Continental Sport Contact 6 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
In the 12 independent tests that ran both tires, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead 7 times and the Sport Contact 6 3 times, with 2 level. The Sport Contact 6 was stronger in wet, comfort and value, the Pilot Sport 4 S in dry.
Performance profile
14 measurements from the 12 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Sport Contact 6
Pilot Sport 4 S
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 96%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 2 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Sport Contact 6
Pilot Sport 4 S
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Sport Contact 6
Not ahead in any category
Pilot Sport 4 S
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Sport Contact 6 77% from 100 reviews and the Pilot Sport 4 S 85% from 179. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | Sport Contact 6 | Gap | Pilot Sport 4 S | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Pilot Sport 4 S ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 114 | 0.8% | 113 | 3-8 |
| Dry Handling (s) | 65.95 | 0.2% | 65.88 | 2-1 |
| Dry Handling (mph) | 73.2 | 0.4% | 73.5 | 3-6 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 1.4% | scored | 3-2 |
| Wet Sport Contact 6 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 128 | 2% | 125 | 3-9 |
| Wet Handling (s) | 62.89 | 2.2% | 61.63 | 1-2 |
| Wet Handling (mph) | 49.3 | 1.5% | 48.5 | 8-1 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | 2.6% | scored | 4-2 |
| Wet Circle (mph) | 18.4 | 2% | 18.1 | 1-1 |
| Wet Circle (s) | 12.6 | 1.7% | 12.39 | 0-1 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 49.2 | = | 49.2 | 7-5 |
| Curved Aquaplaning ft/s² | 7.6 | 0.4% | 7.7 | 0-1 |
| Comfort Sport Contact 6 ahead | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 5.2% | scored | 0-3 |
| Noise dB | 72.47 | 0.3 dB | 72.77 | 7-2 |
| Tire Weight lb | 59.6 | 1% | 60.8 | 1-1 |
| Value Sport Contact 6 ahead | ||||
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 8.52 | 0.1% | 8.47 | 6-5 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 12 tests, 2018 to 2021
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Sport Contact 6 | Field | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tire Test | P2 of 15 | P1 of 15 | |
| 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tire Test | P4 of 8 | P1 of 8 | |
| 2021 Auto Bild UUHP Summer Tire Test | P2 of 9 | P3 of 9 | |
| 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tire Test | P2 of 7 | P1 of 7 | |
| 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tire Test | P1 of 10 | P1 of 10 | |
| 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tire Test | P1 of 10 | P1 of 10 | |
| 2019 Tire Reviews UHP Summer Tire Test | P3 of 8 | P2 of 8 | |
| 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tire Test | P1 of 8 | P2 of 8 | |
| 2018 EVO UUHP Tire Test | P4 of 6 | P1 of 6 | |
| 2018 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tire Test | P1 of 6 | P3 of 6 | |
| 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tire Test | P2 of 9 | P1 of 9 | |
| 2018 Auto Bild 20 inch UHP Tire Test | P5 of 8 | P1 of 8 |
Sport Contact 6 vs Pilot Sport 4 S: your questions
Is the Continental Sport Contact 6 or the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S the better tire?
In the 12 independent tests that ran both tires, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead 7 times and the Sport Contact 6 3 times, with 2 level. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Sport Contact 6 scores 9.3 and the Pilot Sport 4 S 9.4 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Sport Contact 6 or the Pilot Sport 4 S?
The Sport Contact 6 led 24 of the 46 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it averaged a 1.5% higher speed on the wet handling course across 9 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Pilot Sport 4 S led 17 of the 30 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 0.8% shorter in the dry across 12 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.7/10 for the Sport Contact 6 and 8.4/10 for the Pilot Sport 4 S.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Sport Contact 6 77% from 100 reviews and the Pilot Sport 4 S 85% from 179. 50% of Sport Contact 6 owners would buy it again, against 80% for the Pilot Sport 4 S.
Which is more expensive?
In the 8 tests that listed prices, the Pilot Sport 4 S was the dearer tire in 8 of them, by 12.2% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Sport Contact 6 is made in 97 sizes (18 to 24 inch) and the Pilot Sport 4 S in 105 (17 to 22 inch). 62 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Sport Contact 6 is graded A for wet grip and D for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Pilot Sport 4 S A and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The Pilot Sport 4 S is the newer design: it reached the market in 2016, the Sport Contact 6 in 2015. The Sport Contact 6 replaced the Continental ContiSportContact 5 P. The Pilot Sport 4 S replaced the Michelin Pilot Super Sport.
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Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.