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Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 vs Kumho Sense KR26 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 44 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

ContiMaxContact MC5 is ahead, 72–47

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Kumho Sense KR26
Tire BKumho

Sense KR26

All Season Premium Touring tires

Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 37 · 11 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +25
    47
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online7535

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 72

    Sense KR26: 60% × 54.6 (est.) + 40% × 35 = 47

    No road tests of dry for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Sense KR26. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 73

    Wet

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +33
    40
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 47 (est.)
    Reviews found online7429

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 73

    Sense KR26: 60% × 46.8 (est.) + 40% × 28.8 = 40

    No road tests of wet for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Sense KR26. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    42
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online–24

    Sense KR26: 60% × 54.7 (est.) + 40% × 24 = 42

    No road tests of snow for Sense KR26. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 72

    Comfort

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +18
    54
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7540

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 74.6 = 72

    Sense KR26: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 39.8 = 54

    No road tests of comfort for ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    60
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–48

    Sense KR26: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 47.9 = 60

    No road tests of noise for Sense KR26. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +13
    54
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online6846

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 67

    Sense KR26: 60% × 59.6 (est.) + 40% × 45.9 = 54

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Sense KR26. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 73

    Handling (owners)

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +27
    46
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC5Sense KR26
    Reviews found online7346
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiMaxContact MC5Kumho Sense KR26
Relative Score 72 47
Dry 72 47
Wet 73 40
Snow – 42
Comfort 72 54
Noise – 60
Treadwear 67 54
Handling (owners) 73 46

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

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
Recomputed
Headline score

ContiMaxContact MC5

Sense KR26

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 ContiMaxContact MC5

Pros

  • Exceptional cabin noise reduction and quiet operation
  • High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
  • Strong value-for-money proposition compared to premium performance rivals

Cons

  • Tread wear can be rapid when subjected to aggressive or spirited driving
  • Sidewalls are relatively soft, which may feel less progressive at the absolute limit
  • Reports of increased puncture susceptibility once tread depth decreases
All owner themes in the ContiMaxContact MC5 review

Tire B Sense KR26

Pros

  • Affordable price point appealing to budget-conscious drivers
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Smooth and pleasant driving dynamics when new

Cons

  • Rapid degradation of wet-weather traction after 15,000 to 25,000 miles
  • Uneven tread wear and balancing issues at higher mileage
  • Poor dry and wet grip reported by some users as the tires age
All owner themes in the Sense KR26 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 B · Kumho Sense KR26
CategorySummerAll Season Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—17
Rim diameters—13″ – 17″
Tread depth—9.5/32″
UTQG—460 A B
Treadwear warranty—40,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—44 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5

Kumho Sense KR26

Winner: Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho Sense KR26 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 73 vs 40 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 73 vs 46 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 72 vs 47 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 72 vs 54 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
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Tire B · Kumho Sense KR26
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ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26?

Which is better in the wet, ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 73 vs 40 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 72 vs 47 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 72 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ContiMaxContact MC5 or Sense KR26?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 67 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