Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 7 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat vs Michelin Primacy 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Primacy 3 leads, 70–69 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 195 reviews
“As Slacktide said Primacy 3 is a grand touring summer tire that has been replaced by the Primacy 4 (some three years ago). It's been quite popular in Europe and tire availability/choice in NA/Europe differ greatly. I'd still recommend both Primacy 3 & 4 if you're looking for a smooth riding summer tire. The Pilot Sport 2 (PS2) has been a great ultra high performance tire some 15 years ago and I had these at that time, but it has been replaced by the PS3, PS4 and the even sportier Pilot SuperSport (PSS) and PS4S. If you want something more performance than the Primacy, I'd consider the PS4. I'm currently running the PS4 on my 911 (205 & 245 16 without Porsche spec) and the PSS both on my Cooper (205/45 R17 BMW/Mini spec) and my GTI (225/40 R18 HN spec). So some kind of a 'Michelin fan' too.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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70
Dry
Primacy 3 +272Why this score
Source SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 74 Reviews found online 72 69 -
72
Wet
Level72Why this score
Source SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 73 71 -
66
Comfort
Primacy 3 +369Why this score
Source SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat Primacy 3 Reviews found online 63 68 -
63
Treadwear
Primacy 3 +467Why this score
Source SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 61 59 -
72
Handling
SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat +468Why this score
Source SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat Primacy 3 Reviews found online 72 68
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat | Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 70 |
| Dry | 70 | 72 |
| Wet | 72 | 72 |
| Comfort | 66 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 63 | 67 |
| Handling | 72 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat
70
/ 100
Primacy 3
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat
Pros
- Strong wet and dry traction performance
- Improved ride comfort compared to competing run-flat brands
- Respectable tread longevity for some users
Cons
- Tendency for uneven tread wear
- Increased road noise as the tire ages
- Harsh ride quality on low-profile, staggered setups
Tire B Primacy 3
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
- Strong dry grip and confident handling
- Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability
Cons
- Higher than average purchase price
- Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
- Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Michelin Primacy 3
Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
f30.bimmerpost.com
“The Primacy3 ZP were installed today. Of course, they need a break-in period, but from some highway and city traffic, I'm already sold that these are the best replacement run-flat tires for our 18" size. The car now glides where it previously "sandpapered" its way down the road with the original harsh and noisy Pirellis. Bumps feel far more isolated. The reviews for DriveGuard have been mediocre, not great. These are far better to my senses. The 225/50-18 size is hard to find. Tire Rack carries the Primacy3 ZP, but not in that size. Another tire store in my area confused them with the non-runflat which Michelin has named the same...just Primacy3. Then, realized they couldn't get the ZP version. Very odd wholesale distribution pattern. Discount Tire was able to order them. First day, but very, very pleased. EDIT: My wife even noticed and she never notices anything about cars. She said the car felt smoother to her as a passenger!”
mbworld.org
“Continental DWS06 Plus non-runflats, going on my car next week. Have had OEM Michelin Primacy 3's and they are like driving on bricks. I also ordered an OEM donut spare and jack kit for the trunk. Jack kit goes in lower compartment, spare kept under the horizontal floor net (Coupe).”
teslamotorsclub.com
·2018-12-11
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
Top themes
#Run-flat ride quality#Tread wear and longevity#Touring comfort and low noise#Model obsolescence and replacements#OE fitment and regional availability#Price and size compatibility
Based on 23 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat | B · Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 42 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat
70
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 3
Too close to call: Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat and Michelin Primacy 3 are within 2 points overall. Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat is stronger on handling. Michelin Primacy 3 is stronger on treadwear and comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat scores 72 vs 68 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 63 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 69 vs 66 on comfort.
Tire A · Continental SportContact 2 SSR Run Flat
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
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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.