tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental Premium Contact 2 vs Toyo NanoEnergy 3 — 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 + 0 road tests and 202 + 1,120 owner reviews. How we score

NanoEnergy 3 is ahead, 69–64

Check price on Amazon · NanoEnergy 3 or Premium Contact 2 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.

Continental Premium Contact 2
Tire AContinental

Premium Contact 2

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 59 · 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.”

Toyo NanoEnergy 3
Tire BToyo

NanoEnergy 3

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 1,120 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    NanoEnergy 3 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2NanoEnergy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6570

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66

    NanoEnergy 3: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 69

    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 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for NanoEnergy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Level
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2NanoEnergy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6766

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.8 = 68

    NanoEnergy 3: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 66.3 = 68

    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 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for NanoEnergy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 62

    Comfort

    NanoEnergy 3 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2NanoEnergy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5970

    Premium Contact 2: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.6 = 62

    NanoEnergy 3: 40% × 69 (est.) + 60% × 69.9 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Premium Contact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for NanoEnergy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 54

    Treadwear

    NanoEnergy 3 +17
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2NanoEnergy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online4673

    Premium Contact 2: 60% × 59.2 (est.) + 40% × 45.9 = 54

    NanoEnergy 3: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 73 = 71

    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 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for NanoEnergy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 61

    Handling (owners)

    NanoEnergy 3 +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 2NanoEnergy 3
    Reviews found online6170
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Premium Contact 2Toyo NanoEnergy 3
Relative Score 64 69
Dry 66 69
Wet 68 68
Comfort 62 70
Treadwear 54 71
Handling (owners) 61 70

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
± 8

Premium Contact 2

± 8

NanoEnergy 3

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 NanoEnergy 3

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and noticeably low road noise
  • Great value for money and affordable pricing
  • Impression-worthy tread wear longevity and slow wear rate

Cons

  • Unpredictable or sub-par wet weather grip, leading to occasional sliding or hydroplaning concerns
  • Soft sidewalls that can compromise sharp turn-in response and cause tire flex during hard cornering
  • Reduced performance and hardening after extended use (over multiple years)
All owner themes in the NanoEnergy 3 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 ·2008-02-02

“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.”
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! :”
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

Toyo NanoEnergy 3

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Premium Contact 2 B · Toyo NanoEnergy 3
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3848
Rim diameters14″ – 18″13″ – 17″
UTQG280 AA A—
Sizes in common2020

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Premium Contact 2

Toyo NanoEnergy 3

Winner: Toyo NanoEnergy 3 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Toyo NanoEnergy 3 scores 71 vs 54 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Toyo NanoEnergy 3 scores 70 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Toyo NanoEnergy 3 scores 70 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Toyo NanoEnergy 3 scores 69 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Toyo NanoEnergy 3
Check price on Amazon

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

Premium Contact 2 or NanoEnergy 3?

Which is better in the wet, Premium Contact 2 or NanoEnergy 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 68 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Premium Contact 2 or NanoEnergy 3?

Toyo NanoEnergy 3, 69 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Premium Contact 2 or NanoEnergy 3?

Toyo NanoEnergy 3, 70 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Premium Contact 2 or NanoEnergy 3?

Toyo NanoEnergy 3, 71 vs 54 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