Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 22 + 23 road tests and 1,605 + 6,449 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 leads, 87–83 Narrow edge
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Tests 84 · 22 tests Owners 81 · 1,605 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)
“On my 2nd set. Got decent mileage from them. 15k miles from the first set of rears and i've 11k on the 2nd set with 4.5mm still left on them.”
Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 88 · 6,449 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 23 tests | 100 | 93 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 91 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 5–0 | 99% | 96% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 100% | 99% |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 80% |
SportContact 7: 60% × 99.6 + 40% × 92 = 97
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92.9 + 40% × 90.8 = 92
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 23 tests | 96 | 94 |
| Reviews found online | 90 | 94 |
| Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 | 83% | 93% |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 1–4 | 97% | 97% |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 60% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 3–2 | 96% | 96% |
| Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 97% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 | 99% | 99% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 | 97% | 98% |
SportContact 7: 60% × 96.3 + 40% × 90 = 94
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 94.1 + 40% × 93.6 = 94
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 9 tests | 56 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | 76 | 85 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 | 80% | 80% |
SportContact 7: 40% × 56.4 + 60% × 75.9 = 68
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 71 + 60% × 84.8 = 79
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 15 tests | 59 | 33 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 98% | 96% |
| Noise (tester's mark) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–0 | 84% | 84% |
SportContact 7: 60% × 59.1 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 62
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for SportContact 7 or Pilot Sport 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 | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests | 72 | 92 |
| Reviews found online | 61 | 79 |
| Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 69% | 78% |
| Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 58% | 76% |
SportContact 7: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 61.3 = 68
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 78.9 = 87
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 89 | 89 |
| Source | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 17 tests | 72 | 64 |
| Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 96% | 95% |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 2–2 | 91% | 90% |
| Category | Continental SportContact 7 | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 87 |
| Dry | 97 | 92 |
| Wet | 94 | 94 |
| Comfort | 68 | 79 |
| Noise | 62 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 68 | 87 |
| Handling (owners) | 89 | 89 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 64 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
SportContact 7
Pilot Sport 5
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.
In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Continental SportContact 7 finished ahead 4 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | SportContact 7 | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Dry | 100% #1/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | 93% #5/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% | 96% | +3.0 | 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% | 99% | +1.0 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 100% | 80% | +20.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 83% | 93% | −10.3 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 97% | 97% | −0.8 | 1–4 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet | Wet | 100% #1/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | 99% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% | 96% | −0.3 | 3–2 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | Wet | 100% | 97% | +3.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 99% | 99% | −0.1 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% | 98% | −0.9 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 100% | 60% | +40.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 80% | 80% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 98% #4/7 · 2025 Autobild Sportcars Summer Tire Test R20 | 71% #7/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
| Interior Noise | Noise | 90% #2/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | 95% #3/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 98% | 96% | +2.1 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 84% | 84% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Abrasion | Treadwear | 69% | 78% | −9.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 58% | 76% | −17.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 96% | 95% | +1.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 91% | 90% | +0.3 | 2–2 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 67% | 61% | +6.1 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Value | Cost | 33% | 39% | −6.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/18 | #3/18 | – | 4–1 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community members widely praise the Continental SportContact 7 for outstanding dry and wet grip, sharp steering precision, and strong value compared to key rivals like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. However, users frequently highlight faster tread wear, reduced initial tread depth, and occasional issues with road noise and comfort as main drawbacks.
“I have the Conti SportContact 7 as summer tires on my 500hp M2 Competition. Brilliant tire, tons of grip and very direct steering, and needs much less time to get up to temp than the 4S the car came on when I got it. I can't speak for the 5 but it's definitely a stiffer tire compound than the SC7 so it will last longer but will take more time to get up to temp and also less grippy.”
“Hi, i'll give my take since i've made 15K kilometers with the front tyres changed to the SC7. They last longer on normal road use and they won't give you that typical LSD noise when maneuvering. BUT you'll feel right away that they are softer on the side in the first faster than normal curve. I did not find differences while raining. On the racetrack... maybe the side is too soft, but in general i found them worse than the stock pirelli. Also, on the track you almost have to be weary of the rim from how much the side squishes and wears. I think they could be used for everyday driving, but another set of rims with other tyres should be taken into consideration when doing track days.”
“Last week I fitted brand new tyres on my '03 Z4, replaced the worn GY asymmetric 6's with Conti SC7 and I'm not pleased at all. The car also has recently installed new KW V1's, already driven on the old GY's. Now it just feels chewy in the corners. The tires have a few 100km already. Anyone else disappointed with Conti SC7? Any suggestion on tyre pressures? They filled the tyres 2,5 bar all around, later I left out some air just on the front tyres, but still unhappy. I just don't trust the car in the corners.”
Based on 114 community posts
The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 as an exceptional daily-driving tire that bridges the gap between high performance and everyday comfort. Users frequently praise its outstanding wet grip, low road noise, and impressive tread life compared to more track-focused alternatives like the PS4S. However, some enthusiast drivers feel the sidewalls and feedback can feel a bit numb or soft for aggressive track use, noting it is built more for sporty road use than dedicated circuit driving.
“I've used the PS4S, potenza s001's & sports contact 7. Currently on Pilot Sport 5's and I think they're the best all road "do it all"road tyre I've had on my RWD . The asymmetric 6 is also supposed to be great but I havent tried that.”
“How good are pilot sport 5's in winter? Thinking between another set of ps5's on a new car or cross climate 2. Ps5: wearing really slowly, didn't catch a winter on old car yet Cc2: worn in 4 months to 3mm, very soft in bends causing body roll, really good in last year's snow through, and surface water is a non-issue. Also weird humming doe to tread pattern. I guess the question is, should i risk summer tyres with the odd snow fall we have around here?”
“I’ve done 20k on a set of fronts that still have ~2-2.5mm left. They’re wearing very well IMO.”
Based on 177 community posts
| Attribute | A · Continental SportContact 7 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 123 | 66 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 24″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 8 - 9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 240 AA A | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 35 | 35 |
Continental SportContact 7
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear and comfort. Pick the Continental SportContact 7 if noise, efficiency and dry matter most to you.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 87 vs 68 on treadwear.
Continental SportContact 7 scores 62 vs 47 on noise.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 79 vs 68 on comfort.
Continental SportContact 7 scores 72 vs 64 on efficiency.
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Neither, by our numbers: 94 vs 94 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Continental SportContact 7, 97 vs 92 on our dry score.
Continental SportContact 7, 62 vs 47 on our noise score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 79 vs 68 on our comfort score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 87 vs 68 on our treadwear score.
Continental SportContact 7, 72 vs 64 on our efficiency 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
