80
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
1 owner review
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone B381 vs Continental Eco Contact 5 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
70/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
69/100
91 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone B381 — better comfort, dry and wet. Pick the Continental Eco Contact 5 if treadwear matters most to you.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
Category breakdown
5 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
B381 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | B381 | Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 76 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 79 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
B381 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | B381 | Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 68 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
B381 leads by 22
Why this score
| Source | B381 | Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 68 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Eco Contact 5 leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | B381 | Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 74 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
B381 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | B381 | Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 69 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone B381 | Continental Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 74 |
| Dry | 90 | 77 |
| Wet | 90 | 77 |
| Comfort | 90 | 68 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 74 |
| Handling | 80 | 69 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
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.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
Tire A
74
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone B381 is viewed as a functional replacement tire that offers a noticeable improvement over aged, worn-out rubber. However, user experience is tempered by concerns regarding structural durability and potential issues with sidewall integrity.
Pros
- Improved performance compared to aged or worn tires
- Satisfactory baseline handling characteristics
Cons
- Reports of premature sidewall failure
- Susceptibility to developing bulges
- Potential for uneven tread wear
Observations
- Users noted that rear axle performance may be sensitive to wheel balancing requirements to prevent irregular wear patterns.
The Continental EcoContact 5 is a polarizing tire that excels in fuel efficiency and longevity but receives significant criticism for its wet-weather performance and road noise. While many users praise its low rolling resistance and durability, a substantial portion of the user base reports poor traction in wet conditions and high noise levels on coarse road surfaces.
Pros
- Excellent fuel economy and low rolling resistance
- High tread longevity and durability
- Reliable and predictable dry-weather handling
- Consistent performance across a wide range of vehicle types
Cons
- Poor wet-weather grip and increased risk of aquaplaning
- High road noise on coarse or uneven asphalt
- Thin sidewalls prone to bulging or damage from potholes
- Performance degradation as tread depth decreases
Observations
- Users with smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Fiat 500, Renault Clio) frequently reported issues with wet-weather traction and wheel spin.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles or those with high-torque engines noted that the tire's performance in the wet was particularly underwhelming during acceleration.
- Owners of vehicles with 17-inch or larger wheels reported higher sensitivity to road noise and surface imperfections.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone B381 | B · Continental Eco Contact 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Touring tires | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Bridgestone
74
/ 100
Continental
Winner: Bridgestone B381 — better comfort, dry and wet. Pick the Continental Eco Contact 5 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone B381 scores 90 vs 68 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Continental Eco Contact 5 scores 74 vs 60 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone B381 scores 90 vs 77 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone B381 scores 90 vs 77 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone B381
Tire B · Continental Eco Contact 5
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone B381 also compared with
Continental Eco Contact 5 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.