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Head-to-head Updated

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring vs Michelin Primacy MXM4 — Compared

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 + 1 road tests and 776 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

CS5 Grand Touring is ahead, 74–62

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Cooper CS5 Grand Touring
Tire ACooper

CS5 Grand Touring

All Season Touring tires

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 76 · 776 reviews

“I put Cooper CS5 Grand Tourings on my Sienna after having gone through several sets of Michelins, I am happy with them so far. Regardless of what tire you purchase, they will not get to their warranty mileage on a Sienna. The Sienna is notoriously hard on tires. A word of advice, run them at 40 to 42 PSI and rotate them regularly if you want to get reasonable wear. The Sienna's 35 PSI recommendation is FAR too low for the weight the tires carry and the front tires wear 3x faster than the rears.”

Michelin Primacy MXM4
Tire BMichelin

Primacy MXM4

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 54 · 10 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    CS5 Grand Touring +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 74 (est.)87
    Reviews found online8251

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 73.6 (est.) + 40% × 81.6 = 77

    Primacy MXM4: 60% × 87.1 + 40% × 51.1 = 73

    No road tests of dry for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 77

    Wet

    CS5 Grand Touring +20
    57
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 75 (est.)57
    Reviews found online7957

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 75.3 (est.) + 40% × 79 = 77

    Primacy MXM4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 57.1 = 57

    No road tests of wet for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Snow

    CS5 Grand Touring +9
    57
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online6447

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 66

    Primacy MXM4: 60% × 63.1 (est.) + 40% × 47.2 = 57

    No road tests of snow for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for Primacy MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    CS5 Grand Touring +20
    54
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)63
    Reviews found online7647

    CS5 Grand Touring: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76 = 74

    Primacy MXM4: 40% × 63.4 + 60% × 47.4 = 54

    No road tests of comfort for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 72

    Noise

    Primacy MXM4 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)81
    Reviews found online81≈ 66 (est.)

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 80.6 = 72

    Primacy MXM4: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 75

    No road tests of noise for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Primacy MXM4. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    CS5 Grand Touring +8
    62
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7359

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 70

    Primacy MXM4: 60% × 63.9 (est.) + 40% × 59.2 = 62

    No road tests of treadwear for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Primacy MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    CS5 Grand Touring +23
    49
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Reviews found online7249
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    55
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPrimacy MXM4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–55
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper CS5 Grand TouringMichelin Primacy MXM4
Relative Score 74 62
Dry 77 73
Wet 77 57
Snow 66 57
Comfort 74 54
Noise 72 75
Treadwear 70 62
Handling (owners) 72 49
Efficiency – 55

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

CS5 Grand Touring

± 7

Primacy MXM4

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 CS5 Grand Touring

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry traction with strong hydroplaning resistance
  • High value for the price compared to premium competitors
  • Smooth, comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Some drivers experienced noticeable road noise, particularly on specific lighter vehicles like hybrids
  • Mediocre performance in heavy winter snow, ice, or deep mud
  • Cornering grip in emergency maneuvers is considered average by some drivers
All owner themes in the CS5 Grand Touring review

Tire B Primacy MXM4

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and vibration dampening
  • Strong tread life and durability
  • High fuel efficiency

Cons

  • Mediocre dry grip and handling precision
  • Noticeable understeer when cornering
  • Soft sidewalls that lack steering feedback
All owner themes in the Primacy MXM4 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring is largely positive, with owners highlighting its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable all-season traction in rain and light snow. While praised as a strong value compared to premium competitors like Michelin, several users note that treadwear often falls short of the advertised 80,000-mile warranty, particularly on heavier minivans or under high-heat conditions.

subaruoutback.org ·1 upvote ·2023-02-05

“My wife and I have been running Cooper CS5 Grand Touring on Outback and Impreza for many years. (the Outback is on its 2nd set) For us, having a QUIET tire is primary importance... followed closely with winter-traction here in Vermont winters. We do NOT want to have 2nd set of dedicated snow-tires for the winter. The CS5 have met our requirements. At the very least, I would suggest you consider the CS5 Ultra as you make a decision.”
r/cars ·1 upvote ·2017-09-01

“I have the Cooper cs5 grand touring on my Odyssey and love them. Very quiet and snoot riding. Fwiw, I'm in Southern California so we have little cold/wet weather let alone snow, but they did great when I drove up to Sequoia and had cables on during the snow storm. Much better than the Michelin Defenders I had before.”
subaruoutback.org ·2017-01-08

“I too was looking for quiet tires when it came time to replace. Have been very happy with COOPER CS5 GRAND TOURING ==> The CS5 has many modern technologies which improve longevity and traction AND they are M+S rated. I run them all year in Vermont and the snow traction is acceptable with Subaru AWD.”
Top themes
#ride comfort and low noise#winter and wet traction#treadwear vs warranty mileage#competitive pricing and rebates#comparison to Michelin tires#tire pressure sensitivity#speed rating differences

Based on 38 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Primacy MXM4

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring B · Michelin Primacy MXM4
CategoryAll Season Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth11 - 12/32″—
UTQG780 A A420 - 500 AA - B A
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Michelin Primacy MXM4

Winner: Cooper CS5 Grand Touring — better handling, wet and comfort. Pick the Michelin Primacy MXM4 if noise matters most to you. Michelin Primacy MXM4 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring scores 72 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring scores 77 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring scores 74 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring scores 66 vs 57 on snow.

Tire A · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy MXM4
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CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Which is better in the wet, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring, 77 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring, 77 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring, 66 vs 57 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Michelin Primacy MXM4, 75 vs 72 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring, 74 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CS5 Grand Touring or Primacy MXM4?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring, 70 vs 62 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