Michelin vs Continental Tires 2024

Michelin vs Continental: Michelin and Continental are both well known brands in the tire industry. Based on the 2023 world wide sales ranking, Michelin is the highest revenue tire manufacturer (€28 billion) while Continental ranks 4th with over €14 billion in tire sales. Michelin is currently the de-facto technology leader as they have showcased over the years with multiple award winning products while Continental has also been quite competitive in the recent years with their own range of products. Instead of having a general outlook of comparison, we will stack the same segment products and compare them head to head.

Ultra Ultra High Performance (UUHP)

• Continental Sport Contact 7 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Sport Contact 7 was the new flagship UUHP tireline from Continental which was introduced in 2021 while Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4S is relatively “old guard” and has been around since 2017. With the latest updated technology, Sport Contact 7 truly reveals its strong performance in both wet and dry criteria. Being a relatively old tire, Pilot Sport 4S managed to hold its ground in terms of aquaplaning , noise/comfort & rolling resistance.

Overall from our point of view the clear winner is the Sport Contact 7 with its strong wet braking performance! With the launch of Michelin Pilot Sport S5 as the successor of Pilot Sport 4S, the tire world is eager to see whether Continental Sport Contact 7 will be overthrown.

Ultra High Performance (UHP)

• Premium Contact 7 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5

The Continental PremiumContact 7 and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 are high-performance tires that excel in different aspects. The PremiumContact 7, featuring the RedChili compound and adaptive tread design, displays superior performance in wet braking/handling and dry conditions. Meanwhile, the Pilot Sport 5, with its Dynamic Response Technology and Dual Sport Tread Design, offers better mileage and aquaplaning performance. Both tires are considered among the best, with their performance varying slightly based on conditions.

The Continental PremiumContact 7 shines in wet and dry braking and handling, being slightly superior in these categories. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5, on the other hand, outperforms in aquaplaning and mileage, providing a longer-lasting performance. The Pilot Sport 5 also has slightly less exterior noise and rolling resistance, but comes with a 14% higher price tag. In essence, the choice between the two depends on the specific preferences and driving conditions of the user.

Touring (Europe)

• Continental PremiumContact 7 vs Michelin Primacy 4+

In both the touring and UHP (Ultra High Performance) segments, Continental offers a single product, the PremiumContact 7, differing from Michelin’s strategy where the Primacy 4+ is specifically designed for touring, and the Pilot Sport caters to UHP. The Primacy 4+, well-known in the touring tire market, is currently being evaluated for its ongoing competitiveness, especially following its recent compound update.

Regarding performance, the PremiumContact 7 outperforms in both wet and dry conditions, while the Primacy 4+ stands out for its noise reduction and rolling resistance. Considering the significance of wet performance in touring tires, the PremiumContact 7 is the winner of this duel.

Touring (2^nd Europe)

• Continental UltraContact vs Michelin Primacy 4+

The Continental UltraContact is a new tire released in 2022, focusing on mileage. It has a similar size range as the Continental PremiumContact 7. Its slogan “Made to endure” highlights its durability, and it also boasts an “A” rating for wet conditions. Wear tests, which are costly, were conducted by ADAC to check the UltraContact’s durability claims.

In comparison, the Michelin Primacy 4+ excels in wet, dry, and mileage performance. The UltraContact’s advantages are its slightly lower price and better abrasion values. Overall, the Michelin Primacy 4+ stands out as the clear winner in this comparison, even humorously suggesting that Michelin could adopt the “made to endure” slogan for its campaign.

Touring (APAC)

• Continental UltraContact UC7 vs Michelin Primacy 4 ST

Continental and Michelin each have their own touring products for the APAC region, with Continental offering the UltraContact UC7 and Michelin presenting the Primacy 4ST. Both the Continental UltraContact UC7 and the Michelin Primacy 4ST reflect their manufacturers’ deep understanding of the requirements and expectations of drivers in the APAC region.

Based on our 2023 Top Tire Review APAC Touring Tire Test, while the Continental UltraContact UC7 is a formidable option with great value, the Michelin Primacy 4 ST stands out as the winner in this comparison. Its overall performance, particularly in wet conditions, along with its efficiency, makes it the preferred choice for drivers who prioritize top-tier tire performance, even at a higher cost.

Eco

• Michelin e.Primacy vs Continental Eco Contact 6

Michelin has always been the leader in terms of innovation and was the first to launch a dedicated electric vehicle tireline called e.Primacy in 2020 while boasting to be the first carbon neutral tire out there in the market. As the eco segment has a big focus on rolling resistance, the drawbacks can be clearly seen as both tires choose different compromises. The e.Primacy shines with the lowest rolling resistance values & better dry braking but comes with a 6.1mm tread depth. Eco Contact 6 on the other hand comes with a tread depth of 6.7mm while being strong in wet & noise.

From our point of view, there is no clear winner in this case as there is no clear tire with an overall advantage. If you are an electric car owner, the trade off between having a slightly longer range vs wet performances should be properly evaluated when choosing between these 2 tires.

All Season (Europe)

• Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental AllSeasonContact 2

Michelin once again shows its innovation by revolutionizing the all season segment with its highly successful 3 peak mountain certified CrossClimate in 2015. At that time, all season markets were predominantly sold in America with poor winter performances. Cross Climate showed that it is possible to be marginally worse in summer performances while being extremely dominant in winter performances.

Continental recently released its successor to AllSeasonContact in 2023. The key question is whether it can rival or outdo the Michelin CrossClimate 2, the leader in all-season tires. Based on the test results, there’s little difference between these two top all-season tires. Both have their strengths, with minor variations. For consumers, the choice depends on their specific needs and driving conditions.

Winter

• Continental WinterContact TS 870 vs Michelin Alpin 6

TS870 is the successor of the highly successful TS860 from Continental which ruled the European winter circuit for a good period of time. Against Alpin 6, it showed tremendous snow braking, aquaplaning, wear and rolling resistance. Based on the test results, WinterContact TS 870 is definitely the winner of this duo !

Nordic

• Continental Viking Contact 7 vs Michelin X-Ice Snow

Continental’s Viking Contact 7 is an absolute legend. With an impressive overall win rate of over 90% , this tire just dominates the competition. Based on the test results, Viking Contact 7 clearly dominates in the winter category of ice & snow. This is usually the main objective of a Nordic tire which is to perform the best during cold weather conditions. The X-Ice Snow was strong in rolling resistance and aquaplaning while weak in noise & comfort. It also comes 5% cheaper than Viking Contact 7. Overall the clear performance winner is the Viking Contact 7!

Summary

Overall, both Michelin & Continental showed they are capable of making outstanding tires. There is no such general rule that who is better and it all boils down to the tire segment of interest. One thing we know for sure: Michelin & Continental certainly know how to make good tires !

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