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Head-to-head Updated

Nexen N Fera SU1 vs Continental Sport Contact 3 — 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 3 + 0 road tests and 164 + 245 owner reviews. How we score

Sport Contact 3 is ahead, 68–63

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Nexen N Fera SU1
Tire ANexen

N Fera SU1

Summer

± 7

Tests 63 · 3 tests Owners 63 · 164 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Continental Sport Contact 3
Tire BContinental

Sport Contact 3

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 245 reviews

“The SC3 didn't quite manage 10,000 miles on the front of my 406. On the rear they fared a little better. In fairness though I was asking them to put down well over 300lbft, in a FWD car with a hefty lump of a diesel engine sat above 'em”

Category by category

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

  1. 59

    Dry

    Sport Contact 3 +12
    71
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests55≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6472

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 55 + 40% × 64.2 = 59

    Sport Contact 3: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.4 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 64

    Wet

    Sport Contact 3 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests62≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6773

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 61.9 + 40% × 67.3 = 64

    Sport Contact 3: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 72

    No road tests of wet for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)–
    Reviews found online50–

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 49.8 = 58

    No road tests of snow for N Fera SU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 66

    Comfort

    N Fera SU1 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests66≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6664

    N Fera SU1: 40% × 65.7 + 60% × 65.5 = 66

    Sport Contact 3: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 63.5 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for Sport Contact 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 69

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests69–
    Reviews found online70–

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 69.3 + 40% × 69.8 = 69

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    N Fera SU1 +11
    55
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5948

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 59.3 = 66

    Sport Contact 3: 60% × 59.9 (est.) + 40% × 48.3 = 55

    No road tests of treadwear for Sport Contact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    Sport Contact 3 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Reviews found online6668
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests76–
Scores at a glance
CategoryNexen N Fera SU1Continental Sport Contact 3
Relative Score 63 68
Dry 59 71
Wet 64 72
Snow 58 –
Comfort 66 65
Noise 69 –
Treadwear 66 55
Handling (owners) 66 68
Efficiency 76 –

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

N Fera SU1

± 8

Sport Contact 3

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

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.

DisciplineCategoryN Fera SU1Sport Contact 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/6 2023 APAC Tyre Test #1/10 2012 EVO Max Performance Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A N Fera SU1

Pros

  • Exceptional value and significantly lower price compared to premium brands
  • Remarkably quiet ride and high overall comfort
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting and spirited driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause vague handling, body roll, or a floating sensation on heavier vehicles
  • Faster than average tread wear or inconsistent durability for some users
  • Reports of rubber cracking or splitting along the sidewalls and tread blocks over time
All owner themes in the N Fera SU1 review

Tire B Sport Contact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip
  • High levels of steering precision and road feedback
  • Progressive handling characteristics at the limit

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, particularly on the front axle
  • High purchase price relative to longevity
  • Increased road noise as the tire wears
All owner themes in the Sport Contact 3 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Nexen N Fera SU1

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

Tire B

Continental Sport Contact 3

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding the Continental Sport Contact 3 is polarized. While several drivers praise its aesthetic appeal, ride comfort, and solid wet and dry grip, others express strong dissatisfaction with rapid tread wear, inconsistent traction across temperature ranges, and relatively high pricing compared to newer alternatives.

r/Trackdays ·1 upvote ·2026-04-23

“if you like the feeling of riding on marshmallows! Sc3 fresh off a high temp warmer can be really soft, I had an upsetting moment turning onto pit road with hot sc3s. The tire deformed enough that i thougt I was going to lose the front. By the time I got to T3, things had firmed up. Based just on that, I agree with the low temp settings your hearing from P.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2017-06-17

“Originally Posted By: d00df00d Originally Posted By: edyvw Continental Sport Contact 3 What car and size? I had this tire on my '96 M3 in 245/40-17 all around on 8.5" wheels. I liked it, especially coming from the awful Kumhos and Falkens I had run before, but I remember it feeling a bit squishy for my taste. The PS2 was a better performer in every way, with only a slight NVH penalty IIRC. Came from factory on new Skoda Octavia A5 1.9TDI. I think that was in 2011 when I purchased that car in Bosnia.”
forums.m3cutters.co.uk ·2009-01-16

“Just had mine replaced. Ended up getting Contact 3's on the back, same as the front, to keep them all the same. Went to National tyres and they quoted me £518 + £6.50 valves + £11.50 balance for 2 rears. Said he'd have to do better than that, ended up paying £421 all in after a bit of haggling and they had 2 in stock.”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#wet and dry grip#high replacement cost#ride quality and feel#temperature sensitivity#dated tire technology

Based on 38 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Nexen N Fera SU1 B · Continental Sport Contact 3
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9722
Rim diameters15″ – 24″16″ – 20″
Tread depth9/32″—
UTQG300 A A—
Treadwear warranty25,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—
Sizes in common1717

Which one should you actually buy?

Nexen N Fera SU1

Continental Sport Contact 3

Winner: Continental Sport Contact 3 — better dry and wet. Pick the Nexen N Fera SU1 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental Sport Contact 3 scores 71 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 66 vs 55 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental Sport Contact 3 scores 72 vs 64 on wet.

Tire A · Nexen N Fera SU1
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Tire B · Continental Sport Contact 3
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N Fera SU1 or Sport Contact 3?

Which is better in the wet, N Fera SU1 or Sport Contact 3?

Continental Sport Contact 3, 72 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, N Fera SU1 or Sport Contact 3?

Continental Sport Contact 3, 71 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, N Fera SU1 or Sport Contact 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, N Fera SU1 or Sport Contact 3?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 66 vs 55 on our treadwear 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