Full review

This is a review of the ContiProContact SSR tire.

The ContiProContact SSR tires are an all-weather passenger car tire that comes standard on many BMW models, Mini Coopers, and Mercedes-Benz models released between 2008 and 2021.

This tire is an SSR, which means it’s a Self Supporting RunFlat tire. If the tire is punctured, you can safely drive an additional 50 miles in most situations to get yourself to a safe place for a repair or replacement.

In our review, we compared the ContiProContact SSR tires to other tires of the same class for this review. We also compared testimonials and reviews from real drivers who used the actual tires in their daily driving.

Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.

The ContiProContact SSR leads the pack for all-weather passenger car tires, and we want to look at what makes these tires worth the price. Typically SSR tires can be reasonably expensive, but it would seem that customers are satisfied with the quality and the cost of these tires. 

ContiProContact SSR Overview

There are quite a few factors that go into a quality tire. A great deal of engineering and innovation goes into creating a high-quality tire. 

The ContiProContact is a line designed by Continental Tires. This brand has a reputation for quality and durability in its tires, and Continental carries tire lines ranging from small cars to commercial fleets and bus tires. 

The ContiProContact SSR line of tires is a feat of engineering that improves safety for drivers and other motorists alike. The Self Supporting Runflat tires are designed to safely get you and your car to a repair shop after a puncture from a nail, glass, or other similar damage. 

The sidewall reinforcement allows you to safely commute an additional 50 miles at speeds under 50 MPH with the destination in mind of your local tire shop. At which point, your local shop can replace the damaged tire. 

ContiProContact SSR Performance Breakdown

These tires focus on durability and safety, but how do they rank in their other features? Let’s break down some performance aspects of the ContiProContact tires.

Performance

These tires seem to be polarizing with their customer base, and people seem to love or hate them with no middle ground. They average 3.6 stars out of 5 on various review sites while maintaining a relatively consistent overall satisfaction rate. 

TireRack surveyed drivers with over 4.5 million miles of drive distance on these tires. While they fare rather well under wet and dry conditions, they fall short of expectations for snowy weather, overall comfort, and treadwear performance.

Wet

The ContiProContact SSR has the ability to keep surface contact the entire drive. Due to the straight circumferential grooves that help with water evacuation and the siping placement that aids in dispersing water and slush, this tire offers optimal grip and braking in wet conditions.

Dry

Not only do these tires operate well in wet conditions, but the defined radius and functional sipes improve stability in dry conditions. Due to their interlocking effect, handling is improved, offering complete control over your ride.

Snow

By using PROactive technology, the ContiProContact SSR features additional edges and grooves that have the edge over many other tire brands. The small sipes provide traction in snowy conditions, but it is still recommended to use a snow tire in heavy snow and ice. 

Braking Distance

These tires have been reported to have an aggressive grip when braking suddenly or making sudden turns in defensive driving situations. In addition, the even pressure enables shorter braking distances.

Handling

The Continental Tires are designed for complete contact with the ground, but these tires have been designed to maintain higher contact levels even in the rain and snow. With circumferential grooves to prevent hydroplaning and siped grooves to increase traction in snow and rain, the traction of these tires is an improvement on many other brands. 

The optimized shoulder lug stability maintains that contact, enabling the driver to have more command and response over the power of the vehicle, while the large footprint allows the stability necessary for complete control in any conditions. 

Noise and Comfort

This is one category that is not well-reviewed. While it’s not horrendously loud, these tires are slightly thuddy when driving over highly textured or broken roads. The firmness of the reinforced sidewalls creates a bit more road noise than tires without that. 

Continental includes two wrapped steel belts in the tire to reduce the chances of puncture or rupture to increase comfort and safety. However, this causes the ride to be a little less gentle, and you end up offsetting comfort with safety. 

Durability

About half of the reviews online state that the ContiProContact SSR is durable and reliable and works great as a general use all-weather tire. However, others have stated that the treadwear is rapid and uneven under regular use. 

These tires come with a treadwear warranty, but most drivers don’t. We will discuss the warranty in greater detail later. Much of the durability in this tire comes down to how you drive and how many miles you put on them regularly. 

Price

Ranging from $75-325, these tires can seem a little spendy. However, you have more space when you consider that the run-flat innovation removed the need for a spare tire to be stored in your trunk. When you know you can safely drive to a shop for repairs, you’re less likely to be caught in a situation that isn’t safe. 

Recommendations & Conclusions

Each driver and car is different; the final decision on which tires you choose to use on your coupe or sedan is entirely up to you. Take into consideration the reviews of other users before deciding on your purchase. 

Recommendations

These tires are a great option if you are looking for a tire set to protect your family in your daily commute. If you drive a lot for work or spend a lot of time driving in adverse weather, you will want to invest in more specialized tires for those circumstances. 

While this tire set is considered an all-weather tire, the reviews show that winter driving isn’t safe with these tires. If you’re likely to encounter a ton of snow regularly, invest in a set of tires to install just in the winter season. Then you can switch to the ContiProContact SSR set for the rest of the year. 

Conclusions

This tire brand has a base of satisfied clients who will return and purchase their products time and time again. These tires also come standard on many cars from the factory, and the brands and models of vehicles that come standard with this tire are on the higher end of the quality scale. 

However, only you’ll be able to determine if these are the right fit for your car and your driving needs. This line of tires does come with a great warranty to keep you safe and taken care of in your mobility. Depending on the speed rating, the warranty is slightly different. 

For H-speed rated tires, you have a 6-year or 60,000-mile warranty. You can expect a 6-year or 80,000-mile warranty for S and T-speed rated tires. Additionally, the workmanship and tread wear is 100% covered for the first 2/32” of the tread or first year of driving. Any wear after that, within the initial 6-year warranty, is prorated and can be applied toward replacing worn tires. 

Finally, Continental offers a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee as part of the warranty. If you are unsatisfied in your first 30 days of driving with these tires, Continental will take them back and refund your purchase or offer an alternative option.  

References

Continental ContiProContact SSR Run | 1010tires.com

Continental ContiProContact SSR – 225/45R17 | Tirerack.com