Continental UltraContact

The Continental UltraContact is a Premium Touring Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Tire review data from 18 tire reviews averaging 79% over 79,550 miles driven, and 1 tests with an average result of 7th.

Dry Grip 85%
Wet Grip 83%
Road Feedback 78%
Handling 75%
Wear 77%
Comfort 83%
Buy again 72%

First On MarketJune 2021
Wheel Size14 - 20"
Width155 - 245mm
Profile40 - 80
Rolling ResistanceB - C
Wet GripA - A
Noise (dB)68 - 72
Winter RatingNot Winter Rated

The UltraContact is ranked 54th of 153 Summer Premium Touring tires.

Tests Included

1

Best Result

7th

Worst Result

7th

Average Result

7th

Latest Tire Test Results

2023 ADAC Summer Tire Test
7th of 50 tires
  • Balanced, good on dry roads, good environmental record, very high mileage.
  • Slight weakness on wet roads.
  • Driving safety: The Continental UltraContact is rated as just satisfactory when it comes to driving safety. The UltraContact offers the driver satisfactory feedback on the steering wheel on a dry road, but is still safe at the limit. Thanks to its short braking distance, it can still secure a good overall rating on dry roads. On wet roads, however, the UltraContact does not get more than a satisfactory rating. Although it scores in the braking distance measurements and also in handling with good grip and safe driving characteristics, it falters when it comes to aquaplaning. In the case of longitudinal aquaplaning, he does not get more than a satisfactory result, and in the case of transverse aquaplaning, even more than an adequate result.

    Environmental balance: In the environmental balance, the UltraContact secures one of the best results in the test. His predicted mileage is classified as very good, and he only just misses a very good rating for wear. The tire also scores with its low weight and low fuel consumption.
View Full Test >>

2023 Tire Tests

SizeFuelWetNoise
14 inch
185/70 R 14 88 TCA70
185/60 R 14 82 HBA70
165/70 R 14 81 TCA68
175/65 R 14 82 TCA70
15 inch
195/65 R 15 91 TBA70
195/55 R 15 85 HBA69
195/65 R 15 95 H XLBA70
195/65 R 15 91 VBA69
195/65 R 15 91 HBA70
195/65 R 15 91 TBA71
195/55 R 15 85 VBA69
185/65 R 15 88 HBA70
185/65 R 15 88 TBA70
185/65 R 15 92 T XLBA71
16 inch
205/60 R 16 92 VBA69
215/60 R 16 99 H XLBA70
205/55 R 16 94 W XLBA69
215/70 R 16 100 HBA69
215/60 R 16 95 VBA69
205/55 R 16 94 V XLBA69
205/55 R 16 91 HBA69
205/55 R 16 91 WBA69
205/55 R 16 91 VBA69
205/60 R 16 92 HBA69
205/60 R 16 96 H XLBA69
205/60 R 16 96 V XLBA69
17 inch
225/45 R 17 94 W XLBA70
215/55 R 17 94 WBA69
215/55 R 17 94 VBA69
205/50 R 17 93 W XLBA69
215/45 R 17 91 Y XLBA70
205/50 R 17 93 Y XLBA69
235/65 R 17 104 WBA70
205/50 R 17 89 VBA69
215/45 R 17 87 VBA69
225/60 R 17 99 VBA69
225/60 R 17 99 HBA69
225/45 R 17 91 YCA69
225/50 R 17 98 V XLBA70
225/50 R 17 94 VBA69
225/45 R 17 91 VBA69
18 inch
225/40 R 18 92 W XLBA70
235/60 R 18 103 VBA70
245/45 R 18 100 W XLBA70
View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Continental UltraContact >>

Questions and Answers for the Continental UltraContact

2023-10-09 - Hi, after this winter I will need new summer tires for my Hyundai Scoupe - 185/60 R14. Now I have Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance but the new Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2 are not awailible in my size so, what would you recoment ? 1) Continental UltraContact 2) Same as I have now - Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 3) Someting else - like Bridgestone turanza T005 or Continental ecocontact 6? Thank you :)

I always like trying something new and the ultracontact performed well in this test!


