Tests – · none yet Owners 50 · 14 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — 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 + 21 road tests and 14 + 12,691 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 83–58
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Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,691 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (dry braking)
“Those are Pilot sport 4 (all season). If it had s after the 4 it would be the summer high performance version. I put the pilot sport 4 on wife's GTI autobahn 2016. Great handling tire, stiff side walls, not the smoothest ride but best overall.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
58
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +2987Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 89 Reviews found online 52 85 ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 58
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.1 + 40% × 84.5 = 87
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 0.42).
-
63
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +2790Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 93 Reviews found online 60 85 ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 60 = 63
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 93.1 + 40% × 84.7 = 90
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).
-
56
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) – Reviews found online 48 – ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 47.5 = 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 0.37).
-
50
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +2777Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 83 Reviews found online 40 72 ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 40% × 63.8 (est.) + 60% × 40.4 = 50
Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 83.4 + 60% × 72.4 = 77
No road tests of comfort for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
62
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 +971Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 56 ≈ 67 (est.) ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 56.2 = 62
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71
No road tests of noise for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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50
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 +2171Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 57 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 40 60 ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 56.9 (est.) + 40% × 39.6 = 50
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.5 = 71
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 0.35).
-
–
Handling (owners)
No comparison81Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online – 81 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source ContiSportContact 5 SSR Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 83 |
| Dry | 58 | 87 |
| Wet | 63 | 90 |
| Snow | 56 | – |
| Comfort | 50 | 77 |
| Noise | 62 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 50 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | – | 81 |
| Efficiency | – | 76 |
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
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
58
/ 100
ContiSportContact 5 SSR
83
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4
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 4
Pros
- Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
- Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
- Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving
Cons
- Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
- Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
- Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
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
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.
r/WRXSTi
·149 upvotes ·2025-07-09
“New tires Pilot Sport 4s got some new Pilot Sport 4s in 245/40/18. way different to my yokohama advan AS+. a lot more grip, obviously. very minimal to no sidewall flex. very good tires. i had pilot sport 3's on my 2013 hatchback wrx back in the day. feels good to get back on some good tires again.”
team-bhp.com
“I ran the stock 17" Ecopia's on my Ecosport for about 45k km. Luckily didn't face any side wall cuts. Overall it was a average tyre with decent grip levels - good grip without any squealing when driving up a ghat road quite enthusiastically even at the fag end of it's life. Ride quality was pretty bad and the smallest of ruts would result in a thud and being low profile amplified it even more. The tyres developed these cracks along the shoulder around the 35-40k mark which should not have happened due to which I changed them at 45k even though there was probably enough thread for about 5-10k km more. Moved to the Michelin PS4 now and the difference is night and day!”
mbworld.org
“Quote: Originally Posted by ua549 In over 55 years of driving I've never gotten more than 20k miles on a set of tires. Michelin Pilot Sport is the worst at 6k miles twice in a row with free factory replacements though I've gotten 18k miles on Michelin AS3 tires once or twice. Dunlop Sport is second at 15k miles. Overall Pirelli Cinturato P7 are the longest wearing tires I've owned over the years at 20k miles consistently. I swap out run flat tires if they come on a new car. I believe that heat is a major cause of tire wear. Even after a 2 mile trip @ 35 mph the tires on my E300 register about 120°F. Cold they are between 80°F and 85°F. In the dead of winter they are 5° colder. The OEM tires on my 5 year old '18 E300 got 12k miles. The car has 20k miles on it now and the P7 tires are about 40% worn. My experience with Summer tires is 15 to 18k max. The only Summer tires that I have owned that lasted more than 20 were the Pilot Sport PS4...which BTW is one of their marketing highlights, longer tread wear...though still shorter than all seasons which normally are rated for 30k or more.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires
Based on 246 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 25 | 62 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 20″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 280 - 420 A - AA A | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 21 | 21 |
Which one should you actually buy?
58
/ 100
Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
83
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and comfort. 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 grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 58 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 90 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 77 vs 50 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 71 vs 50 on treadwear.
Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Which is better in the wet, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 90 vs 63 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 58 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 62 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 77 vs 50 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 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