Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 2 + 0 road tests and 196 + 30 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 3 is ahead, 70–55
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Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 66 · 196 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
Tests – · none yet Owners 49 · 30 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Primacy 3 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests | 74 | ≈ 61 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 50 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 69.5 = 72
FK453: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 50 = 56
No road tests of dry for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Primacy 3 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests | 72 | ≈ 63 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 56 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 71.7 = 72
FK453: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.9 = 60
No road tests of wet for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Primacy 3 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 49 |
Primacy 3: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 67.2 = 68
FK453: 40% × 64.7 (est.) + 60% × 48.8 = 55
No road tests of comfort for Primacy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Primacy 3 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 73 | ≈ 57 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 57 | 41 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 57 = 67
FK453: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
No road tests of treadwear for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Primacy 3 | FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 68 | 45 |
| Category | Michelin Primacy 3 | Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 55 |
| Dry | 72 | 56 |
| Wet | 72 | 60 |
| Comfort | 68 | 55 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 51 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | 45 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Primacy 3
FK453
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 3 tests that ran both, Michelin Primacy 3 finished ahead 3 times and Falken FK453 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Primacy 3 | FK453 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/49 | #37/49 | – | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2014 Auto Bild 50 Summer Tyre Shootout · 225/50 R17 |
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 generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
“Is your tire size 235/55-18? You might like the Michelin Primacy 3 which is actually a good price for an 18" Michelin. They are summer tires, but that's OK if you have separate winter tires. The Goodyear Assurance Maxlife sounds like something that will last a long time. The Cooper Enduramax is good if you drive over potholes and curbs because it's supposed to be tougher”
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
“So I have decided there is no way I am paying for the Bridgestone Ecopias at over £200 a tyre, and as such, I have come across the Michelin Primacy 3 on Costco, which I can get fitted for approx £93 a tyre (I only need two on the rear) They seem to have good reviews. My actual tyre size for my i3S should be 195/50 R20, but getting 195/55 R20 instead should only add up to another inch or so in height, so I'm reckoning I should be okay. What are people's thoughts?”
Based on 23 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 3 | B · Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 42 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 17″ |
| UTQG | 240 A A | 240 - 300 A - AA A |
Michelin Primacy 3
Falken FK453
Winner: Michelin Primacy 3 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 68 vs 45 on handling.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 72 vs 56 on dry.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 51 on treadwear.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 68 vs 55 on comfort.
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Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 60 on our wet score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 56 on our dry score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 68 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 67 vs 51 on our treadwear 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
