Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT vs Continental PremiumContact 6 — 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 + 42 road tests and 195 + 2,346 owner reviews. How we score

PremiumContact 6 is ahead, 79–63

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Continental PremiumContact 6
± 5

Tests 84 · 42 tests Owners 75 · 2,346 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 50 in 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)

“My continental premium contact 6’s getting to end or ? I am using these for the last 3 years and drove 46K km on them. Treadwear indicator for 3mm is getting very close. Should I rush or let them run for maybe another 5-10K ? Read more”

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    PremiumContact 6 +17
    84
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 39 tests≈ 68 (est.)88
    Reviews found online6779

    Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67

    PremiumContact 6: 60% × 87.6 + 40% × 78.5 = 84

    No road tests of dry for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 69

    Wet

    PremiumContact 6 +17
    86
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 40 tests≈ 70 (est.)89
    Reviews found online6981

    Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69

    PremiumContact 6: 60% × 89 + 40% × 80.7 = 86

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

  3. 55

    Snow

    PremiumContact 6 +20
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online4677

    Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 45.6 = 55

    PremiumContact 6: 60% × 73.3 (est.) + 40% × 77.4 = 75

    No road tests of snow for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for PremiumContact 6. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 63

    Comfort

    PremiumContact 6 +13
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 67 (est.)82
    Reviews found online5972

    Sport Maxx RT: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 59.3 = 63

    PremiumContact 6: 40% × 81.8 + 60% × 71.5 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 66

    Noise

    Sport Maxx RT +11
    55
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 22 tests≈ 67 (est.)43
    Reviews found online6573

    Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66

    PremiumContact 6: 60% × 43 + 40% × 72.8 = 55

    No road tests of noise for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 53

    Treadwear

    PremiumContact 6 +26
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 58 (est.)88
    Reviews found online4465

    Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 44 = 53

    PremiumContact 6: 60% × 88.3 + 40% × 65 = 79

    No road tests of treadwear for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    PremiumContact 6 +11
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Reviews found online6778
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests–74
Scores at a glance
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT vs Continental PremiumContact 6: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sport Maxx RTContinental PremiumContact 6
Relative Score 63 79
Dry 67 84
Wet 69 86
Snow 55 75
Comfort 63 76
Noise 66 55
Treadwear 53 79
Handling (owners) 67 78
Efficiency – 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
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

Sport Maxx RT

± 5

PremiumContact 6

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.

DisciplineCategorySport Maxx RTPremiumContact 6ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/14 2015 AZ 225/40 R18 Summer Tyre Test #2/50 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Sport Maxx RT

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in both dry and wet conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and low road noise
  • Predictable and progressive handling at limits

Cons

  • Fast tread wear leading to short tire lifespan
  • Prone to developing cracks in the tread blocks or sidewalls prematurely
  • Subpar performance in freezing temperatures, snow, or slush
All owner themes in the Sport Maxx RT review

Tire B PremiumContact 6

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and short braking distances on both dry and wet road surfaces
  • Precise steering response and predictable handling near the limit
  • High level of high-speed stability and driver confidence

Cons

  • Faster tread wear and shorter lifespan reported by spirited drivers
  • Increased road noise and harshness on coarse or rough asphalt
  • Softer sidewalls can result in less immediate turn-in sharpness compared to dedicated ultra-high-performance tires
All owner themes in the PremiumContact 6 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT

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

Tire B

Continental PremiumContact 6

Positive

Community feedback for the Continental Premium Contact 6 is largely positive, with drivers consistently praising its strong wet and dry grip, safety, and braking performance. Some users note softer sidewalls compared to dedicated ultra-high-performance tires and express concerns regarding premium pricing or wear rates. Overall, it is viewed as a capable, high-performing summer tire that balances comfort and traction effectively.

r/nzev ·1 upvote ·2026-06-29

“Well having 4 tyres to change on the Polestar 2 at the same time - and the OE spec Continental Premium Contact 6 tyres being $1020 each!!! (wtf are they made from?) I went with Pirelli Dragon Sports - same 99YXL weight rating - higher speed rating. Noise - no difference at all. Efficiency - nothing I can see from a week of driving. The car's trip average kWh/100km hasn't budged. Wear? Well the Contis lasted 22k km on the front and 44k km on the rear so who knows? Couldn't be worse, could it? Traction - same in the dry and I haven't noticed any difference in the wet but haven't been hooning it...Oh - and they were $290 each balanced and fitted.”

z4-forum.com ·2022-09-26

“In the case of summer tyres nope at the part of the market things haven't changed THAT MUCH... But there are now better tyres, smoother, quieter better handling..the Conti Premium Contact 6 on my cars was a noticeable improvement.. Price can be a major variable..not sure how they price out.. Assy 6 and PS5s are both in the same space as the Conti Premium 6.. Again had Assy 5 and it was a very good tyre..the Assy 6 is even better.. Each turn of the design just keeps getting better..the R+Ts are just old designs..things have moved on..BUT NOT THAT MUCH!”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-05-04

“Continental PremiumContact 6 Bought in 2020. new, first picture is front, second is back, I rotated them 2 years ago. I see some dry rot, but they could be good for this and another year? Škoda Octavia 1.9TDI 110hp, tire size 195-65-15”

Top themes
#wet weather grip#braking and safety#sidewall stiffness and comfort#tread wear and longevity#price and value comparison#road noise levels

Based on 16 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT B · Continental PremiumContact 6
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available27113
Rim diameters16″ – 22″15″ – 22″
Tread depth9/32″8 - 9/32″
UTQG240 A A280 A - AA A
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure50 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common1919

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT

Continental PremiumContact 6

Winner: Continental PremiumContact 6 — better treadwear, snow and dry. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental PremiumContact 6 scores 79 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental PremiumContact 6 scores 75 vs 55 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental PremiumContact 6 scores 84 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental PremiumContact 6 scores 86 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
Tire B · Continental PremiumContact 6

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Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Which is better in the wet, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Continental PremiumContact 6, 86 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Continental PremiumContact 6, 84 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Continental PremiumContact 6, 75 vs 55 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT, 66 vs 55 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Continental PremiumContact 6, 76 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Sport Maxx RT or PremiumContact 6?

Continental PremiumContact 6, 79 vs 53 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