Continental PremiumContact 7 Reviews - Page 3

Great tires, but not a good match with this car.
When a changed tires from Fulda Ecocontrol HP to Conti PremiumContact 6 on my previous car (Ford Focus), I was delighted with the dynamic capacities of the PC6 (grip, feedback). I didn’t like the comfort aspects at all (noise, damping) and the aquaplaning resistance, but the PC6 made the car fun to drive. They really matched the dynamic set-up of the car.
Changing jobs, I got to drive this car (VW Arteon Hybrid) which came with Uniroyal 4-seasons in the front and Conti EcoContact in the rear. Strange combination indeed. Changing the tires, I hoped that the PC7 would give me more driving pleasure. The Arteon is a very comfort oriented car. It is very heavy and doesn’t give you road or handling feedback. Helas, even with the PC7, the car hardly passes any information back to the driver. In terms of grip, the PC7 is indeed fabulous. I still don’t know what the limits of the tires are. Because of the excellent grip in the dry and the wet, and the lack of road or balance feedback by the car, I don’t dare to push it to the limits on a public road. So I still don’t know how the car will behave on or over the limit. That makes me a bit uneasy. But, let’s just conclude that the dry and wet grip is more than ok. One can go really fast, feeling like you’re on rails.
The downsides of the PC6 in terms of comfort have vastly improved with the PC7, but the (improved) noise level of the PC7 is more annoying in this silent car, also because I often drive electric. Then the tire noise becomes quite present. In terms of damping road imperfections, the PC7 is way better than the PC6 (or is it this car’s suspension?).
Aquaplaning resistance is also way better than the PC6. It is on the safe side now.
Fuel/electricity consumption has gone up with about 5% compared to the Uniroyal/Conti Ecocontact set-up.
Conclusion: I can only affirm the test findings: The PC7 offers excellent grip on dry and wet roads, It has gotten more comfortable and aquaplaning-safe compared to the PC6, but it still isn’t the most comfortable or fuel saving tire in it’s class. So it’s a perfect tire for “drivers cars” with a more dynamic set-up. For comfort oriented cars, however, where you don’t get to benefit from the dynamic capacities of the tires, one could find alternatives that better align with the filosofy of such a car.
Still, I don’t regret buying the PC7. The grip is great.

Tire Experience Comparison: Nokian eLine 2 vs. Continental PremiumContact 7

I wanted to share this review with you because the Nokian eLine 2 was not a very well-known tire model in the Turkish market; however, it offered an unforgettable driving experience for me. I actively used this tire between 2020 and 2024 and switched to the Continental PremiumContact 7 model as of the summer of 2024. When I evaluate it comparatively, my longing for the eLine 2 has deepened over time.

1. Fuel Consumption
With the PremiumContact 7, I observed an increase in average fuel consumption of approximately 1 liter on the same driving style and routes. This difference significantly increases the cost, especially on long distance drives.

2. Indoor Noise
One of the most negative aspects of the PremiumContact 7 is the high road noise. The noise level in the interior on bad asphalt has never been this disturbing in any summer or winter tire I have used in the past. In fact, it makes more noise than winter tires such as Michelin Alpin 4 and Alpin 6. While this situation is at a level that can cause headaches, even passengers are suggesting technical intervention by attributing the problem to the hub bearings. However, all checks reported that the hubs were intact.

3. Driving Dynamics and Performance
The difference becomes especially evident at higher speeds:
-With the Nokian eLine 2, my vehicle could barely go up to 235 km/h on a steep road.
-It is not even possible to maintain a constant speed above 220 km/h with the PremiumContact 7.

Also, in terms of driving characteristics, Nokian gives the vehicle a more agile, fast and responsive structure; with PremiumContact 7, the vehicle becomes cumbersome and slow to respond. By the way, my vehicle's maintenance is complete and its condition is very good.

4. Wet Ground Performance
Although both tires have safety-oriented designs in wet conditions, the Nokian eLine 2's wet grip performance was noticeably superior.
In sudden rain, puddles and slippery corners, Nokian provides the user with a much greater sense of confidence and stability.
The PremiumContact 7 is not bad in this area, but it feels like the Nokian is one step ahead in terms of hydroplaning resistance and braking distance.

5. Nokian eLine 2 – Pros and Cons
Negatives:

Due to its soft dough, its lifespan may be limited to 3 summer seasons.

In the 3rd season, small parts breaking off and a tendency to get damaged easily on rocky roads are observed.

Positive Aspects:

It is well above its class in terms of silence, road holding, agility and driving comfort.

The feeling of confidence it provides on wet surfaces and during sudden maneuvers makes it ideal for city driving and long distance driving.

6. Conclusion and Choice
If it were available on the market, my choice would still be the Nokian eLine 2. Although the Continental PremiumContact 7 has strong features on paper, it did not meet my expectations in terms of real user experience. Since driving comfort, interior quietness and agility are especially important for me, the Nokian was more successful in these criteria.

Got these tires for my g21 330d 18inch size 225 front 255 rear, previous tires were bridgestone turanza 6 all 4 225 and PC7 is definately louder, nothing excessive its just that turanza 6 was really quiet, every other thing performance dry/wet/ braking dry/wet has also improved, especially in the wet.
Not much to say other than im very pleased, but considering these are one of the most expensive tires you can buy, its to be expected.
Cant say much about wear so far they look like new, i've had PC6 in the past on my leon FR and they were bald in 10k miles. UPDATE: Nearly a year later and roughly 24,000kms done on these tires, the rears are down to about 4mm , wet grip has really decreased significantly and the tires are even noisier then they were already when new, i am a bit dissapointed with noise primarily considering its a quiet car and how silent the previous t006 were, gotta say for the price i paid ( 800 euro all 4) i would not buy them again, i predict the rears will need replacing at around 30,000km mark, the fronts are still holding up ok at around 6mm thread depth.

1000+ Miles. Previous tires from the previous owners were Maxxis-somethings with I'd say about 30% of their lifetime left.
Dry grip, warm and cold, has been excellent. In colder weather and at colder temperatures I have been able to get the rear to step out briefly (on a FWD!) before ESC kicks in, at a sharp angle; vs severe understeer on the maxxis, but I attribute that to the wear.
Otherwise, in a straight line, across motorway driving, Peak District roads, and city driving, brilliant grip so far.

Not had a great amount of driving in the wet to rate, but from what I have done, seems as good as any other tire I've tried.
Road Feedback: Not an expert but I'd say you get a lot of feedback out of them.
Handling feels very good, very grippy, able to be pushed a bit.
Wear, initial 1000 miles so not really comparable, but I've had a few times I've said "hmm, have I got tread left?" while looking from afar - but that's just visual I think.
Comfort.... More "clunky" when over potholes or bad road surface, but otherwise very smooth on motorways. Not jarring but certainly not luxurious.

Buy Again: With the same car or anything with more power, I would buy either these or Michelin PS4/5/. I would probably go with an EcoContact or some similar "touring" tire for a more efficient car that I didn't intend to push.