tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR vs Pirelli P Zero — 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 + 3 road tests and 14 + 3,484 owner reviews. How we score

P Zero is ahead, 63–58

Check price on Amazon · P Zero 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.

Pirelli P Zero
Tire BPirelli

P Zero

Summer

± 7

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 48 · 3,484 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”

Category by category

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

  1. 58

    Dry

    P Zero +15
    73
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 61 (est.)80
    Reviews found online5262

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 58

    P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.9 = 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 0.42).

  2. 63

    Wet

    P Zero +8
    71
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 65 (est.)81
    Reviews found online6055

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 60 = 63

    P Zero: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 55.4 = 71

    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

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +6
    50
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online4837

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 47.5 = 56

    P Zero: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 37.1 = 50

    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).

    No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 50

    Comfort

    P Zero +6
    56
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)70
    Reviews found online4047

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 40% × 63.9 (est.) + 60% × 40.4 = 50

    P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 47.1 = 56

    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.

  5. 62

    Noise

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +4
    58
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)61
    Reviews found online5654

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 56.1 = 62

    P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.6 = 58

    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.

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Level
    50
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 57 (est.)65
    Reviews found online4028

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 39.5 = 50

    P Zero: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 27.8 = 50

    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).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    57
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Reviews found online–57
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    59
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5 SSRP Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–59
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5 SSRPirelli P Zero
Relative Score 58 63
Dry 58 73
Wet 63 71
Snow 56 50
Comfort 50 56
Noise 62 58
Treadwear 50 50
Handling (owners) – 57
Efficiency – 59

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
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
± 8

ContiSportContact 5 SSR

± 7

P Zero

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 P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero 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

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community opinions on the Pirelli P Zero tire line are divided depending on whether users are discussing the cycling tires or automotive variants. Cyclists generally praise the road and gravel options for speed, comfort, and grip, though some note they can be difficult to mount. Automotive users offer a more mixed review, praising the high-performance grip, responsive steering, and comfort of options like the P Zero AS Plus 3, while frequently criticizing summer and OE variants for rapid tread wear, wet weather traction issues, and susceptibility to sidewall bubbles.

r/Velo ·6 upvotes ·2026-05-07

“I've used the old P zero SL in a 26, was happy with grip and feel but they did not last very long, 2000k for me before they're basically started puncturing every second ride. That would have to be my only complaint”
r/Porsche ·2 upvotes ·2025-04-16

“Um I got my x3mc with p0's pz4 and I love them because there is no sideflex in them, you really only feel the suspension working and not the tire, so very darty steering if you will. Also put pzero all season plus on my cooper coupé s, and again excellent no sidewall flexing. May or may not try the Michelin one day. But the pzero on my x3mc burns really really fast in the back. 2 summers max, the front hardly get used, and can't swap since they are wider in the back”
r/bikewrench ·4 upvotes ·2026-02-17

“Impossible to install P Zero Race TLR I have Hollowgram R45 carbon wheels on my road bike and went for Pirelli P Zero TLR 700x30 after reading great reviews. The fact is, they are impossible to install. I tried and had two mechanics try and they said it’s absolutely impossible. The tire is too tight for the wheel and there is absolutely no way of putting it on. The wheel is ETRTO standard compliant and has a 21 mm internal canal. Has anyone had any similar experience? I am quite surprised”
Top themes
#Dry Grip and Handling#Rapid Tread Wear#Wet Weather Performance#Ride Comfort and Noise#Cycling Tire Installation#All-Season vs Summer#Value and Pricing

Based on 284 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR B · Pirelli P Zero
CategorySummer tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available25194
Rim diameters17″ – 20″17″ – 24″
Tread depth9/32″10/32″
UTQG280 - 420 A - AA A220 A A
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common2020

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Pirelli P Zero

Winner: Pirelli P Zero — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR if snow and noise matter most to you. 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

Pirelli P Zero scores 73 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli P Zero scores 71 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR scores 56 vs 50 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli P Zero scores 56 vs 50 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli P Zero
Check price on Amazon

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

ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Which is better in the wet, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 71 vs 63 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 73 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 56 vs 50 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 62 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Pirelli P Zero, 56 vs 50 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ContiSportContact 5 SSR or P Zero?

Neither, by our numbers: 50 vs 50 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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