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 + 8 road tests and 196 + 311 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 3 leads, 70–68 Narrow edge
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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 73 · 8 tests Owners 61 · 311 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (dry braking)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 7 tests | 74 | 78 |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 64 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 69.5 = 72
Cinturato P7: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 63.5 = 72
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 7 tests | 72 | 80 |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 68 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 71.8 = 72
Cinturato P7: 60% × 80 + 40% × 68.3 = 75
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 54 |
Cinturato P7: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 61
No road tests of snow for Cinturato P7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 89 |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 61 |
Primacy 3: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 67.3 = 68
Cinturato P7: 40% × 89.4 + 60% × 60.8 = 72
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).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests | – | 61 |
| Reviews found online | – | 65 |
Cinturato P7: 60% × 61.1 + 40% × 65.4 = 63
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 73 | 61 |
| Reviews found online | 57 | 55 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 57.1 = 67
Cinturato P7: 60% × 60.6 + 40% × 55 = 58
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 68 | 63 |
| Source | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests | – | 75 |
| Category | Michelin Primacy 3 | Pirelli Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 68 |
| Dry | 72 | 72 |
| Wet | 72 | 75 |
| Snow | – | 61 |
| Comfort | 68 | 72 |
| Noise | – | 63 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 58 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | 63 |
| Efficiency | – | 75 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Primacy 3
Cinturato P7
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 7 tests that ran both, Michelin Primacy 3 finished ahead 1 times and Pirelli Cinturato P7 6 times.
| Discipline | Category | Primacy 3 | Cinturato P7 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | 95% #7/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | 99% #6/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 95% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | 96% #6/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% #6/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | 98% #7/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wear | Treadwear | 83% #3/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 72% #11/12 · 2020 ADAC SUV Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/16 | #4/16 | – | 1–6 in 7 shared tests Newest: 2014 Test World Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
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”
“The Primacy3 ZP were installed today. Of course, they need a break-in period, but from some highway and city traffic, I'm already sold that these are the best replacement run-flat tires for our 18" size. The car now glides where it previously "sandpapered" its way down the road with the original harsh and noisy Pirellis. Bumps feel far more isolated. The reviews for DriveGuard have been mediocre, not great. These are far better to my senses. The 225/50-18 size is hard to find. Tire Rack carries the Primacy3 ZP, but not in that size. Another tire store in my area confused them with the non-runflat which Michelin has named the same...just Primacy3. Then, realized they couldn't get the ZP version. Very odd wholesale distribution pattern. Discount Tire was able to order them. First day, but very, very pleased. EDIT: My wife even noticed and she never notices anything about cars. She said the car felt smoother to her as a passenger!”
“Continental DWS06 Plus non-runflats, going on my car next week. Have had OEM Michelin Primacy 3's and they are like driving on bricks. I also ordered an OEM donut spare and jack kit for the trunk. Jack kit goes in lower compartment, spare kept under the horizontal floor net (Coupe).”
Based on 23 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 3 | B · Pirelli Cinturato P7 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 42 | 49 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 240 A A | 500 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 21 | 21 |
Michelin Primacy 3
Pirelli Cinturato P7
Narrow edge: Michelin Primacy 3 — better treadwear. Pick the Pirelli Cinturato P7 if comfort and wet matter most to you.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 58 on treadwear.
Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 72 vs 68 on comfort.
Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 75 vs 72 on wet.
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Pirelli Cinturato P7, 75 vs 72 on our wet score.
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Pirelli Cinturato P7, 72 vs 68 on our comfort score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 67 vs 58 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
