Continental Sport Contact 2

The Continental Sport Contact 2 is a Max Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Tire review data from 229 tire reviews averaging 71% over 4,151,592 miles driven.

Dry Grip 85%
Wet Grip 75%
Road Feedback 76%
Handling 72%
Wear 61%
Comfort 66%
Buy again 60%

First On MarketSeptember 2002
Wheel Size15 - 21"
Width195 - 295mm
Profile30 - 55
Rolling ResistanceC - D
Wet GripA - C
Noise (dB)69 - 74
Winter RatingNot Winter Rated

The Sport Contact 2 is ranked 54th of 78 Summer Max Performance tires.

This tire replaced the Continental Sport Contact and this tire has been replaced by the Continental Sport Contact 3.

Sorry, we don't currently have any magazine tire tests for the Continental Sport Contact 2

SizeFuelWetNoise
16 inch
205/55 R 16 91 VDC71
17 inch
215/45 R 17 87 VDB71
18 inch
245/45 R 18 100 W XLDB72
View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Continental Sport Contact 2 >>

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Size Price Range  
225/45 R17 $171.99 - $171.99 (1 Prices) Compare Prices >>
Available in 12 tire sizes - View all.

Top 3 Continental Sport Contact 2 Reviews

Given 61% while driving a Porsche 996 911 Carrera 2 (265/35 R18) on mostly country roads for 3,000 spirited miles
These have actually been on the rear axle of my 996. My driving style is quite spirited and I drive on rather compromised quality and abrasive B-roads about 80% of my mileage while the rest is along the traffic transit to these roads.

On this set of wheels I had originally Bridgestone Potenza S02A tires. After the rears had worn out and no S02A were available anymore I asked for stiff wall tires to accompany my front S02A. I was recommended the Conti SC2 by a professional tester. So now after 5000 km the tires are so worn that I had to reduce my camber. Since then I did a 350 km long test run and I see the same wear rate as before. Ive never had tires that wear this fast out. My other wheel set has Mich PS2 and the rears, two sets actually, both have managed 15 000 km. And I run both sets during the season so the numbers are well comparable.

Further more I was really disappointed to the side wall stiffness. The Bridgestones at front are ultra stiff. The Conti SC2 at rear just does not manage the stability required for the stiff fronts.

So what did I learn? Never put different shoes front and rear. But frankly Im disappointed on these. The previous S02A being very stiff walled was my all time favorite tire, though the wear was not too good on those either. 911s tend to wear rear tires alot. But the Conti SC2 is the record wear out for me. Sometimes I even wonder have I got a pair of pirate tires here....
Grip wise - both wet and dry were well adequate for road.
Helpful 22 - tire reviewed on September 7, 2023
Given 64% while driving a Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro (225/45 R17) on mostly town for 10,000 spirited miles
Tires are good first 10tkm. Side wall dissapeared very guicky and the grip with it.
Helpful 46 - tire reviewed on June 16, 2021
Given 70% while driving a Audi TT MK2 TFSI (225/45 R17 W) on a combination of roads for 30 spirited miles
I'm replacing these for Goodyear's F1 Asymmetric 5s all around. The Conti were fitted to the front by the previous owner of my TT MK2. They still have 4.5mm left after 30K miles approx so not bad but I only had the car for the last 2.5k miles. They're good on dry roads but I feel the car too light on high speed or on wet roads which is why I'm not waiting any longer to have them replaced.
Helpful 41 - tire reviewed on October 1, 2020
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Latest Continental Sport Contact 2 Reviews

Given 93% while driving a Renault Megane Sports Tourer (205/50 R17) on a combination of roads for 30 spirited miles
I was extremely impressed with these tires. They came fitted with the car, and still have 2mm of legally usable tread, so this will be the final season on them. I live in the Alps in Austria so summer tires are used mid April-October, and designated winter tires are used throughout winter. I drive through the twisty mountain roads with zero room for error, as well as on long high speed straights, so there is no option to risk tire grip failure at any point. Even in torrential downpours of rain, these contisportcontact2's stay planted. I've never seen resistance to aquaplaning like these offer. They do not "track" grooves in the road or "ride up" on uneven surfaces. The sidewalls are very soft, allowing for a smoother ride. The turn-in is sharp and predictable when you consider the softness of the sidewall. I believe the soft sidewalls are a major contributor to the incredible grip these tires have. Super hot motorways and broken tarmac in Italy, sustained top speed on the autobahn in Germany, near-zero visibility rain on French highways, and tight hairpin turns in the Austrian alps, these continentals have never let me down. They even held surprisingly well in dirt/grass, if that matters for anything. For the conditions I drive in, one single slip of the tires in an emergency maneuver can become disasterous. When these continentals are (rarely) pushed past their limits, there's not much noise or vibration, simply a progressive and predictable failing of grip. There's no dramatic On/Off feeling which comes with cheaper rubber. This means that the driver gets a second chance to "save it" after grip is compromised. That single detail is a requirement for me. Tread life is an acceptable weak point for me. These tires are used only 6 months out of the year, so they legally "expired" long before the tread wore down. Aquaplaning resistance has been maintained despite tread wear. Aged tires have maintained their grip very well. There are no dry rot cracks, chips, cups, tears, or chunks of rubber coming off. Date of manufacture is 10 years ago! Tread depth as new was 11mm, while the newly available replacements from Continental come with 9mm, I believe. If the Sportcontact2's were still available, I might go for them again rather than the new Premiumcontact6.
Helpful 38 - tire reviewed on May 8, 2020
Given 84% while driving a Mazda MX5 (215/40 R16 W) on a combination of roads for 25,000 spirited miles
Very gud. Buy again.
Helpful 40 - tire reviewed on February 16, 2019
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Given 84% while driving a Mazda MX5 (215/40 R16 W) on a combination of roads for 25,000 spirited miles
Very gud. Buy again.
Helpful 39 - tire reviewed on February 16, 2019
Given 83% while driving a Peugeot 106 gti (195/45 R15 V) on a combination of roads for 12,000 spirited miles
They have excellent grip in the dry and they are very progressive and controllable even at the limit.
Even now at the end of their life they grip very good for the tread they have left(because of a camber issue the inside is almost like a slick but even with that they are progressive)
Wet grip is very good for high performance tires.
Noise and comfort I know it's not great but it's not a concern for me.
The only downside is that the wear rate is not that great compared to other tires,but the grip is excellent so it's logical.
Helpful 43 - tire reviewed on July 11, 2018
Given 87% while driving a Jaguar F Type (225/45 R17) on mostly country roads for 7,500 average miles
Original equipment on my 2016 F-type v6, 340 hp RWD coupe. Driven summer and winter in New York State but only on dry roads...no rain or snow driving. Below 40F I slow down some but still enjoy the ride, handling and grip. Have 7.5 k miles on them and wear looks very even with plenty of tred depth remaining.

