tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport LM704 vs Michelin Primacy 4+ — 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 + 10 road tests and 27 + 40 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4+ is ahead, 78–63

Check price on Amazon · Primacy 4+ or SP Sport LM704 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Michelin Primacy 4+
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 10 tests Owners 71 · 40 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (abrasion)

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Primacy 4+ +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests≈ 65 (est.)82
    Reviews found online6171

    SP Sport LM704: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 64

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 71 = 78

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport LM704. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 60

    Wet

    Primacy 4+ +19
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests≈ 63 (est.)82
    Reviews found online5675

    SP Sport LM704: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.7 = 60

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82 + 40% × 74.6 = 79

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport LM704. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +6
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6369

    SP Sport LM704: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.4 = 65

    Primacy 4+: 40% × 72.9 + 60% × 69.4 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport LM704. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72

    No owner ratings of noise for Primacy 4+. 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.

  5. 66

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +19
    85
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 66 (est.)95
    Reviews found online6670

    SP Sport LM704: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.6 = 66

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 94.9 + 40% × 69.7 = 85

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport LM704. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 63

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 4+ +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Reviews found online6367
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM704Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–78
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport LM704Michelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 63 78
Dry 64 78
Wet 60 79
Comfort 65 71
Noise – 72
Treadwear 66 85
Handling (owners) 63 67
Efficiency – 78

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
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
± 8

SP Sport LM704

± 4

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 LM704Primacy 4+ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/9 2015 Auto Review Summer Tyre Test #4/8 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Sport LM704

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-term durability
  • Good dry grip and cornering stability
  • Comfortable ride quality that handles bumps well

Cons

  • Significantly compromised grip and high risk of aquaplaning in the wet
  • Numb steering feel or understeer at higher speeds for some users
  • Occasional reports of a firm or bumpy ride depending on vehicle and road surface
All owner themes in the SP Sport LM704 review

Tire B Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Strong wet and dry grip and braking confidence, often cited as a big improvement over Bridgestone, Dunlop and Nexen tyres, including on powerful cars and PHEVs that previously spun their tyres
  • Comfortable, compliant ride with soft sidewalls that suits softly sprung and family cars
  • Low and even tread wear, with several owners reporting little visible wear after 5,000–10,000 miles and one reporting about 60,000 km in hot climates

Cons

  • Road noise and drone, especially on rough asphalt, was described as severe by several owners (Skoda Yeti, Lexus), contradicting other reports of quiet running
  • Reduced grip and confidence in cold, damp conditions, with two UK owners saying the tyre behaves like a budget tyre
  • Premium pricing, with some owners questioning value when life fell short of expectations
All owner themes in the Primacy 4+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport LM704 B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—66
Rim diameters—16″ – 21″

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport LM704

Michelin Primacy 4+

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better wet, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 79 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 85 vs 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 78 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport LM704
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

SP Sport LM704 or Primacy 4+?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport LM704 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 79 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport LM704 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport LM704 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport LM704 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 85 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