2023-12-27 - I’m looking for a replacement on my Goodyear EG Performance 2 set. I got a 2016 BMW 320d. I’m looking for a premium touring tire, I really care about safety, softness of the shoulder and quietness. Could the new Conti UltraContact be the best choice?

I haven't tested the UC range yet, so you'll have to go by the test data on the site. If you really want softness an ultra low rolling resistance tire might be the better option such as the EcoContact 6.


2024-04-29 - Is the tread pattern as same as the UC6 in Asian Market?

The ultra contact and UC6 is totally different ( only the names are similar) different pattern and compound.


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Top 3 Continental UltraContact Reviews

Given 59% while driving a Skoda (225/45 R17) on mostly motorways for 14,000 average miles
Dont buy the first generation of these tires
Helpful 116 - tire reviewed on December 7, 2023
Given 99% while driving a Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 petrol (235/50 R18) on mostly country roads for 100 average miles
I'm using continental uc7 tires....it's solid
Helpful 89 - tire reviewed on April 30, 2023
Given 94% while driving a Skoda (215/60 R16) on a combination of roads for 7,500 average miles
Very good tire better than primacy 4 . I drive in a combination of roads city and country. Very comfort tire
Helpful 49 - tire reviewed on November 16, 2023
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Latest Continental UltraContact Reviews

