Tests 73 · 4 tests Owners 64 · 119 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test (subj. comfort)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental Premium Contact 5 vs Pirelli P Zero — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Premium Contact 5 is ahead, 69–64
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Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 3,479 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
71
Dry
P Zero +273Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Professional tests (TWG score) 71 79 Reviews found online 70 64 Dry Braking (% of best) 95% 97% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 100% -
76
Wet
Premium Contact 5 +571Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Professional tests (TWG score) 78 80 Reviews found online 73 57 Wet Braking (% of best) 95% 99% Wet Handling (% of best) 98% 99% -
–
Snow
No comparison50Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Reviews found online – 37 -
71
Comfort
Premium Contact 5 +962Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Professional tests (TWG score) 75 70 Reviews found online 66 51 -
69
Noise
Premium Contact 5 +1059Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Professional tests (TWG score) 70 61 Reviews found online – 55 -
61
Treadwear
Premium Contact 5 +853Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Professional tests (TWG score) 69 65 Reviews found online 48 34 -
66
Handling
Premium Contact 5 +858Why this score
Source Premium Contact 5 P Zero Reviews found online 66 58
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental Premium Contact 5 | Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 64 |
| Dry | 71 | 73 |
| Wet | 76 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 50 |
| Comfort | 71 | 62 |
| Noise | 69 | 59 |
| Treadwear | 61 | 53 |
| Handling | 66 | 58 |
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
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Premium Contact 5
64
/ 100
P Zero
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Premium Contact 5 | P Zero | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 97% #5/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout | −2.7 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #10/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −1.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 86% #9/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 73% #16/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +13.1 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 97% #8/9 · 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test | 97% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 72% #18/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 66% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +6.1 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 60% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 53% #20/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +7.0 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 77% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 66% #15/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +10.4 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 13% #8/9 · 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test | 33% #3/9 · 2010 EVO FWD Tyre Test | −20.8 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 94% #2/9 · 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test | 93% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +1.4 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 67% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +23.3 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #17/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 0% #17/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 95% #4/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test | 99% #3/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout | −4.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #5/9 · 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test | 99% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −1.0 | 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
Tire B P Zero
Pros
- Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
- Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
- Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
- Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
- Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Continental Premium Contact 5
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Pirelli P Zero
Community sentiment toward the Pirelli P Zero lineup is mixed across both automotive and cycling applications. Users frequently praise the tires for responsive handling, dry grip, and the value of newer all-season variants like the AS Plus 3, but strongly criticize their rapid tread wear, mixed wet-weather performance, and occasional durability issues like sidewall bubbling. Cyclists similarly appreciate rolling speed and comfort while noting significant difficulties with mounting tubeless beads.
r/Velo
·6 upvotes ·2026-05-07
“I've used the old P zero SL in a 26, was happy with grip and feel but they did not last very long, 2000k for me before they're basically started puncturing every second ride. That would have to be my only complaint”
mbworld.org
“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
z4-forum.com
·2018-01-21
“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#sharp steering response#wet weather traction#difficult tubeless mounting#sidewall bubble issues#all season performance
Based on 282 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental Premium Contact 5 | B · Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 23 | 194 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 17″ | 17″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 220 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Continental Premium Contact 5
64
/ 100
Pirelli P Zero
Winner: Continental Premium Contact 5 — better noise, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental Premium Contact 5 scores 69 vs 59 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental Premium Contact 5 scores 71 vs 62 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental Premium Contact 5 scores 61 vs 53 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental Premium Contact 5 scores 66 vs 58 on handling.
Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 5
Tire B · Pirelli P Zero
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.