Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 23 + 4 road tests and 13,399 + 131 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 4 is ahead, 80–70
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Tests 84 · 23 tests Owners 77 · 13,399 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)
“Well my answer is none of the above. You choose, they are all a lottery imo. I just bought some Michelin Primacy 4 for mine today. Size 215/55 R18”
Tests 67 · 4 tests Owners 75 · 131 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test (wear)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 4 tests | 86 | 64 |
| Reviews found online | 77 | 76 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 99% | 92% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 99% | 88% |
Primacy 4: 60% × 85.8 + 40% × 77.2 = 82
g-Grip: 60% × 63.9 + 40% × 76.1 = 69
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 4 tests | 86 | 66 |
| Reviews found online | 80 | 74 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 94% |
Primacy 4: 60% × 86.1 + 40% × 79.6 = 83
g-Grip: 60% × 66.3 + 40% × 73.9 = 69
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests | 77 | ≈ 70 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 76 | 73 |
Primacy 4: 40% × 76.6 + 60% × 76.4 = 76
g-Grip: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.1 = 72
No road tests of comfort for g-Grip. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 2 tests | 74 | 62 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 97% | 95% |
Primacy 4: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71
g-Grip: 60% × 62.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 64
No owner ratings of noise for Primacy 4 or g-Grip. 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.
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests | 85 | 73 |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 76 |
Primacy 4: 60% × 85 + 40% × 74.1 = 81
g-Grip: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 75.8 = 74
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 76 | 73 |
| Source | Primacy 4 | g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 1 tests | 93 | 71 |
| Category | Michelin Primacy 4 | BFGoodrich g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 70 |
| Dry | 82 | 69 |
| Wet | 83 | 69 |
| Comfort | 76 | 72 |
| Noise | 71 | 64 |
| Treadwear | 81 | 74 |
| Handling (owners) | 76 | 73 |
| Efficiency | 93 | 71 |
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.
Primacy 4
g-Grip
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 1 tests that ran both, Michelin Primacy 4 finished ahead 1 times and BFGoodrich g-Grip 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Primacy 4 | g-Grip | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% | 92% | +7.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 88% | +11.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 | 94% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% | 94% | +6.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% | 94% | +5.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Noise | Noise | 97% | 95% | +2.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 87% #2/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 91% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 83% #2/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 81% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 63% #10/10 · 2022 AutoBild SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test | 77% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #3/21 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | #5/20 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Value | Cost | 83% #8/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 75% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/14 | #6/14 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 New and Worn 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 sentiment towards the Michelin Primacy 4 is generally positive, with drivers frequently praising its quiet ride, comfort, and dependable wet and dry braking performance. Several owners note impressive longevity reaching over 50,000 to 70,000 km, though some EV and SUV drivers report accelerated wear and fragile sidewalls over rough terrain. It is commonly viewed as a premium touring tire that commands high prices compared to competitors.
“I have on my BMW E87 118d Primacy 4 since 2020 and I think I have covered about 30k km with them and I can certainly cover another 5-10k km with them but the DOT is 2019 so I am changing them next year. I thought I would buy new ones this year, but I gave up because I will soon put on winter ones, so I will buy new summer ones next year. I am delighted with the Primacy 4, excellent and safe in the rain and in the dry, especially in the rain, I literally drive as if it were dry, that's how safe I feel, and I honestly drive a little faster and more aggressively. It is 205 55 R16 and the tires are made in Spain.”
“Am at Saifees, Mumbai. One of my Primacy 4 got punctured at an angle, so is wasted. The tread depth on these 4 year old, 41350 km run is just less than 4mm, so due for replacement after another 5-10k (3mm depth). Saifee tells me Primacy 5 may come at year end. Some tyres willl be manufactured in India (unconfirmed, but usually Saifee knows better) , but can't predict which ones. Meanwhile I've taken an Apollo Alnac in very good condition for Rs.1500/- and will change all tyres together to Primacy 5.”
“Had a shop install two new Michelin Primacy 4 in the front of my W124 yesterday. On the way back home i checked the pressure and the right one was a little on the low side. Drove the car today and after a few kms of city driving i noticed it was steering itself to the right once i was out of the stop and go traffic. Got out of the car and the tire was almost flat. I put 2.7 bar in it at the first station but noticed the sidewall is now damaged and there's a buldge... How is this possible? It is wet and i can hear the sound of air coming out of the tire but can't identify where it comes from. If the rim is the problem, why did they install the tire without noticing me first? If they don't admit their fault and blame it on the rim, i'm going to have to buy a new tire...”
Based on 44 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 4 | B · BFGoodrich g-Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 57 | 32 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 14″ – 19″ |
| Sizes in common | 20 | 20 |
Michelin Primacy 4
BFGoodrich g-Grip
Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better efficiency, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 93 vs 71 on efficiency.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 83 vs 69 on wet.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 82 vs 69 on dry.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 71 vs 64 on noise.
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Michelin Primacy 4, 83 vs 69 on our wet score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 82 vs 69 on our dry score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 71 vs 64 on our noise score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 76 vs 72 on our comfort score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 74 on our treadwear score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 93 vs 71 on our efficiency 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
