65
/ 100
Objective (60%)
62/100
5 professional tests
User signal (40%)
75/100
119 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental Premium Contact 5 vs Dunlop Winter Response 2 — 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
89
/ 100
Objective (60%)
76/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
92/100
10 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better snow, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 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)
Winter Response 2 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 75 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 86 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Response 2 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 84 | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 90 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 87% | 98% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Winter Response 2 leads by 95
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 1 | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 100 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 100% | 99% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winter Response 2 leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 93 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 54 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winter Response 2 leads by 29
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 87 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Winter Response 2 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Premium Contact 5 | Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 82 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental Premium Contact 5 | Dunlop Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 89 |
| Dry | 80 | 86 |
| Wet | 84 | 92 |
| Snow | 1 | 96 |
| Comfort | 78 | 93 |
| Noise | 54 | – |
| Treadwear | 58 | 87 |
| Handling | 77 | 82 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Tire A
89
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 20% #5/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test | 17% #6/12 · 2018 ACE All Season and Winter Tyre Test | +3.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #9/9 · 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test | 99% #3/31 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | +1.5 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 87% #4/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test | 98% #3/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | -10.5 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Continental PremiumContact 5 is widely regarded as a high-performance touring tire that excels in wet and dry grip, offering a comfortable and quiet ride. While users frequently praise its safety and handling capabilities, the consensus is heavily polarized by its rapid tread wear and soft sidewall construction, which some drivers find detrimental to steering feedback and longevity.
Pros
- Exceptional grip in both wet and dry road conditions
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
- Predictable and safe handling characteristics
- Strong braking performance
Cons
- Rapid and premature tread wear
- Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback and body roll
- Performance degradation as the tread depth decreases
- Susceptibility to sidewall damage
Observations
- Drivers of heavier vehicles and SUVs frequently report faster-than-expected tread wear and a lack of sidewall stiffness during cornering.
- Users of smaller, lighter vehicles often praise the tire's comfort and noise reduction, though some note it feels less 'sporty' than previous tires like the Bridgestone Turanza.
- Several owners of high-torque diesel engines reported issues with wheelspin, suggesting the tire may struggle with immediate torque delivery on certain platforms.
The Dunlop Winter Response 2 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction in snow and wet conditions. Users frequently highlight its balanced performance, noting that it maintains impressive grip and low noise levels even in dry, cold weather, making it a strong value proposition in the premium winter segment.
Pros
- Outstanding traction and confidence in deep snow and icy conditions.
- Excellent wet weather grip and handling stability.
- Low road noise levels, even at motorway speeds.
- Strong value for money compared to other premium winter offerings.
Cons
- Some reports of faster-than-expected tread wear.
- Noticeable sidewall roll during cornering at higher speeds.
- Inconsistent performance ratings across different tire widths in independent testing.
Observations
- Users noted that the tire remains remarkably quiet on smaller vehicles like the Renault Clio, particularly in 185/55 R15 sizing.
- Longevity appears sufficient for moderate usage, with one user reporting 46,000 km of service while maintaining 4mm of tread depth.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental Premium Contact 5 | B · Dunlop Winter Response 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Continental
89
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better snow, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 96 vs 1 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 87 vs 58 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 93 vs 78 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 92 vs 84 on wet.
Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 5
Tire B · Dunlop Winter Response 2
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental Premium Contact 5 also compared with
Dunlop Winter Response 2 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.