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 + 3 road tests and 245 + 3,148 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Sport Contact 3 68, Sport Contact 5 67.
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Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 245 reviews
“The SC3 didn't quite manage 10,000 miles on the front of my 406. On the rear they fared a little better. In fairness though I was asking them to put down well over 300lbft, in a FWD car with a hefty lump of a diesel engine sat above 'em”
Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 59 · 3,148 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“I run Accelera PHI2's on my 20's and have done for the last 3-4 years with absolutely no problems. I'm a biker and like to press on in all my vehicles. Never had a scary moment in the van in any weather and drive just as fast in that as I do the car (conti sport contact 5's on that). Only cover about 6K in the van per year so don't want anything that lasts too long as it would deteriorate before it was anywhere near worn out. Mike likes banging on about Michelins but they can have problems as well as anything else. Michelin Agilis 51's had problems with bulges and tyre failures in the past. Other michelin tyre problems (I know how much Mike likes Yankee sites!) And Michelin have tyre factories all over the world including India and Asia. Not all cheaper tyres are bad tyres. Pirelli P6000 were notoriously bad for example, and Pirelli are not classed as a budget tyre. Mike will still bang on like a broken record though about VW and 16 and 17 inch tyres though. Its probably an old age thing”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests | ≈ 70 (est.) | 76 |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 70 |
Sport Contact 3: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.4 = 71
Sport Contact 5: 60% × 76.2 + 40% × 70 = 74
No road tests of dry for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests | ≈ 72 (est.) | 75 |
| Reviews found online | 73 | 72 |
Sport Contact 3: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 72
Sport Contact 5: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 72.1 = 74
No road tests of wet for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 62 |
| Reviews found online | 64 | 61 |
Sport Contact 3: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 63.5 = 65
Sport Contact 5: 40% × 61.5 + 60% × 60.9 = 61
No road tests of comfort for Sport Contact 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests | – | 66 |
| Reviews found online | – | ≈ 67 (est.) |
Sport Contact 5: 60% × 66.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 66
No owner ratings of noise for Sport Contact 5. 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.
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 60 (est.) | ≈ 55 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 48 | 34 |
Sport Contact 3: 60% × 59.9 (est.) + 40% × 48.3 = 55
Sport Contact 5: 60% × 55 (est.) + 40% × 34 = 47
No road tests of treadwear for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for Sport Contact 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 68 | 66 |
| Source | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests | – | 74 |
| Category | Continental Sport Contact 3 | Continental Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 67 |
| Dry | 71 | 74 |
| Wet | 72 | 74 |
| Comfort | 65 | 61 |
| Noise | – | 66 |
| Treadwear | 55 | 47 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | 66 |
| Efficiency | – | 74 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Sport Contact 3
Sport Contact 5
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | Sport Contact 3 | Sport Contact 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/10 2012 EVO Max Performance Tyre Test | #2/8 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community sentiment regarding the Continental Sport Contact 3 is polarized. While several drivers praise its aesthetic appeal, ride comfort, and solid wet and dry grip, others express strong dissatisfaction with rapid tread wear, inconsistent traction across temperature ranges, and relatively high pricing compared to newer alternatives.
“Just had mine replaced. Ended up getting Contact 3's on the back, same as the front, to keep them all the same. Went to National tyres and they quoted me £518 + £6.50 valves + £11.50 balance for 2 rears. Said he'd have to do better than that, ended up paying £421 all in after a bit of haggling and they had 2 in stock.”
“Originally Posted By: edyvw Continental Sport Contact 3 What car and size? I had this tire on my '96 M3 in 245/40-17 all around on 8.5" wheels. I liked it, especially coming from the awful Kumhos and Falkens I had run before, but I remember it feeling a bit squishy for my taste. The PS2 was a better performer in every way, with only a slight NVH penalty IIRC.”
“I've got good news. SportContact 3 can be bought new in your size. I believe this is a legacy OE that is still in production. But they are 80 Euros more expensive than current PremiumContact 7 / SportContact 7 www.tyreleader.ie/car-tyres/continental/contisportcontact-3/235-45-r17-97w-805902”
Based on 38 community posts
Community feedback on the Continental Sport Contact 5 highlights strong grip and effective braking in both wet and dry conditions, along with good cornering feel. However, opinions are mixed regarding treadwear and durability, with multiple users raising concerns over rapid tire wear and degradation under heavy loads or spirited driving. While some drivers prefer them over competing models, others view them as inferior to subsequent Continental generations or rival brands.
“Quote: Originally Posted by bret In the end I went with Bridgestone Potenza RE 050's Very happy. Grips as well as the Conti Sport5's without disintegrating after a few hard mountain passes. On a light car sport contact5's, For a heavier car RE 050's are fantastic completely sold. Pilot Sports are far too soft these cars. Back in the day I had numerous sets of Potenza's on a Saab 900 Turbo...that's been a good tire for a long long time. Check out the Cooper Zeon when you get a chance, heckuva tire at any price.”
“I've just had a set of these Continental Sport Contact 5 fitted to my car and I'm quite impressed with them. They seem to be really good in the wet, stopping distances were notable shorter, more so than I'd expect with the extra tread depth. They are also really good in the dry and give a nice "feel" on tight corners. They have replaced the Eagle F1's in my mind as the best day to day tyre. Anyone else had them fitted?”
“In the end I went with Bridgestone Potenza RE 050's Very happy. Grips as well as the Conti Sport5's without disintegrating after a few hard mountain passes. On a light car sport contact5's, For a heavier car RE 050's are fantastic completely sold. Pilot Sports are far too soft these cars.”
Based on 14 community posts
| Attribute | A · Continental Sport Contact 3 | B · Continental Sport Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 22 | 84 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Sizes in common | 10 | 10 |
Continental Sport Contact 3
Continental Sport Contact 5
Too close to call: Continental Sport Contact 3 and Continental Sport Contact 5 are within 2 points overall. Continental Sport Contact 3 is stronger on treadwear and comfort. Continental Sport Contact 5 is stronger on dry.
Continental Sport Contact 3 scores 55 vs 47 on treadwear.
Continental Sport Contact 3 scores 65 vs 61 on comfort.
Continental Sport Contact 5 scores 74 vs 71 on dry.
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Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Continental Sport Contact 5, 74 vs 71 on our dry score.
Continental Sport Contact 3, 65 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Continental Sport Contact 3, 55 vs 47 on our treadwear score.
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
