tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR vs Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — 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 + 1 road tests and 14 + 308 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 3 PS3 is ahead, 74–57

Check price on Amazon · Pilot Sport 3 PS3 or ContiSportContact 5 SSR on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Summer

± 7

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 77 · 308 reviews

“I used them for my PS3’s last year, got the cash back offer too. Saved a fortune over the other big name tyre suppliers.”

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +16
    73
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)67
    Reviews found online5182

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 57

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 82.2 = 73

    No road tests of dry for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +17
    79
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)76
    Reviews found online5984

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 62

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 76.2 + 40% × 84.3 = 79

    No road tests of wet for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 56

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)–
    Reviews found online46–

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 62.8 (est.) + 40% × 46.4 = 56

    No road tests of snow for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 49

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +24
    73
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online3975

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 40% × 62.8 (est.) + 60% × 39 = 49

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 40% × 70 (est.) + 60% × 75.4 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online56–

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 62

    No road tests of noise for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +16
    66
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online4066

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 56.7 (est.) + 40% × 39.5 = 50

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.5 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport 3 PS3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    81
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Reviews found online–81
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–54
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5 SSRMichelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Relative Score 57 74
Dry 57 73
Wet 62 79
Snow 56 –
Comfort 49 73
Noise 62 –
Treadwear 50 66
Handling (owners) – 81
Efficiency – 54

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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

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

ContiSportContact 5 SSR

± 7

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

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 ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Enhanced ride comfort and compliance over road imperfections

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly with spirited driving
  • Softer sidewalls can result in a slightly spongy or 'squidgy' feel during aggressive cornering
  • Higher initial purchase price compared to some mid-range alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 3 PS3 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is mixed, with users commending its wet grip, aquaplaning resistance, and daily ride comfort. However, enthusiasts often note soft sidewalls and subdued sportiness compared to the PS2, with many recommending newer iterations like the PS4 and PS4S for sharper handling and reduced road noise.

mx5nutz.com ·2025-11-11

“PS3 or rainsports do pretty well for daily use with the odd track day too.”
r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2025-08-02

“Michelin PS3 MO1 vs Pirelli Pzero MO About to order 4 new tires for this 2012 Mercedes CLS500 SB (X218), but tire choices are quite limited. Sizes: 255/40R18 99Y front 285/35R18 97Y rear Currently running Pirelli Pzero MO on all corners, which are in desperate need of replacement. Unfortunately, Michelin PS4, PS5 or PS4S are not available in both these sizes in Europe. The PS4 has been quite an improvement over the PS3 iirc, so it feels wrong to go for the PS3. However, the Pirelli Pzero MO isn’t the newest PZ5 iteration nor the previous PZ4 I suppose. So… Should we go for another set of Pirelli Pzero or the Michelin PS3? (PFA) Read more”
mbworld.org

“In the past I've used the DWS on several cars including a 2002 Carrera 4..........yes I put High Performance All Seasons on a Porsche. They were much quieter and tread wear was much better than summer tires. After years of pushing it to the limit I've mellowed in years and attitude. Not too much over the limit driving these days so the DWS fits my needs perfectly. However, I was not aware that this tire is available in 20 or 21 inch tires??? I have also had good results with Michelin PS3 All Seasons but they are not available (at least from Tire Rack) for the GL 20" or 21" set up.”
Top themes
#Wet grip performance#Aquaplaning resistance#Comparison to PS4#Comfortable daily driving#Soft sidewall feel#Road noise issues#Availability and sizing

Based on 37 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
CategorySummer tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available25—
Rim diameters17″ – 20″—
Tread depth9/32″—
UTQG280 - 420 A - AA A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — better comfort, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 73 vs 49 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 79 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 73 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 66 vs 50 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Which is better in the wet, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 79 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 73 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 73 vs 49 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 66 vs 50 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