Tests 66 · 1 test Owners 62 · 45 reviews
Best test result: #30 of 50 in 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Avon ZX7 vs Continental SportContact 7 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
SportContact 7 is ahead, 84–63
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Tests 83 · 22 tests Owners 82 · 1,596 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“Just took the factory SC7’s off my gfs puma ST, they are super grippy, they feel even stickier than the PS4S on my car but I’d say they are less predictable at the limits and I always felt like they tramlined a bit too much and they weren’t a very comfortable tyre. Fronts have just under half their tread left after 11000 miles. Swapped em out for conti all season contact 2’s as she needs to be able to go out during any conditions and she doesn’t want to have two sets.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
SportContact 7 +3095Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Professional tests (TWG score) 64 97 Reviews found online 66 91 Dry Braking (% of best) 89% 100% -
70
Wet
SportContact 7 +2292Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Professional tests (TWG score) 69 94 Reviews found online 71 88 Wet Braking (% of best) 81% 98% -
67
Comfort
ZX7 +364Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Professional tests (TWG score) – 56 Reviews found online 64 76 -
–
Noise
No comparison60Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Professional tests (TWG score) – 56 -
54
Treadwear
SportContact 7 +1569Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 46 66 -
64
Handling
SportContact 7 +2589Why this score
Source ZX7 SportContact 7 Reviews found online 64 89
Scores at a glance
| Category | Avon ZX7 | Continental SportContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 84 |
| Dry | 65 | 95 |
| Wet | 70 | 92 |
| Comfort | 67 | 64 |
| Noise | – | 60 |
| Treadwear | 54 | 69 |
| Handling | 64 | 89 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
ZX7
84
/ 100
SportContact 7
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | ZX7 | SportContact 7 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 89% #30/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | 100% #1/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | −11.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 3% #30/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | 100% #1/7 · 2024 Sports Car Tyre Test | −96.7 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 81% #31/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | 98% #5/10 · 2023 The Best Electric Vehicle Tyres VS UHP Tyres | −17.2 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A ZX7
Pros
- Excellent grip and handling in both dry and wet conditions
- High levels of ride comfort and steering precision
- Competitive pricing compared to premium-tier alternatives
Cons
- Significantly shorter tread life compared to OE and premium competitors
- Frequent reports of premature sidewall or tread cracking/perishing
- Poor performance in snow, slush, and off-road conditions
Tire B SportContact 7
Pros
- Phenomenal wet and dry grip with high cornering limits
- Precise steering response and excellent road feedback
- Strong braking performance and high stability at speed
Cons
- Faster-than-average tread wear, especially with spirited driving or track use
- Stiff sidewalls can contribute to a harsher, bumpier ride
- Elevated road noise reported on certain road surfaces
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Avon ZX7
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Continental SportContact 7
Community members widely praise the Continental SportContact 7 for outstanding dry and wet grip, sharp steering precision, and strong value compared to key rivals like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. However, users frequently highlight faster tread wear, reduced initial tread depth, and occasional issues with road noise and comfort as main drawbacks.
cliosport.net
·2024-02-09
“Can’t look past the sport contact 7s for me, both in terms of price and performance. I prefer them to the PS4S. The ride is better, they aren’t as loud, they are cheaper and wet grip is noticeable better. I’ve only used them on fairly big RWD stuff so can’t comment on how they’d be on something lighter and FWD. They are awesome on the 5 series and M3”
r/FiestaST
·5 upvotes ·2025-12-05
“Continental SportContact 7 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 I have a 2022 Mk 8.5 with the stock 18" wheels. The original Michelin PS4 need to be replaced. Unfortunately, I am not able to source new Michelins as they are not in stock anywhere convenient. I am able to get Conti SC7s in 205/40 R18. Never used a set. Always had Michelins on all my cars. Reviews tell me that they are at least as good and probably better than the Michelins (and perhaps better even than the Michelin PS4S I run on my other car), but has anyone tried them? My other options for decent tyres in the correct size are Bridgestone Potenza Sports. I can get Pirelli P Zeros but they are the previous generation and I don't like them (having had them on another car as OEM and replaced them with Michelins after 2000kms). I am in Australia so don't need all season tyres. Thanks in advance. Read more”
r/tires
·1 upvote ·2026-02-18
“US doesn't have the PS5 or PS5S yet but the 4s and 4 were top performing for years and still are. Sport contact 7 would be my 2nd choice.”
Top themes
#exceptional dry grip#wet weather performance#rapid tread wear#michelin ps4s comparison#value and pricing#steering precision feedback#road noise levels
Based on 114 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Avon ZX7 | B · Continental SportContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 123 |
| Rim diameters | — | 18″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | — | 8 - 9/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 240 AA A |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Avon ZX7
84
/ 100
Continental SportContact 7
Winner: Continental SportContact 7 — better dry, handling and wet. Pick the Avon ZX7 if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental SportContact 7 scores 95 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental SportContact 7 scores 89 vs 64 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental SportContact 7 scores 92 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Continental SportContact 7 scores 69 vs 54 on treadwear.
Tire A · Avon ZX7
Tire B · Continental SportContact 7
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How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.