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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) vs Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 — 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 33 + 0 road tests and 2,606 + 44 owner reviews. How we score

ContiMaxContact MC5 leads, 74–70 Narrow edge

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Pirelli P Zero (PZ4)
Tire APirelli

P Zero (PZ4)

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 33 tests Owners 61 · 2,606 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test (wet handling)

“Urus Performante: Pirelli P Zero gone after 5.5k miles — normal or switch? My stock Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) on my Urus Performante are already done after just 5,500 miles (~9,500 km), mostly highway driving, no speeding, no track. Pretty disappointed with the lifespan. Got quoted $5,000 for the same Lamborghini-certified set. Alternatives are Michelin ($3,500), Nankang or any other options? Is this normal wear for this car? And are the OEM-certified tires actually worth that price, or better to switch?”

Category by category

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

  1. 82

    Dry

    P Zero (PZ4) +7
    75
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 30 / – tests89≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7278

    P Zero (PZ4): 60% × 89.3 + 40% × 71.7 = 82

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 78.1 = 75

    No road tests of dry for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 80

    Wet

    P Zero (PZ4) +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 31 / – tests87≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6978

    P Zero (PZ4): 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 68.9 = 80

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76

    No road tests of wet for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. 63

    Comfort

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +11
    74
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests69≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5977

    P Zero (PZ4): 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 58.9 = 63

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 76.7 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 70

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests72–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

    P Zero (PZ4): 60% × 71.6 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for P Zero (PZ4). 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.

  5. 33

    Treadwear

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +36
    69
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests28≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4070

    P Zero (PZ4): 60% × 28.2 + 40% × 40 = 33

    ContiMaxContact MC5: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiMaxContact MC5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 69

    Handling (owners)

    ContiMaxContact MC5 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Reviews found online6976
  7. 28

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero (PZ4)ContiMaxContact MC5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests28–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P Zero (PZ4)Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
Relative Score 70 74
Dry 82 75
Wet 80 76
Comfort 63 74
Noise 70 –
Treadwear 33 69
Handling (owners) 69 76
Efficiency 28 –

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

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
± 5

P Zero (PZ4)

± 8

ContiMaxContact MC5

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 P Zero (PZ4)

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and agile cornering stability
  • Low road noise and high comfort on smooth tarmac

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, especially on performance or rear-wheel-drive vehicles
  • Subpar performance and susceptibility to aquaplaning in cold or heavy wet weather
  • Stiff ride quality that can transmit harsh impacts on rough roads
All owner themes in the P Zero (PZ4) review

Tire B ContiMaxContact MC5

Pros

  • Exceptional cabin noise reduction and quiet operation
  • High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
  • Strong value-for-money proposition compared to premium performance rivals

Cons

  • Tread wear can be rapid when subjected to aggressive or spirited driving
  • Sidewalls are relatively soft, which may feel less progressive at the absolute limit
  • Reports of increased puncture susceptibility once tread depth decreases
All owner themes in the ContiMaxContact MC5 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4)

Negative

Community sentiment regarding the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) is largely critical, with users reporting extremely rapid tread wear and severe grip issues outside of warm, dry conditions. While some drivers consider them for OEM run-flat availability, multiple posts highlight concerns over poor longevity and lackluster wet and cold weather performance compared to competitors like Michelin.

r/BMWI4 ·3 upvotes ·2025-12-26

“Pirelli P Zero Tyres But if a rant. Brought my i4 edrive 40 about 14 months ago from a main dealer here in the UK. The front tyres (Hankook) had decent tread, obviously the rears did not, so the dealer swapped them for brand new Pirelli PZero (PZ4) tyres at the rear. Honest to god I have never driven tyres so dam trash in my life. Anything other than a perfect warm dry day, there is little to no grip and car struggles to put its power down. I assume the Zero in P Zero refers to the grip levels. Just wondered if anyone else had any experience with Pirelli’s? Read more”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#cold and wet grip#run flat availability#comparison to Michelin#OEM tire lifespan#luxury versus sport variants

Based on 7 community posts

Tire B

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) B · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available193—
Rim diameters17″ – 24″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4)

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5

Narrow edge: Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. Pick the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) if dry and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 69 vs 33 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 74 vs 63 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) scores 82 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 scores 76 vs 69 on handling.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero (PZ4)
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Tire B · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
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P Zero (PZ4) or ContiMaxContact MC5?

Which is better in the wet, P Zero (PZ4) or ContiMaxContact MC5?

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4), 80 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, P Zero (PZ4) or ContiMaxContact MC5?

Pirelli P Zero (PZ4), 82 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, P Zero (PZ4) or ContiMaxContact MC5?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 74 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, P Zero (PZ4) or ContiMaxContact MC5?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC5, 69 vs 33 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