The Continental ProContact GX SSR tires are marketed as a luxury touring tire great for all seasons and boast an impressive run flat technology. These tires look great and have some wonderful features, but are they the best option for your vehicle?
Quick Facts
- Type: Touring All-Season Tire
- Size: 18”, 19”
- Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG): 500AA
- Speed Rating: H
- Warranty: 65,000 Mile Limited Warranty
- Price: $$$$
What Sets It Apart
There are a few great features that you will love about the ProContact GX SSR tires from Continental. First, they are sold as a luxury tire that offers a very comfortable ride thanks to the strong, but flexible, sidewall. These tires also boast the popular SSR technology from Continental, which allows them to run while flat for around 50 miles.
Many people also love the classic tread design that looks great while keeping you firmly in control while behind the wheel. Of course, having a 65,000-mile limited warranty is also going to be attractive to most shoppers who do not want to go through the hassle of buying new tires again anytime soon. While these are all great features, it is not clear that this tire lives up to the hype.
Comfort and Performance
When shopping for luxury tires for your sedan or crossover, comfort is obviously going to be extremely important. This tire produces very little road noise, which will be much appreciated while going on longer trips. The tires also do a great job at absorbing bumps, rocks, potholes, and other road hazards. That said, however, there are some complaints that the sidewalls of the tire are actually too flexible, which gives your ride an almost bouncy feel, which some people will not like.
The performance of the tire is again quite good but has some important drawbacks to be aware of. Thanks to the classic deep groove tread design, you can confidently drive in both city and highway environments without losing control. You can even take these tires up to 130MPH without any real worry. If you are driving in the rain, however, they quickly lose their grip compared to similarly priced models. This is really unacceptable for an all-season tire.
Safety and Durability
On the one hand, the SSR run flat technology on this tire makes this a very safe option. It will ensure you do not end up stranded on the side of the road trying to change a tire. On the other hand, however, it is really difficult to call an all-season tire safe if it does not perform very well in the rain or snow. While this tire’s safety will be a step up from the bargain basement models, or from a tire that is very worn, you likely will not be happy with how safe you feel when you just spent this much money on a new set of tires.
Another surprising challenge for this tire is in its durability. At first glance, you will undoubtedly think that this tire is going to be very durable based on the deep tread, strong look and feel, and the impressive 65,000-mile warranty. If you do decide to buy these tires, make sure you hold onto your warranty paperwork because you will likely need it. A disappointing number of people who have purchased these tires complain about the tread waring out very quickly.
Who It’s For
Unfortunately, we really cannot recommend these tires to anyone. While there are some excellent features on these tires, and the Continental brand itself makes some of the best tires on the market, this particular model really seems to miss the mark.
If these tires were sold for around $100 each, this would be an entirely different situation. The fact is, however, that the ProContact GX tires are marketed and priced as a luxury tire. If you are ready to spend this much money on a set of tires, there are much better options available to consider.
