Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse 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 726 + 13,381 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4 is ahead, 79–72

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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. 72

    Dry

    Primacy 4 +9
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 21 tests≈ 71 (est.)85
    Reviews found online7574

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75 = 72

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

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

  2. 75

    Wet

    Primacy 4 +6
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 22 tests≈ 73 (est.)85
    Reviews found online7676

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 73.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 75

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

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

  3. 70

    Comfort

    Primacy 4 +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 69 (est.)76
    Reviews found online7174

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70

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

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport FastResponse. 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
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 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. 66

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4 +11
    77
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 66 (est.)82
    Reviews found online6671

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 66

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

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

  6. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 4 +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4
    Reviews found online7274
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse vs Michelin Primacy 4: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport FastResponseMichelin Primacy 4
Relative Score 72 79
Dry 72 81
Wet 75 81
Comfort 70 76
Noise – 71
Treadwear 66 77
Handling (owners) 72 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

SP Sport FastResponse

Primacy 4

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

The professional test results behind the scores

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.

DisciplineCategorySP Sport FastResponsePrimacy 4ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/14 2012 ACE Touring Summer Tyre Test #4/6 2025 Wybór Kierowców Summer Tire Test R16 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Sport FastResponse

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Low road noise and high initial ride comfort
  • Precise steering response and solid dry cornering grip

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some spirited drivers
  • Softer sidewalls can introduce slight flex or floatiness during high-speed maneuvers
  • Road noise can increase noticeably as the tires near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport FastResponse 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

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

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.

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 · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse B · Michelin Primacy 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available757
Rim diameters15″ – 17″15″ – 20″
SidewallBlackwall—
Sizes in common66

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

Michelin Primacy 4

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better treadwear, dry 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 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 76 vs 70 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4

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SP Sport FastResponse or Primacy 4?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport FastResponse or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport FastResponse or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport FastResponse or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 76 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport FastResponse or Primacy 4?

Michelin Primacy 4, 77 vs 66 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