Continental PremiumContact 7 vs Uniroyal RainSport 5
Across seven shared professional tests in multiple sizes (205/55 R16 up to 245/45 R19), the pattern is consistent: the PremiumContact 7 dominates the core safety and control metrics-especially braking and balanced handling-while the RainSport 5 consistently fights back where it's historically strong: deep-water aquaplaning, plus a quieter, lower-resistance feel and a lower purchase price. The real decision comes down to whether you prioritise all-round grip and stopping power, or wet-weather hydroplaning security and value.
Test Results
Independent comparison tire tests are the best source of data to get tire information from, and the good news is there have been seven tests which compare both tires directly!
| Tire | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Continental PremiumContact 7 | seven |
While it might look like the Continental PremiumContact 7 is better than the Uniroyal RainSport 5 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tires are very complicated objects which means where one tire is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tires compare across multiple tire test categories.
Key Strengths
- Consistently shorter wet and dry braking across all shared tests (typically ~4-10% advantage)
- More precise, neutral and confidence-inspiring handling in both wet and dry (higher handling speeds in AutoBild data)
- Stronger overall test rankings across sizes (e.g., 1/6; 2/21; 3/21; 6/50)
- Better wear/mileage in the tests that measured it (e.g., 51,600 km vs 40,400 km; 30,750 km vs 27,650 km)
- Best-in-comparison aquaplaning resistance (straight and curved), aligning with its rain-specialist positioning
- Lower noise in measured results (around ~1-1.6 dB advantage) and often described as refined on pass-by noise
- Lower purchase price in multiple tests (roughly ~19-24% cheaper in the cited datasets)
- Often competitive rolling resistance (slightly better in some results), supporting efficiency-focused buyers
Dry Braking
Looking at data from seven tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during seven dry braking tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 stopped the vehicle in 7.81% less distance than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Dry Braking: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during two dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 was 2.76% faster around a lap than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from seven tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during seven wet braking tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 stopped the vehicle in 5.39% less distance than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Wet Braking: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during two wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 was 2.11% faster around a wet lap than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 had 2.91% higher lateral wet grip than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Wet Circle: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Uniroyal RainSport 5 was better during two straight aqua tests. On average the Uniroyal RainSport 5 floated at a 5.04% higher speed than the Continental PremiumContact 7.
Best In Straight Aqua: Uniroyal RainSport 5
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Uniroyal RainSport 5 was better during two curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Uniroyal RainSport 5 slipped out at a 9.21% higher speed than the Continental PremiumContact 7.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Uniroyal RainSport 5
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Uniroyal RainSport 5 was better during two noise tests. On average the Uniroyal RainSport 5 measured 1.55% quieter than the Continental PremiumContact 7.
Best In Noise: Uniroyal RainSport 5
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during two wear tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 is predicted to cover 17.36% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Wear: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Uniroyal RainSport 5 was better during one value tests. On average the Uniroyal RainSport 5 proved to have a 6.41% better value based on price/1000km than the Continental PremiumContact 7.
Best In Value: Uniroyal RainSport 5
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Price
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Uniroyal RainSport 5 was better during two price tests. On average the Uniroyal RainSport 5 cost 21.08% less than the Continental PremiumContact 7.
Best In Price: Uniroyal RainSport 5
See how the Price winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Continental PremiumContact 7 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Continental PremiumContact 7 had a 0.61% lower rolling resistance than the Uniroyal RainSport 5.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Continental PremiumContact 7
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Continental PremiumContact 7 Driver Reviews
Drivers generally rate the Continental PremiumContact 7 very highly for strong dry and especially wet grip, confident braking, and stable, planted handling that makes the car feel secure at speed. The most consistent drawbacks are higher-than-expected road noise (particularly on rough asphalt) and a softer sidewall feel that can reduce steering precision for some drivers. A meaningful minority also report faster wear than expected or a noticeable performance drop (especially in the wet) once tread depth gets lower, suggesting it prioritizes grip over ultimate longevity.
Based on 50 reviews with an average rating of 83%
Uniroyal RainSport 5 Driver Reviews
Uniroyal RainSport 5 is most often praised for outstanding wet-weather grip and strong aquaplaning resistance, with many drivers reporting high confidence in heavy rain while still finding dry grip perfectly adequate for everyday use. Reviews also frequently mention a comfortable ride and generally low-to-moderate noise, making it a popular value-focused alternative to premium brands. However, a meaningful share of users report a soft sidewall leading to vague steering/instability (especially on faster or sportier cars), and many note faster-than-expected wear compared with longer-lasting premium options.
Based on 86 reviews with an average rating of 73%
Conclusion
The Uniroyal RainSport 5's case is narrower but legitimate: it is repeatedly better in deep-water aquaplaning (straight aquaplaning +3-7% and curved aquaplaning +9-11% in the AutoBild data), and it tends to be quieter (about ~1-1.6 dB advantage) and cheaper (around ~19-24% lower price in the cited tests). The trade-off is meaningful: professional reports describe noticeably vaguer steering, earlier understeer, and weaker dry lateral grip, and the numbers back that up with consistently longer braking distances.
Practical takeaway: if you want the “safe in everything, strong in emergencies” summer tire, the PremiumContact 7 justifies its premium with repeatable, top-tier braking and all-round control. Choose the RainSport 5 primarily if you drive a lot in heavy rain/standing water and want extra aquaplaning margin and a lower upfront cost-accepting that it gives away stopping distance and dry precision.
Key Differences
- Braking is the decisive separator: PremiumContact 7 wins dry and wet braking in all 7 shared tests, often by several metres (e.g., wet 25.8 m vs 27.7 m; dry 33.7 m vs 37.3 m).
- Handling character differs: Continental is repeatedly described as direct, neutral and predictable; Uniroyal is reported as slower to react, more indirect, and understeering earlier-especially in the dry.
- Deep-water security flips the result: RainSport 5 is consistently stronger in straight and curved aquaplaning (+3-11% in AutoBild metrics).
- Noise and refinement lean Uniroyal: RainSport 5 measures quieter (about ~1-1.6 dB) and was noted for low pass-by noise.
- Wear/mileage favours Continental: measured longevity advantages range from ~11% to ~28% in the provided tests.
- Value proposition splits: Uniroyal's upfront price is clearly lower, but Continental often claws back value through higher performance and longer wear (value metric is mixed across tests).
Overall Winner: Continental PremiumContact 7
Based on the tire test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Continental PremiumContact 7 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tire has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tire buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tire comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tires:
Continental PremiumContact 7 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Uniroyal RainSport 5 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Footnote
This page has been developed using tire industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tires in the same test.
Why is this important? Tire testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tire test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tire tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tire Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tire comparison, Tire Reviews doesn't.