Given 93% while driving a Hyundai I10 (165/65 R14) on mostly town for 500 easy going miles
Very nice grip on dry and on wet as well. Actually is a quite tire. I'll come back after few more miles
Helpful 7 - tire reviewed on November 15, 2024
Given 76% while driving a Subaru Forester (225/55 R17) on mostly country roads for 15,000 spirited miles
Drives great, in dry and wet and handling inspires confidence. All good stuff. But was wore out in 20/30,000 km. The Yokohama Geolanders I had before these got almost 80,000km. Not as good but lasted a lot longer. I got the UC6 at half price but still not great value. maybe the big chip and gravel wore out the compound. No punctures thru and took them on mild off road terrain.
Helpful 8 - tire reviewed on October 28, 2024
What to know the BEST All Season Tires for 2024? Click to find out!
Given 97% while driving a Toyota Prius III (225/45 R17) on mostly town for 500 easy going miles
First of all thank you guys for the fantastic job you do throughout all these years! Very helpful site, including detailed reviews.
Subject tires (Continental Ultra Contact) have been fitted on a Toyota Prius 1.8, first registration 2010. Dimension: 225/45R17 91V.
Previous tires: Michelin Primacy 4, 215/45R17 87W (lasted for 70.000 km).
I was asking for Comfort and low noise. My driving style is fast, but smooth and without any risks. I rarely puss my car to the limits.
Initial review after 500 km:
Very comfort tire! Great difference to Michelein.
Quite silent. At the majority of the circunstances, tire is completely silent. In some cases (depending on the road surface and the vehicle speed) it may produce a light hum.
Great dry grip! (Up to now.) Better than the Michelein. I feel very confident and safe when I puss it in the corners. I wish it will keep this performance for its lifetime.
Very good wet grip (up to now). I do not feel any remarkable difference compared to the dry.
No difference to the fuel consumption, despite the increased tire width.
In general, very happy with my chioce! It is exactly what I was asking for! (For my driving style, for this specific car.)
Remarks. My feeling is that this tire is not suitable for sport driving style. It feels so soft that I suppose that if you puss it continuously for some time at successive corners it will be overheated. It may be just my feeling. I do not know. I do not want to try it!
Comment. The increased dimension on this specific car works without any problems. It still has plenty of clearance. Better grip, more comfort, same fuel consumption, less cost (to buy them)!
Helpful 13 - tire reviewed on October 8, 2024
Given 27% while driving a Suzuki vitara s 1,4 boosterjet (215/55 R17) on mostly town for 2,200 easy going miles
The worst tires i ever bought. Just after 7 months of normal use one of them had a tearing. The continental in Greece refused to replace!!!!So I paid 160 euros to replace it. DO NOT BUY THESE GARBAGE, as you will never hava back up from this company. Please buy all othet type of tires but NOT CONTINENTAL
Helpful 11 - tire reviewed on September 6, 2024
Given 60% while driving a Peugeot 1.4 HDi (185/65 R15) on a combination of roads for 500 average miles
I recently bought 4 of these to fit my 208, size 185/65 R15 T. They have a good grip on the dry. I have not tested them much on the wet but so far they feel safe too. They also are quiet in a relaxed/city driving but somewhat noisy when driving at highway speed (above 100KPH). The problem with these tires is their sidewalls, wich are way too soft. That's why they are comfortable (more than my previous Michelin) but the feedback is very poor. Steering is vague and heavier and the car feels unstable when making fast steering/countersteering moves. They don't invite to a sporty driving at all, yes I know it's not their purpose but they should do much better, beeing "premium" tires. And because of those too soft sidewalls, they buldge a lot in the front, like if they are underpressurized, even if I overinflate them! It looks like the sidewalls are almost touching the ground... It's unpleasant to look at and I doubt very much that they are fuel saving because of that... Concerning the wearing, well I don't care at all because I will not have them on my car long enough to know. These Ultracontact are not worth their price tag if you want a sharp and agile driving. I expected much better from such a "premium" brand... Never again Continental.
Helpful 10 - tire reviewed on July 4, 2024
Given 93% while driving a Hyundai i30 (205/55R16/ R) on for 3,000 miles
Quality tires, I would choose them again.
Helpful 10 - tire reviewed on July 4, 2024
Given 90% while driving a Mercedes Benz C180 (225/50 R17) on a combination of roads for 3,000 average miles
Excellent grip both in dry and wet conditions. Only aquaplaning resistance in deeper puddles seems a bit average compared to my previous Michelin Primacy 4s. Its not bad, but just less impressive. Otherwise grip levels are similar. Road feedback is decent although steering response is not very sharp as the tire has very soft sidewall. Otherwise handling characteristics are very balanced and safe. Grip runs out progressively and there are no obvious understeer or oversteer characteristics. Feels very safe and controllable even at limit. Once again compared to my previous Primacy 4s this feels better. Primacy 4s had a ton of grip, but once you ran out of the grip, there was quite a lot of sudden understeer. UltraContacts give better confidence at the limit. Best part of the tire is comfort an noise levels. It's super smooth and silent compared to Primacy 4s which were in my opinion quite harsh and had nasty sound. after around 5000km can't really comment of wear. At least there is no noticeable wear at this stage, so seems good.
Overall I would recommend these to anyone looking for comfortable and safe touring tire. If sportiness is very important for you, then look elsewhere.
Helpful 19 - tire reviewed on April 17, 2024
Given 63% while driving a Toyota Avensis verso (205/65 R15) on a combination of roads for 10,000 average miles
Beware of these tires!! Initially i was very impressed with these tires. Very comfortable, quiet (except on concrete surfaces), excellent dry and wet grip and safe on aquaplanning. I have never driven on a tire that has such a good mix between comfort (soft sidewalls) and driving dynamics. The sidewalls don't fold over when cornering which gives the tire a great feedback, much much better then Michelin Primacy 4. The wear rate is excellent too, they have lost 1mm after 15.000kms. HOWEVER, the car started to vibrate at 110km/h+ only a couple weeks after installation. I had re-balanced the wheels but the vibrations remained. After i put on my 2nd set, winter wheels, i decided to re-balance these Continentals again, and to my surprise 3 out of 4 had gone completely out of shape! They are no longer round! One wheel needed 35 grams on the first balancing, now it needs over 90 grams and the tire is egg-shaped, and so are two others! Continental have zero interest in helping me out because i already drove too much on them (i do 30.000km's a year). I work at a garage so i know what i'm talking about, the car has no issues when driving on different tires on the same set of wheels. Very, very dissapointed because this tire gave me everything i wanted. My confidence in Continental has gone out the window completely and i now switched to Fulda EcoControl HP after previous good experiences with this brand.

