Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 73 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2023 APAC Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Primacy 4 ST vs Michelin Primacy 5 — 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 1 + 11 road tests and 1 + 2,681 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 5 is ahead, 82–73
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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76
Dry
Primacy 5 +278Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests 78 77 Reviews found online 73 80 Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 78 + 40% × 73.4 = 76
Primacy 5: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 79.6 = 78
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75
Wet
Primacy 5 +984Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests 73 83 Reviews found online 77 86 Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 76.6 = 75
Primacy 5: 60% × 82.7 + 40% × 85.7 = 84
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70
Comfort
Primacy 5 +1888Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests 71 100 Reviews found online 69 81 Primacy 4 ST: 40% × 70.8 + 60% × 69.2 = 70
Primacy 5: 40% × 100 + 60% × 80.5 = 88
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70
Noise
Primacy 5 +272Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 9 tests 73 76 Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70
Primacy 5: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 72
No owner ratings of noise for Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5. 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.
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69
Treadwear
Primacy 5 +1988Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 91 Reviews found online 71 85 Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 69
Primacy 5: 60% × 90.9 + 40% × 84.6 = 88
No road tests of treadwear for Primacy 4 ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
-
71
Handling (owners)
Primacy 5 +879Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Reviews found online 71 79 -
75
Efficiency
Primacy 5 +1792Why this score
Source Primacy 4 ST Primacy 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 9 tests 75 92
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Primacy 4 ST | Michelin Primacy 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 82 |
| Dry | 76 | 78 |
| Wet | 75 | 84 |
| Comfort | 70 | 88 |
| Noise | 70 | 72 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 88 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 79 |
| Efficiency | 75 | 92 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
73
/ 100
Primacy 4 ST
82
/ 100
Primacy 5
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.
| Discipline | Category | Primacy 4 ST | Primacy 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 94% #6/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 98% #8/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 100% #3/10 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 99% #3/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 99% #3/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% #3/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 89% #5/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 96% #6/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 100% #1/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 98% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 100% #1/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 99% #4/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 60% #7/10 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test | 100% #1/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/6 2023 APAC Tyre Test | #3/8 2026 Auto Motor Und Sport Summer Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Primacy 4 ST
Pros
- Exceptional durability and tread life
- High levels of wet and dry grip
- Superior ride comfort
Cons
- Slightly higher noise levels compared to the segment-leading quiet tire (Continental CC6)
- Fuel efficiency is competitive but not class-leading
Tire B Primacy 5
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and smooth absorption of road imperfections
- Significantly reduced road noise on smooth asphalt and general highway cruising
- Strong wet weather performance with high resistance to aquaplaning
Cons
- Softer sidewalls can result in less direct steering response and reduced dry handling precision compared to sportier alternatives
- Some users report loud resonance and increased vibration on rough or poor asphalt surfaces
- Occasional wheel-spin or reduced initial bite during aggressive acceleration from a standstill
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Michelin Primacy 4 ST
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Primacy 5
Community sentiment towards the Michelin Primacy 5 is broadly positive, with users frequently praising its low road noise, comfort, and noticeable improvements over factory tires and prior models. However, opinions are mixed regarding ride firmness on certain setups, and several drivers report unexpectedly rapid tread wear and mediocre wet grip under aggressive acceleration. Comparative discussions frequently position it against the Continental PremiumContact 7 and Michelin Pilot Sport 5, framing the Primacy 5 as an efficiency- and comfort-focused touring option.
r/MercedesEQS
·6 upvotes ·2026-05-22
“New Shoes Primacy 5 Energy Extremely quiet and efficient, my previous usage was 21kwh/100km, now it's just 18.9kwh/100km.”
r/tires
·2 upvotes ·2025-07-31
“Primacy 5 side wall damage I just hit my rear tire with some unknown metal object which completely cut it and blow my tire up. I just heard a loud bang and I drove 2-300 more meter as pulled my car over. Do you guys think the rim is still fixable and safe to use, I mean is this considered to be a big or small rim damage? My car is 17 years old 2009 Volkswagen golf/jetta 1.4 TSI MK 5 with original steel rim. The tires are Michelin primacy 5 which I just bought 4 weeks ago for nearly 700€ including installation 🥲🥲. ( half of my car’s value btw) And do you know if Michelin has a warranty about this or not? Should I also have other things checked tomorrow like alignment or brake or something when I visit the repair shop? Any tips are greatly appriciated as im a very new driver. Tire size: 205/55/R16 94V”
team-bhp.com
“205/55 R16 - A common size missed and 205/60 R16 launched. Customers won't be able to upsize too as the variation is ~3.25% between both.”
Top themes
#Ride comfort and bumps#Road noise reduction#Tread wear and longevity#Wet grip and braking#Comparison with Continental PC7#Fuel efficiency and EV range#Comparison with Pilot Sport 5
Based on 64 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 4 ST | B · Michelin Primacy 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 7 | 86 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Sizes in common | 6 | 6 |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 4 ST
82
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 5
Winner: Michelin Primacy 5 — better treadwear, comfort and efficiency. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Primacy 4 ST rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Primacy 5 scores 88 vs 69 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Primacy 5 scores 88 vs 70 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin Primacy 5 scores 92 vs 75 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Primacy 5 scores 84 vs 75 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Primacy 4 ST
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 5
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Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Which is better in the wet, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Michelin Primacy 5, 84 vs 75 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 78 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 72 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Michelin Primacy 5, 88 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Michelin Primacy 5, 88 vs 69 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Primacy 4 ST or Primacy 5?
Michelin Primacy 5, 92 vs 75 on our efficiency 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