Michelin Primacy 3

The Michelin Primacy 3 is a Premium Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Tyre review data from 191 tyre reviews averaging 76% over 2,904,674 miles driven, and 28 tests with an average result of 6th.

Dry Grip 85%
Wet Grip 79%
Road Feedback 76%
Handling 77%
Wear 69%
Comfort 80%
Buy again 66%

First On MarketFebruary 2012
Wheel Size15 - 20"
Width185 - 245mm
Profile40 - 65
Rolling ResistanceA - D
Wet GripA - B
Noise (dB)68 - 71
Winter RatingNot Winter Rated

The Primacy 3 is ranked 65th of 148 Summer Premium Touring tyres.

This tyre replaced the Michelin Primacy HP and this tyre has been replaced by the Michelin Primacy 4.

Latest Tyre Test Results

2018 Ace 235/45 R18 Summer Tyre Test
9th of 11 tyres
View Full Test >>
2018 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 205/55 R16
1st of 16 tyres
  • Very balanced with top marks when worn, especially good on dry roads, still very good in the wet
  • None mentioned
View Full Test >>
2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
9th of 20 tyres
  • Excellent wear, short braking distances on dry roads, low rolling resistance
  • Average wet grip, limited resistance to aquaplaning, highest price
  • Recommended
View Full Test >>

SizeFuelWetNoise
16 inch
205/55R16 91 HDA71
205/55R16 91 HCA69
205/55R16 91 VCA69
205/55R16 91 VDA71
215/60R16 95 VCA69
205/60R16 96 V XLCA69
205/55R16 91 WDA71
17 inch
215/55R17 94 WCA69
225/45R17 91 WCA69
225/45R17 94 W XLCA69
215/45R17 91 W XLCA69
215/55R17 94 WCA69
225/50R17 94 HCA71
215/55R17 94 VCA69
225/45R17 91 VDA71
215/55R17 94 VBB69
215/55R17 98 W XLCA69
215/55R17 94 VCA69
225/50R17 94 VCA69
225/50R17 94 WCA69
225/60R17 99 VCA69
18 inch
245/40R18 93 YDA71
245/45R18 100 W XLCA71
View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Michelin Primacy 3 >>

Questions and Answers for the Michelin Primacy 3

2017-11-25 - trying to find the treadwear rating printed on the sidewall of Michelin primacy 3 and continental sportcontact 3 and 5. This is my deciding factor on these tyres 235/50 R17 96 Y or W for my Jaguar s type 2004 3.0. Why on earth do no uk websites display this info, would really help if this was included in this website PLZ.

Unfortunately manufacturer's treadwear ratings aren't a super reliable way of judging wear. Instead we suggest looking at user reviews and tests, and if you do that you will see that the Michelin Primacy 3 should last longer than the Continental tyres you mention.

2020-08-20 - What is the difference between 100V and 104V XL please?

The 104 is a higher load rated Primacy 3 intended for vehicles which require the higher load rating

2022-10-24 - I have a budget tyre and a Michelin primacy on the same axle. Should I change the budget tyre?

I would advise you always match across axles so in this case yes I would change it.

2023-02-17 - What are some good alternatives to the tyre. I need to get the front 2 replaced but was hoping for cheaper than £300.

I would suggest reading / watching this summer touring tyre test to see what some of the good alternatives are.

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Size Price Range  
205/55 R16 £86.67 - £131.16 (13 Prices) Compare Prices >>
225/45 R17 £97.93 - £131.81 (4 Prices) Compare Prices >>
225/50 R17 £133.60 - £173.16 (10 Prices) Compare Prices >>
245/45 R18 £150.48 - £198.84 (14 Prices) Compare Prices >>
Available in 35 tyre sizes - View all.

