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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Primacy 4 vs Sumitomo H/TR Z — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Primacy 4 is ahead, 78–52

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Tire AMichelin

Primacy 4

Summer

Tests 82 · 23 tests Owners 74 · 13,367 reviews

“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.”

Tire BSumitomo

H/TR Z

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 45 · 4 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 80

    Dry

    Primacy 4 +24
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Professional tests (TWG score)85–
    Reviews found online7450
  2. 81

    Wet

    Primacy 4 +24
    57
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Professional tests (TWG score)85–
    Reviews found online7653
  3. 76

    Comfort

    Primacy 4 +19
    57
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online7446
  4. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
  5. 77

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4 +33
    44
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Professional tests (TWG score)82–
    Reviews found online7129
  6. 74

    Handling

    Primacy 4 +25
    49
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4H/TR Z
    Reviews found online7449
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Primacy 4Sumitomo H/TR Z
Relative Score 78 52
Dry 80 56
Wet 81 57
Comfort 76 57
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 77 44
Handling 74 49

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Primacy 4

H/TR Z

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Primacy 4

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
  • Low road noise and a very quiet, comfortable ride
  • Reliable and consistent wet and dry grip

Cons

  • Vague, numb, or floaty steering feel with soft sidewalls under hard cornering
  • High price point compared to competitors
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or harsher ride as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 review

Tire B H/TR Z

Pros

  • High value-for-money proposition
  • Strong dry weather traction
  • Competitive tread life for some users

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread wear and longevity
  • Subpar wet weather performance
  • Reports of structural failure and blowouts
All owner themes in the H/TR Z review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Primacy 4

Positive

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.

r/ItalyMotori ·1 upvote ·2026-03-26

“Gomme alternative a Primacy 4 Buongiorno, ho una Peugeot 208 del 2020 con delle Michelin Primacy 4 205/45 R 17 88 V, le ho da 4 anni, circa 20000km all’anno tranne quest’anno che non le ho sostituite con le invernali e che quindi dovrei portarle ad usura completa con il prossimo “giro” delle gomme per altri 20000km. In totale arriverò a quasi 100000km, quindi super ammortizzate e le consiglierei sempre anche per la tenuta. Visto che entro fine estate pensavo di sostituirle tutte e quattro, vorrei capire se ci fossero delle alternative un più economiche ma altrettanto valide (un cambio gomme al momento mi costa circa €650-700). Read more”
r/polestar2 ·2025-09-28

“Michelin Primacy 4 in Snow Alright, I have some pretty fresh Primacy 4 tires that came on my 2022. I live in Minnesota and don't commute much in winter but do make some shorter trips in a metro area. What is the likelihood that I'm going to want/need different tires for winter? I thought about getting a set of Crossclimate tires and just using them year round but it seems like such a waste to not use up these nice Primacy 4 tires. It probably won't be very cost effective to un-mount and mount every year. Let me have it. Read more”
qashqaiforums.co.uk ·2022-06-03

“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”
Top themes
#tread life and longevity#cabin noise and comfort#wet and dry grip#comparisons with Pilot Sport#EV tire performance#sidewall damage and punctures#premium pricing

Based on 44 community posts

Tire B

Sumitomo H/TR Z

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Primacy 4 B · Sumitomo H/TR Z
CategorySummerSummer Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available57—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Primacy 4

Sumitomo H/TR Z

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better treadwear, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 77 vs 44 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 74 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 80 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 57 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Primacy 4
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Tire B · Sumitomo H/TR Z
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

78

Leads

Primacy 4

Amazon