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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero vs Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR — Compared

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

P Zero is ahead, 62–52

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Tire APirelli

P Zero

Summer

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 3,469 reviews

“Um I got my x3mc with p0's pz4 and I love them because there is no sideflex in them, you really only feel the suspension working and not the tire, so very darty steering if you will. Also put pzero all season plus on my cooper coupé s, and again excellent no sidewall flexing. May or may not try the Michelin one day. But the pzero on my x3mc burns really really fast in the back. 2 summers max, the front hardly get used, and can't swap since they are wider in the back”

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    P Zero +17
    56
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)79–
    Reviews found online6450
  2. 71

    Wet

    P Zero +12
    59
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)80–
    Reviews found online5755
  3. 50

    Snow

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +3
    53
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Reviews found online3742
  4. 62

    Comfort

    P Zero +10
    52
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online5135
  5. 59

    Noise

    P Zero +1
    58
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)61–
    Reviews found online5546
  6. 53

    Treadwear

    P Zero +7
    46
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)65–
    Reviews found online3432
  7. 58

    Handling

    P Zero +16
    42
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Reviews found online5842
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P ZeroContinental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
Relative Score 62 52
Dry 73 56
Wet 71 59
Snow 50 53
Comfort 62 52
Noise 59 58
Treadwear 53 46
Handling 58 42

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.

Important
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Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

P Zero

ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero review

Tire B ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community opinions on the Pirelli P Zero lineup are heavily polarized depending on the specific sub-model and application (automotive vs. cycling). While performance summer variants and the newer AS Plus 3 or PZ5 tyres receive strong praise for dry grip, steering feel, and value compared to Michelin or Continental alternatives, older OEM specs and certain summer variants face heavy criticism for poor wet weather traction, fast wear rates, and difficult mounting.

r/bikewrench ·4 upvotes ·2026-02-17

“Impossible to install P Zero Race TLR I have Hollowgram R45 carbon wheels on my road bike and went for Pirelli P Zero TLR 700x30 after reading great reviews. The fact is, they are impossible to install. I tried and had two mechanics try and they said it’s absolutely impossible. The tire is too tight for the wheel and there is absolutely no way of putting it on. The wheel is ETRTO standard compliant and has a 21 mm internal canal. Has anyone had any similar experience? I am quite surprised”
r/tires ·2 upvotes ·2024-12-30

“I got a pair of 22" P zeros on a flash sale on Simple tire for just over $200 each. They're over $500 everywhere else. And back up over $400 a few days later.”
r/AudiRS3 ·2 upvotes ·2026-03-28

“P Zero Winter Tire Hydroplaning I have these installed on my 8V RS3 stock wheels, 245/35 19’. In heavy rain, the car is so sketchy I literally had to turn around on my commute the other day and switch cars. Even small amounts of standing water make the car lose composure ever so slightly when traveling at 50+ in a straight line. Anyone experience the same? TireRqck has offered a refund, but I must replace with another Pirelli of any type.”
Top themes
#Wet weather grip performance#Treadwear and mileage longevity#Ride comfort and low noise#Difficult tire mounting process#Comparison with Michelin and Continental

Based on 107 community posts

Tire B

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero B · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
CategorySummer—
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available19425
Rim diameters17″ – 24″17″ – 20″
Tread depth10/32″9/32″
UTQG220 A A280 - 420 A - AA A
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure50 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Winner: Pirelli P Zero — better dry, handling and wet. Pick the Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli P Zero scores 73 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli P Zero scores 58 vs 42 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli P Zero scores 71 vs 59 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli P Zero scores 62 vs 52 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero
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Tire B · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
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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.

62

Leads

P Zero

Amazon