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Head-to-head Updated

Continental 4x4 SportContact vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 23 road tests and 7 + 6,538 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 90–63

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Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

± 4

Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,538 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))

“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 67

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 5 +25
    92
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 67 (est.)93
    Reviews found online6790

    4x4 SportContact: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.7 = 67

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.2 = 92

    No road tests of dry for 4x4 SportContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +28
    94
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 67 (est.)94
    Reviews found online6593

    4x4 SportContact: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 66

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 93.3 = 94

    No road tests of wet for 4x4 SportContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 5 +13
    78
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests≈ 68 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6383

    4x4 SportContact: 40% × 67.5 (est.) + 60% × 62.7 = 65

    Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for 4x4 SportContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    47
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 15 tests–33
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 47

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 54

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 5 +32
    86
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 59 (est.)92
    Reviews found online4678

    4x4 SportContact: 60% × 59.2 (est.) + 40% × 45.9 = 54

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86

    No road tests of treadwear for 4x4 SportContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 59

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 5 +30
    89
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online5989
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    Source4x4 SportContactPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests–63
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental 4x4 SportContactMichelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 63 90
Dry 67 92
Wet 66 94
Comfort 65 78
Noise – 47
Treadwear 54 86
Handling (owners) 59 89
Efficiency – 63

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

4x4 SportContact

± 4

Pilot Sport 5

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A 4x4 SportContact

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity for high-mileage drivers
  • Consistent performance across multiple replacement sets

Cons

  • Poor traction and wheel spin in wet conditions
  • Inadequate grip on mud or loose surfaces
  • Mediocre dry pavement handling
All owner themes in the 4x4 SportContact review

Tire B Pilot Sport 5

Pros

  • Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
  • Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
  • Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
  • Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
  • Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Continental 4x4 SportContact

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.

r/TyreReviews ·31 upvotes ·2026-04-26

“My 8-month experience with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 – honest thoughts after highway + city use Switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 5s about 8 months ago on my Hyundai Creta]and figured I'd share a proper update since I couldn't find many India-based long-term reviews when I was researching. Background: I drive a mix of Delhi–Gurugram highway stretches and stop-go city traffic. Previous tyres were Ceat tyres. Wet grip: This is where they genuinely shine. Monsoon season in NCR was the real test — braking distances felt noticeably shorter than my previous set, and I never had that nervous moment on waterlogged roads near Dhaula Kuan. Dry handling: Confident and predictable. Not much to complain about here. Cornering feel is crisp, especially at highway speeds. Ride comfort: Slightly firmer than my old tyres, which I expected given the performance focus. Not harsh — just different. Long highway runs are still comfortable. Noise: Quieter than I expected for a performance tyre. Road noise on concrete sections of NH-48 is very manageable. Fuel efficiency: Marginal difference — maybe 0.3–0.5 kmpl lower, hard to say definitively. Wear so far: Looking good at 8 months / ~7,000 km. No uneven wear patterns. Would I buy again? Probably yes, especially if wet weather safety matters to you. Price premium over budget options is real, but the wet grip gives peace of mind. Happy to answer any questions. Anyone else running Michelins in Indian conditions? Read more”
r/tires ·8 upvotes ·2026-03-21

“Should I worry about this? Michelin pilot sport 5, 23k km (14.3k miles) doesn't seem to be that deep, not sure how it happened, looks like I hit a curb.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2026-03-08

“The Tire Rack no longer has the selection with the major name brands it once did. I can order the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 in 225/45R18 from Costco but the Tire Rack doesn't offer it in that size. I can order the Continental Sport Contact 7 at Discount Tire in 225/45R18 but not at the Tire Rack. When my wife and I had a Corolla Hybrid, it took a 195/65R15. Michelin quit offering the CC2 in that size so the next best all-weather tire at the time that fit was the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 750. The Tire Rack never offered that tire but Discount Tire had it in stock locally. None of the tires I mentioned are exclusive tires for certain retailers. I enjoy the Tire Rack website and the testing they do, but they are no longer the go to merchant when buying tires like they once was.”
Top themes
#wet grip performance#tread life longevity#daily driving comfort#track heat delamination#premium pricing comparisons#road noise levels#steering feel feedback

Based on 173 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental 4x4 SportContact B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available266
Rim diameters19″ – 20″16″ – 22″
UTQG280 A A320 - 340 A - B A

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental 4x4 SportContact

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental 4x4 SportContact rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 86 vs 54 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 67 on dry.

Tire A · Continental 4x4 SportContact
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
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4x4 SportContact or Pilot Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, 4x4 SportContact or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 66 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, 4x4 SportContact or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, 4x4 SportContact or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 78 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, 4x4 SportContact or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 54 on our treadwear score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology