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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Premium Contact 5 vs Michelin Primacy 4+ — 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 4 + 10 road tests and 119 + 39 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4+ is ahead, 78–69

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Continental Premium Contact 5
Tire AContinental

Premium Contact 5

Summer

± 8

Tests 73 · 4 tests Owners 63 · 119 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Michelin Primacy 4+
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 10 tests Owners 70 · 39 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (abrasion)

Category by category

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

  1. 71

    Dry

    Primacy 4+ +7
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 9 tests7182
    Reviews found online7171

    Premium Contact 5: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 71.3 = 71

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.3 + 40% × 70.6 = 78

  2. 77

    Wet

    Primacy 4+ +2
    79
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 9 tests7983
    Reviews found online7474

    Premium Contact 5: 60% × 78.9 + 40% × 73.6 = 77

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 73.8 = 79

  3. 70

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7573
    Reviews found online6669

    Premium Contact 5: 40% × 74.8 + 60% × 66.1 = 70

    Primacy 4+: 40% × 73.3 + 60% × 69 = 71

  4. 71

    Noise

    Primacy 4+ +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests7377
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Premium Contact 5: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 73

    No owner ratings of noise for Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+. 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.

  5. 58

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +27
    85
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests6995
    Reviews found online4369

    Premium Contact 5: 60% × 68.7 + 40% × 43 = 58

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 95.3 + 40% × 68.9 = 85

  6. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Premium Contact 5 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Reviews found online6765
  7. 67

    Efficiency

    Primacy 4+ +11
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 8 tests6778
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Premium Contact 5Michelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 69 78
Dry 71 78
Wet 77 79
Comfort 70 71
Noise 71 73
Treadwear 58 85
Handling (owners) 67 65
Efficiency 67 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Premium Contact 5

± 4

Primacy 4+

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.

DisciplineCategoryPremium Contact 5Primacy 4+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% #6/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 96% #3/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #8/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 98% #4/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 78% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test 92% #5/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% #6/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 82% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 95% #4/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 91% #5/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #5/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 95% #6/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 80% #5/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test 88% #2/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test 88% #2/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 99% #6/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 96% #6/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 77% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test 92% #2/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 93% #6/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 90% #2/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 79% #7/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 52% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #17/20 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test #5/8 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 60% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test 67% #8/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #5/11 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test #4/8 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Premium Contact 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip in both wet and dry road conditions
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Predictable and safe handling characteristics

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear
  • Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback and body roll
  • Performance degradation as the tread depth decreases
All owner themes in the Premium Contact 5 review

Tire B Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and a smooth, compliant 'limousine-like' feel over bumps
  • Strong and reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, inspiring confidence
  • Noticeable improvement in quietness and traction compared to predecessor tires or factory options

Cons

  • Loud road noise and a harsh drone on rough or coarse asphalt surfaces
  • Soft sidewalls can reduce steering agility and initial responsiveness compared to dedicated sport tires
  • High premium price point relative to competitors
All owner themes in the Primacy 4+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Premium Contact 5 B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2366
Rim diameters14″ – 17″16″ – 21″
Sizes in common1414

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Premium Contact 5

Michelin Primacy 4+

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better treadwear, efficiency and dry. Where the Continental Premium Contact 5 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 85 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 78 vs 67 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 78 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 5
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+
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Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Which is better in the wet, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 79 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 71 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 85 vs 58 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Premium Contact 5 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 67 on our efficiency 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