Head-to-head Updated

Continental Sport Contact 5 vs Continental SportContact 6 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

SportContact 6 leads, 70–66 Narrow edge

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Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 62 · 3,146 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test (subj. dry handling)

“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.”

Tests 84 · 12 tests Owners 56 · 667 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test (subj. dry handling)

“Quote: Originally Posted by ///Bruce Do not buy the 6's. I had a set on my '18 Macan Turbo. Bald in 9,000 miles. The Macan is heavier than the C63S. But still... The other thing I noticed was going into a tight corner, the tires gave the impression they were rolling off the tread and folding under the tire. Weird sensation. Thanks for the feedback...I have read a few reviews on the Contact 6 and what your describing sounds like what everyone says in the review about the Contact 5P (tire before the Contact 6). And one review they specifically talked about the issue you described in the Contact 5P and said it no longer exist in the Contact 6...interesting. Look I am not trying to be cheap but based on Discount Tire prices after install and taxes I can save close to $300 for a set of Contact 6 vs PS4S. Heck that is almost the cost of the two front tires alone even if I don't get as many miles out of them. IDK? I may give them a shot...I figure the worse that can happen is I blow through them (like you said) in 9K miles and if so then next time I go with PS4S???”

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    SportContact 6 +9
    82
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)7688
    Reviews found online6973
    Dry Braking (% of best)94%99%
    Dry Handling (% of best)97%100%
  2. 73

    Wet

    SportContact 6 +7
    80
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)7487
    Reviews found online7270
    Wet Braking (% of best)92%93%
    Wet Circle (% of best)97%100%
    Wet Handling (% of best)93%96%
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    38
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Reviews found online–16
  4. 62

    Comfort

    SportContact 6 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)6272
    Reviews found online6262
  5. 67

    Noise

    SportContact 6 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)6775
    Reviews found online–70
  6. 52

    Treadwear

    Sport Contact 5 +4
    48
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Reviews found online4235
  7. 66

    Handling

    SportContact 6 +1
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSport Contact 5SportContact 6
    Reviews found online6667
Scores at a glance
Continental Sport Contact 5 vs Continental SportContact 6: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental Sport Contact 5Continental SportContact 6
Relative Score 66 70
Dry 73 82
Wet 73 80
Snow – 38
Comfort 62 68
Noise 67 73
Treadwear 52 48
Handling 66 67

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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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

Sport Contact 5

SportContact 6

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.

DisciplineCategorySport Contact 5SportContact 6ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 94% #6/10 · 2017 Sport Auto UHP and Track Day Test 99% #2/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test −5.0 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 100% #3/8 · 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test −3.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 96% #3/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 89% #2/9 · 2021 Auto Bild UUHP Summer Tyre Test +7.1 Different tests
Noise Other 99% #5/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 100% #3/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test −0.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/2 · 2012 Subjective Shootout - Battle of the heavyweights 25% #4/8 · 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test +25.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 98% #3/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 92% #6/6 · 2018 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test +6.4 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 67% #4/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 80% #4/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test −13.3 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 100% #1/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 100% #1/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 90% #4/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test +9.7 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 93% #4/8 · 2018 Auto Bild 20 inch UHP Tyre Test −1.2 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 97% #3/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 93% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 96% #4/9 · 2021 Auto Bild UUHP Summer Tyre Test −2.7 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Sport Contact 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip with excellent aquaplaning resistance
  • Precise steering response and sharp handling
  • Short braking distances in various weather conditions

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, resulting in a short overall lifespan
  • High price point combined with poor mileage value
  • Increased road noise as the tires wear down past halfway
All owner themes in the Sport Contact 5 review

Tire B SportContact 6

Pros

  • Staggering grip in both dry and wet conditions
  • Precise steering feedback and sharp cornering response
  • Low road noise and enhanced ride comfort compared to some rivals

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear leading to a short lifespan (often requiring replacement under 10,000-15,000 miles)
  • Reduced performance and potential snap oversteer in cold or freezing weather conditions
  • High cost per mile due to fast wear rates
All owner themes in the SportContact 6 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental Sport Contact 5

Mixed

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.

torquecars.com ·2013-04-15

“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?”

vwt4forum.co.uk ·2016-07-04

“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”

mbworld.org

“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.”

Top themes
#wet and dry grip#rapid treadwear concerns#braking distance performance#cornering feel and handling#comparison with 5P and SC6#heavy vehicle suitability

Based on 14 community posts

Tire B

Continental SportContact 6

Mixed

Community members generally praise the Continental Sport Contact 6 for its strong grip, smooth handling, and impressive wet performance. However, high tread wear is a frequent and significant complaint, with many drivers reporting poor longevity compared to successors like the SportContact 7 and competitors like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. Additional mixed feedback notes issues such as road noise, ride stiffness, and occasional sidewall flex during aggressive cornering.

Top themes
#rapid tread wear#strong wet performance#dry grip and handling#comparison to Michelin PS4S#longevity versus SportContact 7#road noise and comfort#cornering and sidewall stiffness

Based on 27 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Sport Contact 5 B · Continental SportContact 6
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available8497
Rim diameters17″ – 22″18″ – 24″
Tread depth—8/32″
UTQG—240 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Sport Contact 5

Continental SportContact 6

Winner: Continental SportContact 6 — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the Continental Sport Contact 5 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental SportContact 6 scores 82 vs 73 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental SportContact 6 scores 80 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental SportContact 6 scores 68 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental SportContact 6 scores 73 vs 67 on noise.

Tire A · Continental Sport Contact 5
Tire B · Continental SportContact 6

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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.

70

Narrow edge

SportContact 6

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