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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Premium Contact 2 vs Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 202 + 726 owner reviews. How we score

SP Sport FastResponse is ahead, 72–65

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Continental Premium Contact 2
Tire AContinental

Premium Contact 2

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 202 reviews

“Quote: Originally Posted by Rudra Sen Hmm, so they can be a proper substitute if one doesn't get PP2 fresh stock? Rudra if you are looking for PP2s in 205/60 R15, I'd say look for other options. After switching to 205/55 R15 Advan Neovas, I can say for sure that the PP2s make the steering feel way heavier than it ought to be and it also slowed down the car. For a while I thought it was stability, but now I feel that its just an unwanted effect. Most people complain about advans slowing them down, I'm actually relishing the fact that my car actually feels faster with them than before. PP2s grip really well in the straight line but their lateral grip is no way close to the Advans. Nor is the wet weather performance, nor is ride comfort. I'm not kidding - I'm finding 205/55 R15 Advans way more comfortable than 205/60 R15 PP2s. Plus PP2s wore out quite soon for me - roughly 30k or so.”

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    SP Sport FastResponse +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6575

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75 = 72

    No road tests of dry for Premium Contact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 68

    Wet

    SP Sport FastResponse +7
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online6876

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 67.7 = 68

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 73.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Premium Contact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 65

    Comfort

    SP Sport FastResponse +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6171

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 65

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 57

    Treadwear

    SP Sport FastResponse +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponse
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5166

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 61.1 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 57

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for Premium Contact 2. 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 SP Sport FastResponse. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  5. 63

    Handling (owners)

    SP Sport FastResponse +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponse
    Reviews found online6372
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Premium Contact 2Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
Relative Score 65 72
Dry 66 72
Wet 68 75
Comfort 65 70
Treadwear 57 66
Handling (owners) 63 72

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Premium Contact 2

SP Sport FastResponse

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.

In the overall rankings of 3 tests that ran both, Continental Premium Contact 2 finished ahead 3 times and Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryPremium Contact 2SP Sport FastResponseΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/14 #6/14 – 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2011 European Summer Tyre Test - 195/65 R15 · 195/65 R15

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Premium Contact 2

Pros

  • Excellent grip and stability in both dry and wet conditions
  • High level of steering feedback and communicative handling
  • Strong resistance to aquaplaning

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear
  • Performance degradation as the tire reaches the second half of its tread life
  • High price point relative to its longevity
All owner themes in the Premium Contact 2 review

Tire B SP Sport FastResponse

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Low road noise and high initial ride comfort
  • Precise steering response and solid dry cornering grip

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some spirited drivers
  • Softer sidewalls can introduce slight flex or floatiness during high-speed maneuvers
  • Road noise can increase noticeably as the tires near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport FastResponse review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental Premium Contact 2

Mixed

Community feedback on the Continental Premium Contact 2 presents a mixed perspective, with some users highlighting poor treadwear and wet traction across Continental sets, while others appreciate its value pricing and OEM status. Discussions frequently focus on pricing versus competitors like Michelin PP2, sizing, asymmetric mounting requirements, and break-in behavior.

bimmerfest.com ·2008-02-01

“These tires are directional, right? If so, make sure they're all installed in the right direction. A friend of mine recently had the exact problem you describe. After thinking it might be shocks, tire pressure, etc. we noticed that one of the tires was installed by the tire shop so it rotated in the wrong direction.”
team-bhp.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by reignofchaos Rudra if you are looking for PP2s in 205/60 R15, I'd say look for other options. After switching to 205/55 R15 Advan Neovas, I can say for sure that the PP2s make the steering feel way heavier than it ought to be and it also slowed down the car. For a while I thought it was stability, but now I feel that its just an unwanted effect. Most people complain about advans slowing them down, I'm actually relishing the fact that my car actually feels faster with them than before. PP2s grip really well in the straight line but their lateral grip is no way close to the Advans. Nor is the wet weather performance, nor is ride comfort. I'm not kidding - I'm finding 205/55 R15 Advans way more comfortable than 205/60 R15 PP2s. Plus PP2s wore out quite soon for me - roughly 30k or so. Given your style of driving, I wouldnt be surprised if the Advans last 10k! :”
bimmerfest.com ·2008-02-02

“Re: directional Behaviour now greatly improved since tyres have bedded in, handling feels as it used to. Tried differing pressures but eventually ended up as per the book and previous tyre sets at 28 front 34 rears. Thanks for the warning about directional fitting, they are clearly marked and profiled for outside edge and fitted accordingly but I do not think they are directional. Just need rebalancing now they have settled.”
Top themes
#treadwear and durability#pricing and value#tire break-in period#asymmetric mounting orientation#grip comparison with competitors#sidewall stiffness

Based on 11 community posts

Tire B

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Premium Contact 2 B · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available387
Rim diameters14″ – 18″15″ – 17″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Premium Contact 2

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse — better treadwear, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 66 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 72 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 75 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 72 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 2
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
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Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Which is better in the wet, Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 72 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Premium Contact 2 or SP Sport FastResponse?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 66 vs 57 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