Note: After a chat with the local tire fitters, it appears that i'm not the only one with this issue. Also happens to AllSeasonContant apparently.

TLDR: Great performance in all aspects, but go completely out of shape very quickly thus causing incurable vibrations in the car. AVOID.
Helpful 32 - tire reviewed on January 31, 2024
Given 82% while driving a Toyota Sienta (185/60 R15) on mostly town for 200 average miles
I stand corrected: my previous review states that my new Ultracontacts started out at 6.5mm tread depth.
Using a vernier caliper, I've established it is around 7.5-7.8mm, so not too far from the nominally desired 8mm tread depth.

Tires still function fine and yes, the lack of the 'Squeek!' and 'Eeeek!' sounds from slipping/skidding is still very much noticeable, vs my past Blue Earth GT AE-51 and Ecocontact 6 tires.
Helpful 41 - tire reviewed on September 10, 2023
Given 80% while driving a Toyota Sienta (185/60 R15) on mostly motorways for 50 average miles
Finally, I went full circle and went back to having Continental tires.
Was on 3 sets of Conti PremiumContact 5 for a few years till they discontinued it afterwards tried its lacklustre cousin EcoContact 6 because CPC6 isn't for my wheel size.
Went on to having Yokohama Blue Earth GT AE51 and just after 2.5 years from manufacture, those tires seem to be slipping/skidding frequently for some unknown reason even with 5-6 mm of tread left for the last few months. Changed to Ultracontacts a few days ago and suddenly the slippages are mostly gone - most noticeably those on indoor parking flooring and ramps, gradients of humps. Tire squeal noise is very soft vs past EcoContact6 and AE51, when doing tight turns. If feel I can trust Continental tires for the grip they provide. These ultracontacts behave very similarly to my old PremiumContact 5. Unfortunately, this also extends negatively to the ride comfort and noise. They are noticeably much noisier and less plush (I can feel every rough bit and road marking I go over) than the Blue Earth AE51 I replaced them with. Anyhow, rainy season is coming and I don't have many choices where I am for my wheel size. Only time will tell if they wear well - my CPC5 worn down terribly just after 25000km (3-4mm left) but they say these made-for-EU Ultracontacts have some new formulation to reduct wear from abrasion. Note that these Ultracontacts start off with about 6.5mm of tread when new so I am also not happy about this short-changing (normally I expect new tires to start off with 8mm tread height).
Helpful 38 - tire reviewed on September 3, 2023
Given 81% while driving a Honda City (215/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
I’ve used tires from Michelin Primacy 4 to PS4 and to Bridgestone RE004. Ditched the RE004 due to high noise level and switched to the new UC7. Been a Michelin user since day one, I would say UC7 sits between Primacy 4 and PS4. It has the comfortness and quietness and yet didn’t lose the handling performance. To me, UC7 is the 50 50 combination of Primacy 4 and PS4. Overall, I am very happy with the quality and performance of the UC7.
Helpful 38 - tire reviewed on June 10, 2023
Given 90% while driving a Peugeot 1.2 puretech 75 hp (185/65 R15) on mostly town for 1,000 easy going miles
bought for 2021 peugeot 208 1.2 75hp. My recent cars were similar, low powered, so do my driving style. i am familiar with 185 r15 195 r16 nokian wetproofs, ilines, conti ecocontact 6s, michelin primacy4s and kumho es31s. I always tried to pick silent, low rolling resistence, soft compound tires because of bad NVH level of entry level cars and bad roads. Mostly avoided continentals as i tought that they are noisy, like in case of ecocontact6. I cant make any comment for wear, wet grip but after 1000km, i can now tell that now i understood why there is a subjective comfort criteria in some tests. In pot holes, speed bumps, on every type of road imperfection, my car seems to have a better set of shock absorbers. Bonus is road noise, which is like the ones i opted before. Did i mention breaking on dry tarmac feels safe? Luckily, for one set of these, i paid 10-15% premium only over mid range silent tires, still cheaper than goodyear and michelin alternatives. I say this seems to be a good buy.
Helpful 39 - tire reviewed on May 5, 2023