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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — 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
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV

Summer Max Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tread pattern
Objective (60%)
73/100
9 professional tests
User signal (40%)
94/100
1,959 owner reviews
Dry
93
Wet
94
Snow
–
Comfort
38
Noise
82
Treadwear
90
Handling
96

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — better treadwear, noise and handling. Pick the Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV if comfort matters most to you.
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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 SUV leads by 2
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
95
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
93
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Professional tests (TWG score) 100 90
Tire Rack owners 78 94
Tyre Reviews owners 84 92
Dry Braking (% of best) 100% 96%
Dry Handling (% of best) 100% 100%

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 3
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
91
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
94
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Professional tests (TWG score) 96 95
Tire Rack owners 70 90
Tyre Reviews owners 80 88
Wet Braking (% of best) 99% 100%
Wet Handling (% of best) 100% 100%

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
93
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
–

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 SUV leads by 40
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
78
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
38
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Professional tests (TWG score) – 1
Tire Rack owners 63 90
Tyre Reviews owners 70 72

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 15
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
67
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
82
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Professional tests (TWG score) 46 76

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 25
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
65
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
90
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Tire Rack owners 42 80
Tyre Reviews owners 54 71

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 SUV leads by 15
A — Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
81
B — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
96
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5 SUVPilot Sport 4 SUV
Tyre Reviews owners 81 85
DriverReviews owners – 86

Scores at a glance

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5 SUVMichelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
Relative Score 79 84
Dry 95 93
Wet 91 94
Snow 93 –
Comfort 78 38
Noise 67 82
Treadwear 65 90
Handling 81 96

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.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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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 100% #1/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 96% #5/6 · 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test +4.3 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test +0.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% #2/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 86% #6/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +12.7 Different tests
Grass Traction Grass 89% #6/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 71% #4/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +17.7 Different tests
Gravel Handling Gravel 100% #2/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 97% #9/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test +2.9 Different tests
Gravel Traction Gravel 96% #3/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 95% #2/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +1.2 Different tests
Mud Traction Mud 82% #7/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 94% #3/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test -12.1 Different tests
Noise Other 96% #4/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 99% #8/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test -3.1 Different tests
Price Other 100% #7/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #10/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test 0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test 0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 96% #6/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test -4.4 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test -0.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2020 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test 0 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 ContiSportContact 5 SUV

The Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV is widely praised for its high-performance handling, superior wet and dry grip, and refined ride comfort. However, a significant portion of the user base reports dissatisfaction regarding rapid tread wear, with many owners of mid-to-large SUVs experiencing premature replacement intervals.

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry braking performance
  • High levels of steering precision and handling confidence
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong traction and stability during spirited driving

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, particularly on heavier SUV models
  • High price point relative to the total mileage achieved
  • Increased road noise as the tread wears down
  • Soft rubber compound prone to puncture damage

Observations

  • Owners of mid-size SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, VW Tiguan, and Ford Edge frequently report premature wear, often requiring replacement under 15,000 miles.
  • High-performance vehicle owners (e.g., BMW X5) report better longevity and satisfaction, suggesting the tire performs best when matched with specific high-performance chassis tuning.
  • Run-flat variants are noted for a firmer ride and increased noise compared to standard versions.
Tire B Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is widely regarded as a premium, high-performance tire that significantly improves ride quality and handling dynamics, particularly when replacing harsh OEM run-flat tires. While users consistently praise its exceptional wet-weather grip and confident dry-road handling, the consensus is tempered by reports of rapid tread wear and elevated road noise in certain applications.

Pros

  • Exceptional wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance.
  • Significant improvement in ride comfort and steering feel compared to OEM run-flats.
  • Predictable and progressive handling at the limit.
  • Strong dry-road grip and braking performance.

Cons

  • Faster-than-average tread wear, particularly on heavy or high-torque vehicles.
  • Increased road noise reported by some users, especially as the tire wears.
  • Higher price point compared to competitors.
  • Noticeable reduction in fuel economy or EV range due to rolling resistance.

Observations

  • EV owners (notably Tesla Model Y/3) report a measurable decrease in range (approx. 10-20%) compared to OEM efficiency-focused tires.
  • Users transitioning from factory-fitted run-flat tires on luxury SUVs (BMW X3, Mercedes GLC) report the most significant satisfaction regarding ride compliance and noise reduction.
  • Heavy, high-torque SUVs and performance vehicles experience accelerated tread wear, with some users reporting significant degradation under 20,000 miles.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is widely regarded as a high-performance tire option for luxury and sport utility vehicles, often compared against alternatives like Pirelli Scorpions and Michelin's own Latitude series. Users appreciate its strong grip and dynamic capabilities, though questions regarding tread wear, run-flat options, and comparisons with all-season variants are common.

Top themes
#handling and grip#tread life and wear#comparison with other tires#luxury SUV fitment#seasonal performance

Based on 9 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
CategorySummer Ultra High Performance tiresSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Michelin

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV — better treadwear, noise and handling. Pick the Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV scores 78 vs 38 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 90 vs 65 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 82 vs 67 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV scores 96 vs 81 on handling.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV

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.