tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiSportContact 5 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 27 + 3,486 owner reviews. How we score

ContiSportContact 5 leads, 66–63 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · ContiSportContact 5 or P Zero 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 47 · 3,486 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. 67

    Dry

    P Zero +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)80
    Reviews found online6661

    ContiSportContact 5: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.1 = 67

    P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.4 = 72

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

  2. 71

    Wet

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 71 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7155

    ContiSportContact 5: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 71.3 = 71

    P Zero: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 54.9 = 71

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

  3. 68

    Snow

    ContiSportContact 5 +18
    50
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online6736

    ContiSportContact 5: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.5 = 68

    P Zero: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 36.4 = 50

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

    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 0.32).

  4. 63

    Comfort

    ContiSportContact 5 +7
    56
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6146

    ContiSportContact 5: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 61 = 63

    P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 46.2 = 56

    No road tests of comfort for ContiSportContact 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 70

    Noise

    ContiSportContact 5 +12
    58
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)61
    Reviews found online7553

    ContiSportContact 5: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.5 = 70

    P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.1 = 58

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

  6. 56

    Treadwear

    ContiSportContact 5 +6
    50
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)65
    Reviews found online5028

    ContiSportContact 5: 60% × 60.6 (est.) + 40% × 50 = 56

    P Zero: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 28.1 = 50

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

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    56
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Reviews found online–56
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    59
    Why this score
    SourceContiSportContact 5P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–59
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5Pirelli P Zero
Relative Score 66 63
Dry 67 72
Wet 71 71
Snow 68 50
Comfort 63 56
Noise 70 58
Treadwear 56 50
Handling (owners) – 56
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

± 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

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

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

Tire B

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding Pirelli P Zero tires is polarized across its automotive and bicycle product lines. While users praise the tire lineup for sharp steering responsiveness, comfortable ride quality, and strong dry grip—especially on newer models like the AS Plus 3 and PZ5—many drivers report fast tread wear, wet grip issues on certain summer variants, and vulnerability to sidewall bubbles. Additionally, cyclists frequently note that the tubeless road variants offer impressive rolling speed but can be exceptionally difficult to mount.

z4-forum.com ·2018-01-21

“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
f30.bimmerpost.com

“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”
mbworld.org

“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#wet weather grip#difficult tubeless mounting#sharp steering response#ride comfort and quietness#sidewall bubble issues#AS Plus 3 performance

Based on 277 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 B · Pirelli P Zero
CategorySummer tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available86194
Rim diameters17″ – 22″17″ – 24″
Tread depth8 - 10/32″10/32″
UTQG280 - 420 A - AA A220 A A
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common6161

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiSportContact 5

Pirelli P Zero

Narrow edge: Continental ContiSportContact 5 — better snow, noise and comfort. Pick the Pirelli P Zero if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 68 vs 50 on snow.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 70 vs 58 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 63 vs 56 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 56 vs 50 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5
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 or P Zero?

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

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Pirelli P Zero, 72 vs 67 on our dry score.

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

Continental ContiSportContact 5, 68 vs 50 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, ContiSportContact 5 or P Zero?

Continental ContiSportContact 5, 70 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, ContiSportContact 5 or P Zero?

Continental ContiSportContact 5, 63 vs 56 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ContiSportContact 5 or P Zero?

Continental ContiSportContact 5, 56 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