Dunlop Sport BluResponse

Having had a number of cars in my fleet and loads of different tyres over the years, I can say with real confidence that my recent purchase of 4 new Dunlop Sport BluResponse for my Golf has been one of the best pound for pound purchases I've made.

Tyres, for me, are in the top 3 car parts you shouldn't skimp on for safety reasons. I always say... if your car doesn't start in the morning, nobody dies. But if it doesn't stop when you need it to, then that's when things start to go horribly wrong!

I bought 4 tyres for less than some other premium tyre brands, but I'd read a little bit about them and thought they were worth a punt.

Even the manufacturer's site doesn't do them justice. Excellent grip and handling in warm, mild, cold, wet, and also decent in snow, ice, and slush.

The best case was during the recent heavy snow in my area. On an busy uphill stretch of road near my home, I was the only person able to beat the gridlock caused by a single decker bus stuck halfway up the hill.

What was amazing, apart from my King of the Hill driving, was that the Audi's and Land Rover's in front and behind me didn't make it passed the bus. These cars SHOULD have managed, so I can only guess that the tyres I was running made the difference, especially when considering my Golf is front wheel drive only.

I keep a set of spare wheels for my Golf on Dunlop Winter Sport 3D which have done me well in previous years, but as they are down to about 4mm now, the BluResponse actually perform better than these winter tyres.

Also by comparison, I was out in my wife's car (also a Golf) the very same day which was running on new Dunlop Sport Maxx RT in all 4 corners, and it was really struggling on snow and ice. Her Golf is a 10 year younger Mk7 with the latest ESP package, but that did not seem to help other than to stop it from sliding backwards.

The only pity is, they don't make the Sport BluResponse in some sizes, so I can't fit them to our family fleet as a whole. Our RAV4 and Merc E Class will have to wait until Dunlop realise they have an awesome tyre and increase their size range for rh BluResponse.

It's only a coincidence that we have all these Dunlop tyres, as I've used Pirelli, Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Barum, Hankook, Toyo, and Yokohama before and had pretty good results. However, I'm just crazy for BluResponse now after just a few months.

The only thing I don't know about them at the moment is how long they will last. I used to really like Continental tyres, but they rub out way too fast for my liking. Just hope these BluResponse don't go the same way.

I have noticed a positive difference in fuel mileage since fitting them, but I did previously have 3 different brands on 4 wheels, so I did expect some performance increases.

I'll try to remember this review when I come to replace them and offer an update on longevity of these tyres.