Continental ContiPrem’Contact 5
We test the latest tyre from Continental that's designed to be quiet, grip well in the wet and boost economy
Prices: £50-£200 (est)
Contact: 01895 425900, www.continental-tyres.co.uk
Tyre labelling arrives later this year, and will rate tyres on noise, fuel economy and wet grip to make it easier for drivers to pick the right set for their car. And Continental’s latest – the ContiPremiumContact 5 – has been designed with this in mind.
It features a flexible sidewall, tiny ‘whisper bar’ sipes in the outer tread and a staggered block pattern to cut noise. A new sidewall compound, flatter tread profile and stiffer bead also cut rolling resistance, to increase fuel economy, while revised grooves shift water quickly and the tread edges cut through the surface.
Manufacturers cannot reveal their tyres’ ratings until 1 July, but the PremiumContact 5 claims to be 15 per cent better in wet braking, five per cent quieter and has eight per cent lower rolling resistance than the PremiumContact 2 it replaces. The name brings the new tyre in line with Continental’s SportContact 5 and EcoContact 5.
Despite the focus on labelling, the company hasn’t forgotten the basics: crucially for a tyre that sits between the sports and economy markets, it rides well. On rough city roads, our MINI Coupe test car was very quiet, plus it coped with sharp changes of direction.
The new tyre will cost around the same as the PremiumContact 2 – from around £50 per tyre – and comes in 14 to 17-inch sizes.
Verdict
Rating: ★★★★
What is it?
Latest tyre is designed to be quiet, grip well in the wet and boost economy.
What's good?
Comfortable tyre which strikes good compromise between sporty handling and decent fuel economy.
Not so good?
Doesn’t provide the steering sharpness of sports-orientated tyres.
