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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental Eco Contact 5 vs Pirelli Powergy — 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.

Tire A Continental

Continental Eco Contact 5

Summer Premium Touring tires

Continental Eco Contact 5 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
70/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
69/100
91 owner reviews
Dry
77
Wet
77
Comfort
68
Noise
–
Treadwear
74
Handling
69

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Powergy

Summer Premium Touring tires

Pirelli Powergy tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
71/100
34 owner reviews
Dry
76
Wet
77
Comfort
79
Noise
72
Treadwear
63
Handling
75

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictToo close to call: Continental Eco Contact 5 and Pirelli Powergy are within 2 points overall. Continental Eco Contact 5 is stronger on treadwear. Pirelli Powergy is stronger on comfort and handling.
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Category breakdown

6 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eco Contact 5 leads by 1
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
77
B — Pirelli Powergy
76
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Professional tests (TWG score) 76 71
Tyre Reviews owners 79 83
Dry Braking (% of best) 94% 94%

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100)
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
77
B — Pirelli Powergy
77
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Professional tests (TWG score) 83 78
Tyre Reviews owners 68 76
Wet Braking (% of best) 97% 96%

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Powergy leads by 11
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
68
B — Pirelli Powergy
79
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Professional tests (TWG score) – 84
Tyre Reviews owners 68 72

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
–
B — Pirelli Powergy
72
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Professional tests (TWG score) – 72

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Eco Contact 5 leads by 11
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
74
B — Pirelli Powergy
63
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Tyre Reviews owners 74 63

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Powergy leads by 6
A — Continental Eco Contact 5
69
B — Pirelli Powergy
75
Why this score
SourceEco Contact 5Powergy
Tyre Reviews owners 69 75
DriverReviews owners 84 82

Scores at a glance

Continental Eco Contact 5 vs Pirelli Powergy: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental Eco Contact 5Pirelli Powergy
Relative Score 74 73
Dry 77 76
Wet 77 77
Comfort 68 79
Noise – 72
Treadwear 74 63
Handling 69 75

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
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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

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

Test data

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryTire ATire BΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 94% #8/12 · 2018 Gute Fahrt Summer Tyre Test 94% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +0.8 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/12 · 2018 Gute Fahrt Summer Tyre Test 81% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +19.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 13% #8/12 · 2018 Gute Fahrt Summer Tyre Test 20% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test -7.5 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #11/12 · 2018 Gute Fahrt Summer Tyre Test 92% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test -1.4 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 97% #3/12 · 2018 Gute Fahrt Summer Tyre Test 96% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test +1 Different tests
From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Continental Eco Contact 5

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.
Tire B Pirelli Powergy

The Pirelli Powergy is a polarizing tire that excels in dry grip and ride comfort but faces significant criticism regarding its longevity and inconsistent noise levels. While many users praise its performance as a cost-effective daily driver, others report rapid tread wear and disappointing fuel economy, leading to a mixed overall reception.

Pros

  • Strong dry pavement grip and responsive handling
  • High levels of ride comfort and impact absorption
  • Competitive pricing compared to premium tier alternatives
  • Generally quiet operation for many users

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear and shallow initial tread depth
  • Inconsistent reports on road noise, with some users citing extreme volume
  • Noticeable negative impact on fuel economy for some vehicles
  • Lack of steering feedback and 'soft' sidewall feel

Observations

  • Users with high-torque or performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., M240i, 2.0TFSI Q3) reported issues with traction and wheelspin under load.
  • Drivers of heavier vehicles or those with specific rim sizes (e.g., 235/19) noted a decline in fuel efficiency compared to previous sets.
  • The tire is frequently cited as a significant comfort upgrade over factory-fitted run-flat tires.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental Eco Contact 5

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

Tire B

Pirelli Powergy

Mixed

Community opinion on the Pirelli Powergy line is mixed, with users noting it serves as Pirelli's budget or eco-oriented offering compared to higher-end models like the Cinturato. While some find them to be a decent, affordable upgrade over older worn tires, others report concerns regarding ride comfort, noise, and potential mixing issues with other tire models.

r/GRYaris ·3 upvotes ·2025-03-07

“Are Pirelli Powergy Winter the right winter tires for the GR? Hey, my parents bought a GR Yaris last week and it’s a great car but I looked at its winter tires and those are Pirelli Powergy Winter. I’m not an expert on tires but as far as I know the P-Zero Winter would be the right choice for a GR. My father didn’t bought them because he thought it was the right tires rather a tire salesman talked him into it. I talked him into Pirelli as those were the factory tires for his Volvo 850R and would be a better choice then his current Conti Premium 5 but somehow my father misunderstood me to that point that Pirelli’s are the greatest tires ever. So he asked the salesmen for the best Pirelli Tires and told the car it’s for but the salesman sold him those Powergy tires and said that not all Pirelli’s are in stock. As my father isn’t an enthusiast but loves likes to drive performance cars he didn’t knew better and now it’s too late. In my eyes a good salesman (not in the way of profit for the company rather costumer experience) would have told him that the P-Zeros winter are out of stock but can be ordered or would show him tires from different companies. Another option is the salesman though he meant the GR Sport Yaris for which P-Zero winters are too much as not many persons in their sixties drive a real GR. So my question are the Powergy enough for the GR or should he get P-Zeros next Winter (in a few weeks we will put on summer tires)”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-31

“Ripples in side wall Just been washing the car and found what I can only describe as ripples in the side wall of my front-right tyre. Had these fitted in June, only just noticed the ripples. The other tyres are perfect. I’ve probably done around 2,000 miles on them. Should I be concerned, and do they look like a manufacturing defect, or as a result of damage? (I’ve not hit any serious potholes that I’m aware of). These tyres are Pirelli Powergy, fitted to a Volvo XC60. Date code is 3325. Any help gratefully received. Read more”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-05-18

“Pirelli cinturato P7 and Pirelli Powergy Hi all 👋🏼 So I had 4 Pirelli Cinturato P7’s on my Ford Focus ST. I got a flat tire (front left) while I was on vacation so I decided to get 2 new tires at the front. I asked the guy at the tire shop to get the same tires (so the Pirelli Cinturato’s). He got me Pirelli Powergy’s instead… He didn’t really speak English and there was not time as I was driving home the next day. So I just accepted it. Now my question is what’s the main difference between these tires? And does it matter I got 2 different tires now? (2 powergy’s at the front and 2 Cinturato’s at the back) Thanks!🙏🏼”

Top themes
#Budget eco tire line#Comparison with Cinturato#Mixed ride comfort#Winter and all-season variants#Accidental mixing with other tires

Based on 15 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Eco Contact 5 B · Pirelli Powergy
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Pirelli

Too close to call: Continental Eco Contact 5 and Pirelli Powergy are within 2 points overall. Continental Eco Contact 5 is stronger on treadwear. Pirelli Powergy is stronger on comfort and handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental Eco Contact 5 scores 74 vs 63 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Powergy scores 79 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Powergy scores 75 vs 69 on handling.

Tire A · Continental Eco Contact 5
Tire B · Pirelli Powergy

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.