard because there's so much tread left on them, and it seems such a waste to bin tyres with so many miles left in them.  Although I do note how poor some of you with direct experience think they are.  I know its been suggested I could keep them in the garage as a spare set but, in all honesty, they'll just clog up the garage with all the other stuff I leave in there, "just in case I need it".  Despite feeling they lack a bit of grip, and are perhaps a bit noisy, I havn't found them dangerous in any way, I just don't drive quick enough on public roads for that - you can be the best driver in the world on the best rubber in the best car, but they're still public roads with cyclists, pedestrians etc. and I save that kind of stuff for the racetrack (although not in the GTI).  I'm still undecided, if I find myself flush with cash (I wish!!!) I'll get them changed, otherwise I'll hang on to them for a bit longer, and look forward to seeing for myself how much better the F1s and PS2s are when it gets time to change.

ATB and ta for all the info

I think thats probably the best way to go for you then... I'd do the same - in fact I am doing the same with the wife's R32.  Drive carefully 

[Saint Steve]

ive had 3 Mk5's and safely say, ive not been in a hedge.

Dunlops are a safe tyre, if they are not, then they wouldnt be on sale and approved testing.

Its the Moron behind the wheel that determins whether the cars able to go round a corner!.

Im hunting for the tyre review for T_T......... give me a few mins.

[Saint Steve]

heres a review on Dunlop tyres.

Cant find where i posted the tyre link before on here, but this shows some good reviews.

http://www.ctyres.co.uk/tyres/dunlop.php

[wellzee]

Could I just slightly thread hi-jack here and ask: how come my gti (not an ed30) came with pilot exalto's and not these much maligned Dunlop's? Also, what is the general feedback on the Exalto's? As far as I know they are a pretty basic tyre that are put on because they are at the correct standard to do a decent, safe job on a Gti but are just that, nothing more. Then again, i'm probably wrong! 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

ive had 3 Mk5's and safely say, ive not been in a hedge.

Dunlops are a safe tyre, if they are not, then they wouldnt be on sale and approved testing.

Oh, I'm not doubting they are not a 'safe' tyre.  And they certainly 'perform' under most scenarios (because as you correctly point out, they have all the relevent aprovals, including the DOT and 'E' aprovals) - but in all honesty, if you do drive the GTI like Clarkson did when he first tested on TopGear (on private facilities, m'lud  ), then the Dunlops do mar the handling, whereas similar 'premium brand', and even some 'budget' tyres can put the Dunlops to shame.

A classic example of wear the Dunlops fail compared to other tyres.  Say you are going round a fairly fast bend - but in full control, within the speed limit, and without any kind of danger to other road users.  Now if there are any 'defects' in the road surface - such as overbanding, manhole covers or pot holes - then the car on Dunlops will 'jump' sideways without warning, then slide.  But with say the PS2s, they don't jump or slide.  And I confirmed this on the GTI - because when the front pair wore out, I got just one axle set of PS2s.  Once the PS2s were scrubbed in, if the Dunlops were on the rear, then the rear end would step out and slide - and when I swapped them to the front, the front woul jump and slide.

Its the Moron behind the wheel that determins whether the cars able to go round a corner!.

Hmmmmm - yes and no.  Not even the best tyre in the world can make up for a muppet driver's mistakes.  However, a good, quality tyre can improve overall vehicle safety - not just in cornering, but also in other safety critical areas such as braking in a straight line.

Im hunting for the tyre review for T_T......... give me a few mins.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

heres a review on Dunlop tyres.

Cant find where i posted the tyre link before on here, but this shows some good reviews.

http://www.ctyres.co.uk/tyres/dunlop.php

OK, thanks for the link.

There doesn't seem to be a test for the SportMaxx, although the SP Sport 01 is basically the same tyre - and comes out with an overall result of 4 out of 5.  However, if you look at the Michelin page - http://www.ctyres.co.uk/tyres/michelin.php - again they don't have the PS2, but they do have the much older (it is actually obsolete) Pilot Sport (directional) and that gets 4½ out of 5. 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Could I just slightly thread hi-jack here and ask: how come my gti (not an ed30) came with pilot exalto's and not these much maligned Dunlop's?

The GTI had a standard factory fit of four different types of tyre:  ContiSportContact2, Dunlop SportMaxx, Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 and Bridgestone RE050.  It is just luck of the draw which boots you get on your car.

Also, what is the general feedback on the Exalto's? As far as I know they are a pretty basic tyre that are put on because they are at the correct standard to do a decent, safe job on a Gti but are just that, nothing more. Then again, i'm probably wrong! 

The Exaltos are far from being a 'basic' tyre!  They are actually very good - although on the GTI, there are better.  But the Exalto is a tyre specifically designed for the 'hot hatch' sector - so that means they are not an 'out and out' sports high performance tyre like the PS2 - but are actually what could best be described as a 'sport/comfort' tyre.  I would actually say the Exaltos are 'best' suited to the lighter hot hatches, such as the Polo GTI, or Corsa VXR - or the mid-sized 'mildy-warm hatches' like the Golf GT or the Astra SRI.

[wellzee]

The Exaltos are far from being a 'basic' tyre!  They are actually very good - although on the GTI, there are better.  But the Exalto is a tyre specifically designed for the 'hot hatch' sector - so that means they are not an 'out and out' sports high performance tyre like the PS2 - but are actually what could best be described as a 'sport/comfort' tyre.  I would actually say the Exaltos are 'best' suited to the lighter hot hatches, such as the Polo GTI, or Corsa VXR - or the mid-sized 'mildy-warm hatches' like the Golf GT or the Astra SRI.

Ok thanks, guess i'll stick with these for a while then as they seem to be wearing very slowly!