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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Cross Contact A/T vs Continental Sport Contact 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 3 road tests and 14 + 3,148 owner reviews. How we score

Sport Contact 5 leads, 67–64 Narrow edge

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Continental Sport Contact 5
Tire BContinental

Sport Contact 5

Summer

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 61 · 3,148 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)

“I run Accelera PHI2's on my 20's and have done for the last 3-4 years with absolutely no problems. I'm a biker and like to press on in all my vehicles. Never had a scary moment in the van in any weather and drive just as fast in that as I do the car (conti sport contact 5's on that). Only cover about 6K in the van per year so don't want anything that lasts too long as it would deteriorate before it was anywhere near worn out. Mike likes banging on about Michelins but they can have problems as well as anything else. Michelin Agilis 51's had problems with bulges and tyre failures in the past. Other michelin tyre problems (I know how much Mike likes Yankee sites!) And Michelin have tyre factories all over the world including India and Asia. Not all cheaper tyres are bad tyres. Pirelli P6000 were notoriously bad for example, and Pirelli are not classed as a budget tyre. Mike will still bang on like a broken record though about VW and 16 and 17 inch tyres though. Its probably an old age thing”

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Sport Contact 5 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 66 (est.)76
    Reviews found online6269

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64

    Sport Contact 5: 60% × 76 + 40% × 69.4 = 73

    No road tests of dry for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 64

    Wet

    Sport Contact 5 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 66 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6372

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64

    Sport Contact 5: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 71.5 = 73

    No road tests of wet for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 53

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)–
    Reviews found online41–

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 41.3 = 53

    No road tests of snow for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Cross Contact A/T +3
    62
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)62
    Reviews found online6062

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 65

    Sport Contact 5: 60% × 61.5 + 40% × 62.2 = 62

    No road tests of comfort for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests–66
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Sport Contact 5: 60% × 66.4 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 67

    No owner ratings of noise for Sport Contact 5. 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.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Cross Contact A/T +14
    51
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online6441

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 65

    Sport Contact 5: 60% × 58.1 (est.) + 40% × 41.3 = 51

    No road tests of treadwear for Cross Contact A/T. 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 Sport Contact 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Sport Contact 5 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5
    Reviews found online6267
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Cross Contact A/TContinental Sport Contact 5
Relative Score 64 67
Dry 64 73
Wet 64 73
Snow 53 –
Comfort 65 62
Noise – 67
Treadwear 65 51
Handling (owners) 62 67

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
Recomputed
Headline score

Cross Contact A/T

Sport Contact 5

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryCross Contact A/TSport Contact 5ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/7 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test #2/8 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Cross Contact A/T

Pros

  • Excellent on-road comfort and handling with acceptable noise levels
  • High potential longevity and mileage for many users, with sets lasting upwards of 50,000 to 80,000 km/miles
  • Competent dry and wet performance on paved surfaces

Cons

  • Susceptibility to punctures and fragile sidewalls reported by some drivers
  • Rapid, premature tread wear experienced by certain users
  • Poor traction and spinning issues in winter conditions such as snow and ice
All owner themes in the Cross Contact A/T review

Tire B Sport Contact 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip with excellent aquaplaning resistance
  • Precise steering response and sharp handling
  • Short braking distances in various weather conditions

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, resulting in a short overall lifespan
  • High price point combined with poor mileage value
  • Increased road noise as the tires wear down past halfway
All owner themes in the Sport Contact 5 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental Cross Contact A/T

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

Tire B

Continental Sport Contact 5

Mixed

Community feedback on the Continental Sport Contact 5 highlights strong grip and effective braking in both wet and dry conditions, along with good cornering feel. However, opinions are mixed regarding treadwear and durability, with multiple users raising concerns over rapid tire wear and degradation under heavy loads or spirited driving. While some drivers prefer them over competing models, others view them as inferior to subsequent Continental generations or rival brands.

torquecars.com ·2013-04-15

“I've just had a set of these Continental Sport Contact 5 fitted to my car and I'm quite impressed with them. They seem to be really good in the wet, stopping distances were notable shorter, more so than I'd expect with the extra tread depth. They are also really good in the dry and give a nice "feel" on tight corners. They have replaced the Eagle F1's in my mind as the best day to day tyre. Anyone else had them fitted?”
mbworld.org

“Quote: Originally Posted by bret In the end I went with Bridgestone Potenza RE 050's Very happy. Grips as well as the Conti Sport5's without disintegrating after a few hard mountain passes. On a light car sport contact5's, For a heavier car RE 050's are fantastic completely sold. Pilot Sports are far too soft these cars. Back in the day I had numerous sets of Potenza's on a Saab 900 Turbo...that's been a good tire for a long long time. Check out the Cooper Zeon when you get a chance, heckuva tire at any price.”
mbworld.org

“In the end I went with Bridgestone Potenza RE 050's Very happy. Grips as well as the Conti Sport5's without disintegrating after a few hard mountain passes. On a light car sport contact5's, For a heavier car RE 050's are fantastic completely sold. Pilot Sports are far too soft these cars.”
Top themes
#wet and dry grip#rapid treadwear concerns#braking distance performance#cornering feel and handling#comparison with 5P and SC6#heavy vehicle suitability

Based on 14 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Cross Contact A/T B · Continental Sport Contact 5
CategoryAll-Terrain tireSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—84
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Cross Contact A/T

Continental Sport Contact 5

Narrow edge: Continental Sport Contact 5 — better dry and wet. Pick the Continental Cross Contact A/T if treadwear and comfort matter most to you. Continental Cross Contact A/T rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental Cross Contact A/T scores 65 vs 51 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental Sport Contact 5 scores 73 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental Sport Contact 5 scores 73 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental Cross Contact A/T scores 65 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental Cross Contact A/T
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Tire B · Continental Sport Contact 5
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Cross Contact A/T or Sport Contact 5?

Which is better in the wet, Cross Contact A/T or Sport Contact 5?

Continental Sport Contact 5, 73 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cross Contact A/T or Sport Contact 5?

Continental Sport Contact 5, 73 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Cross Contact A/T or Sport Contact 5?

Continental Cross Contact A/T, 65 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cross Contact A/T or Sport Contact 5?

Continental Cross Contact A/T, 65 vs 51 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