The tires are very quiet, in summer I drive with the windows down below 55mph where wind noise becomes objectionable. Windows up I can’t hear the tires on blacktop or concrete. I will not hesitate to replace these with new Contentials.
Helpful 33 - tire reviewed on May 26, 2018
Given 76% while driving a Mercedes Benz C180K Avantgarde (255/40 R17 W) on mostly motorways for 9,000 spirited miles
I had to replace my tires and got these Conti SC2 on the rear axle.
My Meredes is RWD vehicle and the tires are superb.
Dry or wet conditions is equal .

This week I mounted my winter tires at the car and I inspected the wear of the Continental tires and they were completely worn to 2mm.
I drove about 16K km (10K miles) with them.

But I must say these are one of the best tires for a safe drive under all conditions.
Never had any grip problems even in heavy rain, no aquaplaining or whatso ever.

These are expensive,but worth every penny.

Greetz from the Netherlands.
Helpful 30 - tire reviewed on November 30, 2017
Nissan (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 70 average miles
These Tires are the original ones that came with the car. They have lasted 109,000 km and still have 4mm of tread and have won absolutely evenly, which is amazing.

The Nissan Spec V will test any tire, and yet the grip in both wet and dry is still fantastic, even with the reduction of tread at life end.

The only symptom of old age (2009 tire) is a bit of vibration at high speed (minimal) and maybe a bit more noise. They are a solid tire with a very firm ride and slight road noise, typical for this profile in a W speed rating.

The quality of this tire is a credit to Continental and shows you really do get what you pay for in a premium tire.
The best brands I have used are Michelin and Continental. If you are buying tires, spend as much as you can, and get the best.

It might save your life or someones else's.
Helpful 39 - tire reviewed on October 6, 2017
Given 63% while driving a Skoda Superb II combi 2.0 tdi cr (225/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 22,000 average miles
The tires perform incredibly well in both wet and dry condition. The road feedback is excellent throughout and in the wet always gave me lots of confident. I have now got to the point where I have to replace the front at 22k with the rear still at 5mm (but I will replace the full set). Performance is constant throughout the tire's life and even now the front are down to 3mm I still have plentu of feedback and even in the wet there is no issue whatsoever.
The main issue I have is not how they worn (can't complain having covered 22k from new) but how noisy these tires are. The noise is unbearable unless you drive on a perfectly smooth surface and it is always been like this, doesn't really matter how old the tire is. I have tried different tires pressure without achieving a decent level of comfort.
I will now replace the full set with Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 hoping to achieve a better mileage/gallon (I found the rolling resistance of the continental being quite high) and, most of all, a better comfort.
I repeat, the only reason for me not to go with a new set of Continental (I think the design of the new CSC6 is absolutely beautiful) is merely based on the noise/comfort level.
Helpful 37 - tire reviewed on August 4, 2017
Given 90% while driving a Mercedes Benz ML350 (265/45 R20 W) on a combination of roads for 23,500 spirited miles
I had a new set of SportContact2 tires fitted to my 2011 ML350 Sport (Diesel) 3 years ago. They've covered 23500 miles and have carried the family from the UK across Europe (1800 miles each way fully laden!) to the south of Spain twice.
The road noise is fine, the grip - well I've never had any problem what so ever - except perhaps on muddy ground but then the AWD kicks in and it's all good.
I'm about to change them, the garage have never seen tires on a 4WD wear so evenly and to be honest I'm not good at checking pressures.
I wrote to Continental to ask which tire they recommended now - their response was that as the SportContact2 was designed for the ML that was still their current recommendation.
The only complaint is that these tires are pretty expensive - almost double that of a mid market tire that appears to perform well, so while I'm really happy with them, I have a dilemma to resolve as to their price vs. performance.
Helpful 47 - tire reviewed on May 17, 2017
Given 67% while driving a Mercedes Benz C250 CGI Estate (245/40 R18 W) on a combination of roads for 5,600 average miles
tires almost need replacing at 5600miles with average driving
Helpful 37 - tire reviewed on February 6, 2017
Given 87% while driving a Peugeot 206 (205/45 R16 V) on mostly country roads for 30,000 miles
It is the best tire I have placed in my car, but it is and of the most expensive tires
Helpful 35 - tire reviewed on January 4, 2017
Given 51% while driving a Mercedes Benz ML350 (225/45 R20 W) on a combination of roads for 3,000 average miles
I'm sure these tires perform well on decent roads but I bought the Continentals instead of Pirellis because they tend to last longer. However, the noise from these tires especially on rough roads or concrete roads is deafening. I would not recommend then just because of the noise alone.
Helpful 33 - tire reviewed on August 15, 2016