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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat vs Michelin Primacy 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 23 road tests and 33 + 13,381 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4 is ahead, 79–62

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Michelin Primacy 4
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4

Summer

Tests 83 · 23 tests Owners 74 · 13,381 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)

“Well my answer is none of the above. You choose, they are all a lottery imo. I just bought some Michelin Primacy 4 for mine today. Size 215/55 R18”

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    Primacy 4 +15
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 21 tests≈ 66 (est.)85
    Reviews found online6474

    Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66

    Primacy 4: 60% × 85.3 + 40% × 73.9 = 81

    No road tests of dry for Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 65

    Wet

    Primacy 4 +16
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 22 tests≈ 66 (est.)85
    Reviews found online6476

    Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 65

    Primacy 4: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 76.2 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 58

    Comfort

    Primacy 4 +18
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 65 (est.)76
    Reviews found online4874

    Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 47.6 = 58

    Primacy 4: 60% × 76.5 + 40% × 74.2 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 15 tests–74
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Primacy 4: 60% × 73.6 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 71

    No owner ratings of noise for 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. 50

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4 +27
    77
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 57 (est.)82
    Reviews found online3971

    Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 38.8 = 50

    Primacy 4: 60% × 81.7 + 40% × 70.6 = 77

    No road tests of treadwear for Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 61

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 4 +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5 SSR RunflatPrimacy 4
    Reviews found online6174
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Sport Contact 5 SSR RunflatMichelin Primacy 4
Relative Score 62 79
Dry 66 81
Wet 65 81
Comfort 58 76
Noise – 71
Treadwear 50 77
Handling (owners) 61 74

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat

Primacy 4

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip with responsive handling
  • Precise steering feedback and cornering stability
  • Acts as a reliable, secure OEM choice for European sport sedans and SUVs

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear and short overall lifespan
  • Firm, harsh ride quality that transmits impacts over rough roads and potholes
  • Elevated road noise as the tires age
All owner themes in the Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat review

Tire B Primacy 4

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
  • Low road noise and a very quiet, comfortable ride
  • Reliable and consistent wet and dry grip

Cons

  • Vague, numb, or floaty steering feel with soft sidewalls under hard cornering
  • High price point compared to competitors
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or harsher ride as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat

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

Tire B

Michelin Primacy 4

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Primacy 4 is generally positive, with drivers frequently praising its quiet ride, comfort, and dependable wet and dry braking performance. Several owners note impressive longevity reaching over 50,000 to 70,000 km, though some EV and SUV drivers report accelerated wear and fragile sidewalls over rough terrain. It is commonly viewed as a premium touring tire that commands high prices compared to competitors.

mustang6g.com ·2022-12-14

“I have used Michelin tires before but recently I already have used Nankang tires. I compared Michelin and Nankang tires after testing. It was quite a pleasant surprise that the Nankang AS1 was nearly on par with the Michelin Primacy 4 in braking distance. Both tires performed exceptionally well, with the Primacy 4 only stopping slightly 3 meters shorter than the AS1.”
r/SubaruForester ·2026-09-11

“Rapid wear on Michelin Primacy 4, 2017 Forester 2017 Forester in Mexico City, where there are lots of potholes and speed bumps and a LOT of rain. I got a set of Michelin Primacy 4+ tires at Costco three years ago and they've got about 30,000 kms -- 16,000 miles on them. Tread is down to about 3.5/32nds (in the middle, slightly less at the sides). The original Geolandars lasted very far beyond that in the same conditions. I'm getting a bit antsy at the tread depth. Wonder if anybody else has seen such rapid wear.”
qashqaiforums.co.uk ·2022-06-03

“Well my answer is none of the above. You choose, they are all a lottery imo. I just bought some Michelin Primacy 4 for mine today. Size 215/55 R18”
Top themes
#tread life and longevity#cabin noise and comfort#wet and dry grip#comparisons with Pilot Sport#EV tire performance#sidewall damage and punctures#premium pricing

Based on 44 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat B · Michelin Primacy 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—57
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat

Michelin Primacy 4

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better treadwear, comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 77 vs 50 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 76 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4
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Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat or Primacy 4?

Which is better in the wet, Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 76 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Sport Contact 5 SSR Runflat or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 77 vs 50 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