Continental SportContact7 review
A quality tyre that feels sharp in the dry, but falls short of the best here in the wet, reflecting the strength of the field.
It’s a measure of the competitiveness of this sector that the Continental SportContact7, which came third in last year’s test of 17-inch tyres, finishes eighth here. It’s only two per cent off the best tyre, yet its wet performance was sub-par. In the key straight-line wet brake test it was seventh, taking almost 2.5 metres longer to stop than the top tyre.
Its lap time around the wet handling circuit put it eighth, just over a second and a half off the pace. Traction was strong on the circuit, but the Continental was skittish on patches of standing water and the rear felt a bit light in the sweeps, where others were more confidently planted. In the deep-water tests it was mid-table for straight aquaplaning and equal eight in the curved test.
The Continental claimed equal second in dry braking and third on the dry circuit, within half a second of the best time. It felt impressive around the whole lap, with strong, stable grip and superb precision, backed up by outstanding traction and composure. Only the time was missing. It wasn’t the quietest tyre, but avoided the harshness of some others, and in rolling resistance it delivered a mid-table result.
Blackcircles.com says…
“Customers rate this tyre well: 4.7/5 overall. Drivers are very pleased with the driving experience, especially in wet weather.”
Results
| Continental SportContact7 | ||
| Overall | 98.0% | |
| Price | £101.34 | |
| Wet braking | 85.8 | 7th |
| Wet handling | 98.0 | 8th |
| Wet cornering | 98.5 | 5th |
| Straight aquaplaning | 96.4 | 5th |
| Curved aquaplaning | 82.5 | =8th |
| Dry braking | 97.3 | =2nd |
| Dry handling | 99.4 | 3rd |
| Noise and refinement | 87.0 | 7th |
| Rolling resistance | 91.8 | =4th |
