Continental PureContact LS vs Michelin Primacy HP — Compared (September 2026)

“Pilot Super Sports VS Stock Primacy HP? One of my Primacy HP tires got a screw and it's not reparable. I'm considering taking this opportunity to fit my FRS with 4 Pilot Super Sports, but I've heard the Primacy HP tires are actually pretty decent tires. I do not track my car, I just daily drive it. Will I notice a significant improvement by upgrading to the super sports? Or will they be wasted on me? My research has turned up that the Super Sports will change my life. I will inherit millions of dollars, and cats around the world will love me. This makes me think they miiiight be a little overrated. In the same light, the Primacy HP's seem to be severely underrated, and the myth about them being crappy Prius tires seems to be the anchor in the bias. Can anyone who actually knows their sh-tuff help me out here? TL;DR: I don't track my car. Will stock Primacy HP's be as good as Pilot Super Sports for my intents and purposes?”

“You will notice the difference, but if you don't track, autocross, or canyon carve, I wouldn't bother. You don't have to stick with Primacy but it's not worth the PSS. The only reason I would go PSS in that instance, is if the price is similar to Primacy HP (it might actually be similar). If you drive in snow at all I would not go with PSS. Do not go with anything more aggressive than PSS for day to day street driving. There are people who daily drive more aggressive RS3s, RE-71s, ZII Star Specs, etc. but they track/autocross, know the limits, and take it easy around standing water.”

“I agree with the other posters on the Michelin and Continental tires being a huge performance upgrade, but keep in mind that the Primacy HPs are low rolling resistance fuel economy oriented and are also used on some Prius models. You will have a 1 to 2 mpg reduction switching to summer tires.”

“PSA: The Stock Michelin Primacy HP tires are SUMMER tires! I figured, given that winter has finally arrived in much of the US, I'd make a quick reminder that this car ships in the US with summer only tires. I've noticed that this fact is rarely mentioned in threads about snowy weather or winter tires, and I myself didn't realize this until just before I bought mine. A quick explanation for the non-car guys in the sub. Most cars in the US sell new with all-season tires mounted. These are tires that maintain a balance to allow them to work OK on hot dry pavement, in the rain, and in winter weather. Not great, but OK. They're a jack of all trades, master of none In contrast, these cars (at least in the US market) shipped with summer-only tires. This means that they are NOT OK for use in winter weather--even just cold dry pavement. Summer tires are made of a compound that is too hard in cold weather, therefore not sticky even on clean pavement. In addition, they often lack the open spaces in the tread that are necessary for good snow traction.”