Continental Premium Contact Vs Michelin PE2

Berger

Berger

Berger

Soldato
Joined
22 May 2003
Posts
10,856
Location
Wigan
Anyone used both to compare?

I need a front tyre, so will probably replace the pair on the front.

I have PE2 on the rear and have been happy with them, excellent all round grip but could be a little stiffer perhaps as some feel is removed.
 
Surprised you feel the need for something stiffer and more feel, PE2's are pretty much top of the tree in that regard until you start using semi slicks. You driving something track focused?

Continental Premium Contacts are said offer more grip but are softer and not quite as much feel. That's the general consensus anyway, I've used both tyres but not on the same car.
 
For my 306 Rallye. I use R888s on track so these are a road tyre only.

It takes balloon profile tyres 195/55/15.

Have to see how much the Michelins come in at from Costco. £89 on Camskill and £77 for the Continentals.
 
Just an update on this.

The totally stupid price of Michelins fitted is leading towards me TRYING to buy some Continentals instead.

Plus when I phoned Costco the PE2s were special order only, and the bloke said they were being discontinued and only 16 left showing available to order on their computer.

But what a nightmare trying to get 2 Continentals has turned out to be, spent all day and got nowhere. National tyres and Quick fit couldn't balance my wheels and didn't have any stock. My local ATS quoted a totally stupid figure, £75 more than the other two places, more than £100 more than I could buy a pair from Camskill for.

National tyres then told me another branch could balance my wheels, phoned them, asked if they could get stock today, they told me they could. Drove up there to find that no they couldn't get stock today, they assumed that they could. Offered me some Barums instead "made by Conti..." great....

And they wonder why people order their tyres online and then end up having to use these muppets to fit them!


Come Monday I'll try the ATS local to work, as I know they can balance the wheels and in the past they have been decent about prices! If they match what National tyres and Halfords Autocentre were quoting then ill be happy with that, just take them my wheels loose and collect them another day!

£175 for a pair of 195/55/15 Continental Premium Contact 2s, fitted and balanced etc etc. They are £154 posted from Camskill. If anyone can do better than that then let me know! Michelin PE2s were coming in at around £220-240 a pair.

Who would have thought it would be so much hassle, its a Peugeot 306 with standard wheels, nothing exotic! I just don't want to fit budget ditchfinders which seems to be the issue!
 
The PE2's might be discontinued as the PS3's replaced them in a number of sizes, though i didn't think that was one of the sizes i must admit.

I used the PE2's for nearly 4 years on my old Corsa and i loved them. Conti Premium contacts were OEM fitment tyres and i never found them as good myself. The PE2's just seems to give better feedback and held better, more so in wet conditions.

Certainly not cheap though!
 
I'm really not a fan of the ContiPremiumContacts.

Maybe I just drive like tit, but they didn't seem all that great on the V50.
Pirelli P7 Cinturato is where I'd put my money.
 
mjt said:
I'm really not a fan of the ContiPremiumContacts.

Maybe I just drive like tit, but they didn't seem all that great on the V50.
Pirelli P7 Cinturato is where I'd put my money.
Click to expand...

Can't say I have heard of them before.

Looks like they offer the P7, but not the Cinturato in my size.
 
Oh, incase I didn't make it obvious in my first post.

I have been using PE2 all round on the car, not just on the rear. I ran something over which put a small egg in the sidewall of one of the fronts, so I am replacing both front tyres and retaining the part worn one as a spare (5mm tread).

I have now ordered Continental Premium Contact 2's through the ATS local to my work so will suck it and see. The new Pirelli P7's were more expensive, and there wasn't really anything else that I wanted. They get a good review on that ADAC link above, although the PE2 isn't included there.

Continentals being 20% cheaper than Michelin is a large enough difference to make it worth a try.

I don't drive with my pants on fire on the road, just want some decent wet and dry grip as well as steering feel. I'll use them as wets on track if its not suitable for R888s.
 
Just an update on this I went for the Continentals. The Pirellis were coming in quite expensive, and with no reviews to go off its a bit of a shot in the dark spending ~£200 on them.

Have done ~250 miles on them now so should be worn in.

Compared to the Michelins they feel much the same really, and were excellent in the heavy rain we have had recently.

The Continentals don't have as much of a tyre rim protection as the Michelins, so could be an issue if you have small profile tyres/parking trouble.

Comparing the two going off the sidewall of the tyre.

Michelin Pilot Exalto 2 ------------- Wear Rate 240 Traction A Temperature A
Continental Premium Contact 2 ---- Wear Rate 280 Traction AA Temperature A
Toyo GG R888 -------------------- Wear Rate 100 Traction AA Temperature A

Time will tell if they wear better than the Michelins that they have replaced (as the side of the tyre would indicate), but for 20% less than Michelins would have cost I am happy.
 
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