Tests 84 · 23 tests Owners 77 · 13,443 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)
“I have Primacy 4s on my Volvo wagon. I've been very pleased. Plenty of grip, low road noise and longevity.”
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 + 0 road tests and 13,443 + 205 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 4 is ahead, 81–63
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Tests 84 · 23 tests Owners 77 · 13,443 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)
“I have Primacy 4s on my Volvo wagon. I've been very pleased. Plenty of grip, low road noise and longevity.”
Tests – · none yet Owners 62 · 205 reviews
“I have these tires on my 2013 GL550 and they handle really well here in Chicago. They are a little loud for me, but do great in the snow and rain.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 76 | 62 |
Primacy 4: 60% × 85.9 + 40% × 75.5 = 82
Primacy HP: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.4 = 64
No road tests of dry for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 80 | 63 |
Primacy 4: 60% × 85.6 + 40% × 79.5 = 83
Primacy HP: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 65
No road tests of wet for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests | 75 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 76 | 58 |
Primacy 4: 40% × 75.2 + 60% × 75.9 = 76
Primacy HP: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 57.6 = 61
No road tests of comfort for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / – tests | 73 | – |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | – |
Primacy 4: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 71
No owner ratings of noise for Primacy 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests | 85 | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 76 | 61 |
Primacy 4: 60% × 84.8 + 40% × 75.5 = 81
Primacy HP: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 63
No road tests of treadwear for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 76 | 59 |
| Source | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / – tests | 93 | – |
| Category | Michelin Primacy 4 | Michelin Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 63 |
| Dry | 82 | 64 |
| Wet | 83 | 65 |
| Comfort | 76 | 61 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 81 | 63 |
| Handling (owners) | 76 | 59 |
| Efficiency | 93 | – |
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.
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 4
Primacy HP
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.
| Discipline | Category | Primacy 4 | Primacy HP | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/6 2025 Wybór Kierowców Summer Tire Test R16 | #5/6 2010 Autocar Tyre Test - FWD | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
The Michelin Primacy 4 is generally praised for its comfortable ride, low road noise, and strong braking and safety in both dry and wet conditions. While many users report excellent tread longevity across tens of thousands of kilometers, some note faster wear on heavier electric vehicles or rough surfaces. It is viewed as a premium touring tire that is unsuitable for winter conditions, prompting some drivers to weigh its high price against newer models like the Primacy 5 or cheaper alternatives.
“Yokohama es la que va pero fijate que ya este año salieron las nuevas advan v61, esas geolandar g058 son modelo viejo. Las primacy 4 son modelo viejo y te las cobran como si fuesen oro. Bridgestone y continental tambien las vi a precio de oro. Pirelli son medio pelo, no son malas pero son ruidosas, ya que estás en el baile podes ir por algo mejor, como las yokohama.”
“I'll have to remember to get some E's. That aside, the primacy 4 fitted to the mokka only have 6.5 mm, if that, from new so perhaps they were just an older name. Gaz”
“Both our Polestar2 (new) and 2016 Leaf (Jap import) arrived with Primacy 4s on them. The FWD Polestar needed fronts replaced at ~35k km and being 245/45 R19s Primacy were too pricey so went with Kumho Ecsta PS71 equivalents for a lot cheaper and negligible difference in performance. The rears on the Polestar are still going strong at 45k km and look like at least 60k km will be likely. We also fitted Kumhos on our previous Leaf and were very satisfied with performance and life.”
Based on 43 community posts
Community opinion on the Michelin Primacy HP is divided depending on use case: enthusiasts frequently criticize them for lacking grip compared to dedicated Pilot Sport performance tires, though many appreciate their playful, low-traction slide characteristics on cars like the GR86/BRZ. Owners also note their low rolling resistance and suitability for mild climates, but raise occasional discussions around shoulder cracking with age and their limitation as summer-only rubber.
“You will notice the difference, but if you don't track, autocross, or canyon carve, I wouldn't bother. You don't have to stick with Primacy but it's not worth the PSS. The only reason I would go PSS in that instance, is if the price is similar to Primacy HP (it might actually be similar). If you drive in snow at all I would not go with PSS. Do not go with anything more aggressive than PSS for day to day street driving. There are people who daily drive more aggressive RS3s, RE-71s, ZII Star Specs, etc. but they track/autocross, know the limits, and take it easy around standing water.”
“I noticed these cracks at around spring this year. The car experiences frequent moments of hard driving so I'm thinking of replacing the tires next spring when the car comes out of hibernation as I'm a little worried about how they're going to hold up despite there still being plenty of thread left. The tires are original to the car (2016 Scion FRS). Date code of this one is 4215, but they're all within a couple of weeks or so and they're all in the same condition. Tires and car have 25,000km on them.”
“So long as you’ve got some tread, the stock Primacy HP tires are plenty safe for Bay Area weather all year ‘round. Just don’t drive anywhere that gets real winter weather or freezing temps. I’d avoid trips up to Tahoe in January. And don’t climb Mt. Diablo or Mt. Hamilton when they get their occasional dusting of snow. (I live in upstate NY now, so I’m familiar with tires & winter conditions …but I’m also a Bay Area native.)”
Based on 36 community posts
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 4 | B · Michelin Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 57 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 17″ |
| UTQG | 340 A A | 240 A A |
Michelin Primacy 4
Michelin Primacy HP
Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better dry, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 82 vs 64 on dry.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 83 vs 65 on wet.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 63 on treadwear.
Michelin Primacy 4 scores 76 vs 59 on handling.
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Michelin Primacy 4, 83 vs 65 on our wet score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 82 vs 64 on our dry score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Michelin Primacy 4, 81 vs 63 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