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Dunlop Sport Maxx RT 245/40R18 97W

9.3K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  syntax4  
I've been through the same quandary. The Dunlaps were I think the worst tires I've used that were billed as performance tires, especially for everyday use. They had good grip in the dry but actually squeaked when i drove over newly painted road lines. They also had a brutal ride. I live in the northeast where we get lots of rain and the Dunlaps were slightly scary. So after 500 miles I sold them and replaced them with Continental DWS 06 Plus. Awesome in the rain and subjectively just as good in the dry. Who among us can tell the difference between 95 lateral acceleration and 99? I agree with @zax that if you want highly specialized tires for track use or snow use buy them with another set of wheels. I just put on Cooper snows and I'm waiting for the first snowfall. If you go to the track buy Hoosier slicks and get 1.1 g lateral.
 
The DWS tires do not squeak as I've driven them over 4000 miles since installing. I had the Michelin Pilots on my Focus ST and they were great in the dry. Hydroplane city in the wet.
 
I think there are two concepts of tire noise. Sure if I go around a corner on sealed pavement I get tire squeal. If I corner hard there may be tire squeal. What I'm referring to is the squeak-squeak driving down an interstate crossing over painted lines with virtually zero side load. It was so loud my wife said what was that! In fact my dash cam even picked in up on audio. I took the same trip the following week (sick relative) after I bought the DWS tire. Nothing heard in the same situation.
I had the same Conti DWS tires on my former car a 2016 Mustang (a real handful in the snow) and they were better than the factory Goodyear Eagles in snow and only a little worse than my Michelin X-Ice snows. A fact that might be of interest to @syntax4.