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Last updated 5/03/2024 - Originally published 5/03/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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Among the top-rated tire manufacturers of the world, Pirelli and Continental have been in the business for more than 150 years, innovating several essential features in the tire industry. For people looking for ultra-high-performance tires, Pirelli and Continental are on their preferred brand lists due to the company's wide range of proven UHP tire lines. The Cinturato P7 and ContiSportContact 6 are their high-performing UHP summer tires.
Designed for crossovers, luxury sedans, and sports coupes, the Pirelli Cinturato P7 and Continental ContiSportContact 6 offer excellent traction, grip, handling, and stability thanks to their special silica compounds and asymmetric tread patterns. Drivers looking for performance tires for their passenger cars are likely to get confused between the two.
To ease the buying decision, let’s compare Pirelli Cinturato P7 and Continental ContiSportContact 6 based on our proprietary scoring system—SimpleScore—and analyze which one is best for you. Here we go.
Introduced in 2020, the Cinturato P7 carries a legacy of over 70 years and comes factory-fitted on several cars. While technologies like Run Flat and Seal Inside assure consistent performance even during rapid air loss, the PNCS (Pirelli Noise Cancelling System) system on the Pirelli tire reduces soundwaves with the help of a device placed inside the circumferential wall. Elect technology makes it ideal for electric vehicles as it’s better optimized and weighs less. The longitudinal grooves allow quick water evacuation to avoid the risk of aquaplaning, while the balanced pressure distribution improves wearability as it promotes even wear and resists uneven wear. Manufactured with minimal environmental harm, the Pirelli tire creates low rolling resistance, leading to high fuel efficiency.
With an excellent SimpleScore of 9 out of 10, the Pirelli Cinturato P7 promises superior traction, handling, and longevity.
Launched in 2015, the ContiSportContact 6 is almost a decade old but is a performance-proven tire. Its wide range of sizes makes it fit for passenger cars, coupes, sedans, crossovers, SUVs, electric vehicles, and light trucks. While its special Black Chilli rubber compound boosts grip in all directions, the adaptive hybrid cap ply helps the tire maintain its shape at high speeds. The asymmetric tread pattern and solid center rib deliver superior traction, responsive handling, and high-speed stability without compromising on the grip. Being an OE tire on several vehicles, the Continental tire comes with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee and 3-year roadside assistance.
Boasting a score of 9.2 out of 10, the Conti offers excellent grip, traction, stability, and handling.
Traction is the ability of a tire to provide consistent road contact without skidding during driving. While essential, it becomes critical for ultra-high-performance tires that run at high speeds. The Pirelli and Conti both promise maximum traction.
With an excellent traction score of 9.7, the Cinturato P7 features four wide longitudinal grooves that clear water quickly from the tread to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance. The asymmetric tread design boosts wearability and improves traction and grip on paved roads.
With a stunning 9.8 traction score, the Conti underlines why it is the most preferred brand among UHP summer tire seekers. Featuring the Black Chilli rubber compound, the ContiSportContact 6 offers excellent grip in dry and wet conditions. At the same time, the three wide and narrow longitudinal grooves evacuate water quickly to avoid the risk of hydroplaning.
It was a very tough competition here! Both tires are outstanding in traction, but the Conti is marginally (0.1) ahead of the Cinturato P7 and, hence, the winner.
ADVANTAGE: Continental ContiSportContact 6
While traction is important, steering responsiveness is equally vital. If your vehicle has a pair of UHP tires, precise handling becomes mandatory. Without complete control and accurate steering feedback, you cannot have a spirited track time or high-speed run.
With an incredible 9.6 handling score, the Pirelli tire offers precise steering response when maneuvering in a straight line or cornering. It reduces the braking time and improves handling performance by communicating with the car’s electronic driver-aid systems. While it reduces environmental impact with a more efficient and lighter structure, the optimized footprint boosts handling and lessens heat generation, translating into better fuel efficiency.
The Conti scores an almost 10 on 10 (9.9) in handling by offering maximum control thanks to a new innovative force vectoring that delivers superb steering response. The strong central rib and solid shoulder pattern of the ContiSportContact 6 not only allow enhanced control but also lend excellent stability.
Despite putting a great show in handling, the Pirelli couldn’t beat Continental as it scores even higher.
ADVANTAGE: Continental ContiSportContact 6
Most people prefer tires that last long. However, UHP tires may not last that long to match the lifespan of an all-season tire as they come with softer compounds for superior grip and traction at high speeds.
Boasting a good 8 out of 10 in longevity, the Pirelli features an advanced and innovative rubber compound that makes the ride comfortable while resisting uneven wear. Built with an ‘intelligent’ compound, it features optimized silica and specific resins that adapt to the changing driving conditions and working temperature and return a longer service life.
Continuing its impressive run, the Conti scores a decent 8 in longevity thanks to its special silica compound that promotes uniform wear and resists uneven wear. Laced with Aralon350, the ContiSportContact 6 features a new adaptive hybrid cap ply for maximum stability and helps maintain the tire shape at high speed.
Both brands offer similar life spans as they wear at a similar rate; hence, this section ends in a tie.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
If you’re looking for spirited performance from your sports car or luxury vehicle in warmer conditions, you need dedicated UHP summer tires. They offer superior traction, grip, and handling. However, they do not last long like an all-season tire, as their tread compound is soft and wears faster.
For a similar performance throughout the year, you can go for UHP all-season tires, which are tuned to offer the same performance but with a longer service life. If you reside in a region that experiences freezing winter, you should go for a dedicated winter tire that offers superb grip and traction in slippery conditions.
In the end, which tire should you choose? Based on SimpleScore, the Continental ContiSportContact 6 is the clear winner with a score of 9.2, while Pirelli is slightly behind with 9 out of 10.
For a 255/45R19 104Y XL tire size, the Pirelli costs $326 per tire, which makes a set of four costs $1300, while the Conti is priced at $267 per tire, which makes the total cost of four tires $1068 (the difference amount $232!).
Based on SimpleScore, you should opt for the Pirelli Cinturato P7 if you:
On the other hand, you should go for the Continental ContiSportContact 6 if you:
Still unsure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help. Our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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