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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Cross Contact A/T vs Michelin Primacy 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 2 road tests and 14 + 195 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 3 is ahead, 70–64

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Michelin Primacy 3
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 3

Summer

Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 195 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)

“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Primacy 3 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 66 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6269

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

    Primacy 3: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 69.2 = 72

    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

    Primacy 3 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 66 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6371

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

    Primacy 3: 60% × 71.8 + 40% × 71.2 = 72

    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/TPrimacy 3
    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

    Primacy 3 +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6068

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

    Primacy 3: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.8 = 68

    No road tests of comfort for Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 65

    Treadwear

    Primacy 3 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 65 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6459

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

    Primacy 3: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 58.9 = 67

    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).

  6. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 3 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TPrimacy 3
    Reviews found online6268
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Cross Contact A/TMichelin Primacy 3
Relative Score 64 70
Dry 64 72
Wet 64 72
Snow 53 –
Comfort 65 68
Treadwear 65 67
Handling (owners) 62 68

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Cross Contact A/T

Primacy 3

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/TPrimacy 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/7 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test #1/16 2018 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 – 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 Primacy 3

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
  • Strong dry grip and confident handling
  • Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability

Cons

  • Higher than average purchase price
  • Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
  • Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
All owner themes in the Primacy 3 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

Michelin Primacy 3

Mixed

Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.

mbworld.org

“Currently riding on Michelin Primacy 3 ZP run flats that originally came with the car. Have approximately 15k miles on it and Mercedes are already recommending I purchase new rear tires. What other options would you recommend as replacements? I would like all season tires that last much longer but also don't want to compromise the comfort and ride. Front tire: 245/40 R19 Rear tire: 275/35 R19”
bimmerfest.com ·2014-08-25

“I have Pirellis on my 2014 F31 wagon. I have overinflated them slightly (3 psi front, 2 psi rear) because with the pressures placarded on the door post they are not responsive enough. With the overinflation they make fine street tires . At the limit they are still a bit soft, but the limits are so high that I have no business driving like that on the public highway. Tire Rack, I believe, tested Michelin Primacy 3 ZP (zero pressure, or run-flat all season tires ) and liked them. I have no thoughts about Continentals , so that I am only muddying your waters by adding in the Michelins for consideration.”
r/BMWi3 ·7 upvotes ·2022-04-22

“So I have decided there is no way I am paying for the Bridgestone Ecopias at over £200 a tyre, and as such, I have come across the Michelin Primacy 3 on Costco, which I can get fitted for approx £93 a tyre (I only need two on the rear) They seem to have good reviews. My actual tyre size for my i3S should be 195/50 R20, but getting 195/55 R20 instead should only add up to another inch or so in height, so I'm reckoning I should be okay. What are people's thoughts?”
Top themes
#Run-flat ride quality#Tread wear and longevity#Touring comfort and low noise#Model obsolescence and replacements#OE fitment and regional availability#Price and size compatibility

Based on 23 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Cross Contact A/T B · Michelin Primacy 3
CategoryAll-Terrain tireSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—42
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Cross Contact A/T

Michelin Primacy 3

Winner: Michelin Primacy 3 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental Cross Contact A/T 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 Primacy 3 scores 72 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 3 scores 72 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Primacy 3 scores 68 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 3 scores 68 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental Cross Contact A/T
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
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Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3?

Which is better in the wet, Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3?

Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3?

Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3?

Michelin Primacy 3, 68 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cross Contact A/T or Primacy 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 67 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