YouTube Review

Top 3 Michelin Primacy 3 Reviews

Given 99% while driving a Vauxhall (215/50 R17 W) on mostly motorways for 17,000 spirited miles
Fitted to the front at 81385 miles, laser alignment completed at the same time + new front shocks, springs, top mounts & bearings fitted. They have lasted to 98885 miles and still are just over the treadwear indicator. Amazing tyres. Incredible grip in the wet and dry; 100% confidence in them always. Slight slip now with full acceleration in the wet; but they are almost fully worn! Incredible comfort and quietness, and great durability on the front of a car which has 354NM of torque. I have always run top rated premium tyres from all the biggest brands. These are the best tyres I have ever had; second to none. Very highly recommended and great value too.
Helpful 212 - tyre reviewed on November 30, 2015
Given 69% while driving a Opel Grandland X 1,5D (215/65 R17) on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
The tires lasted about 25,000 miles on my car, which I don't think is too good. Response was average, although braking on dry and wet roads did not cause problems. The biggest problems were keeping the car moving in a straight line on a rough road (probably due to the nature of the car itself). The handling of the tires on different surfaces (gravel, asphalt) was good.
Helpful 32 - tyre reviewed on September 13, 2022
Given 83% while driving a BMW 745LI (245/50 R18) on mostly motorways for 50,000 average miles
These tryes were the factory fitted types thus went with these for replacement, they have been fantastic, 5 and half years, and 80k kms roughly 50k miles, and they are down to 4.0mm left, so approaching change.

smooth, and the biggest one for me was quiet, and decent handling. The car is a 7 series, so not aiming for the sporty handling, needed it to be smooth and quiet over anything else.

Going to give the Primacy4 a go for the next change, but been extreamly happy with the Primacy 3's/
Helpful 18 - tyre reviewed on August 6, 2023
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Latest Michelin Primacy 3 Reviews

Given 67% while driving a Toyota Camry (235/45 R18) on mostly town for 500 average miles
I got this Michelin Primacy 3st for my Camry 2005 here in the Philippines. Few hours after the installation, one of tire's shoulder waa damaged(not sure how) though it did not lose air. I questioned its durability as the rubber felt soft. I often get punctured on my Michelin tires. Other than that, the tires performed decent on dry and wet roads. It is not the quietest out there(Giticomfort F22 is a lot quieter) but it is good enough. It provides great road feedback. It sends almost every bump on my steering wheel(Hydraulic power steering, not EPS) which I find is both good and bad. Handling is also very good even though this is not built for sporty driving. Overall, I would recommend this is Primacy 4/4S isn't available in your area.
Helpful 10 - tyre reviewed on December 1, 2023
Given 57% while driving a Skoda (215/55 R16) on mostly town for 0 average miles
bought these tyres a year back and now after just 8000 kms of drive tires have cracks all over. When contacted Michelin customer care a very simple response they gave that we cant support since they have stopped import of these tires.

Such a pathetic response and leaving customer in between without supporting and looking into their bad quality product. What they replied is that i should better buy new tires of other make and since they will and wont support with replacement or reimbursement.

Asked them to submit report and in written then its more that 80 hours and yet to receive feedback. I have been chasing continuously but of no help.

If anyone can guide please help. I have spent 54K on these tires just a year back.

Cant share pics here as there is no option to.
Helpful 16 - tyre reviewed on September 11, 2023
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Given 60% while driving a Volkswagen Polo GTI (215/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 30,000 spirited miles
I believe Michelin Primacy 3 could be labeled as a good tyre, however for the type of vehicle that I drive they are simply not good enough. I am driving a VW Polo GTI and the tyres simply do not cope with the amount of torque the vehicle has. It's super easy to lose grip even in the dry if you try to put the power down. The tyres simply slip, sometimes even in 2nd or even 3rd gears.
Helpful 18 - tyre reviewed on July 15, 2023
Given 76% while driving a Citroën C3 (205/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 30,000 spirited miles
Excellent tyres, these were the ones that came with the car. Never had any issue, always dependable on any circumstances. Superb grip on dry and wet, even when close to the twi the grip in wet was quite good. Aquaplaning resistance not the best. Also didn't last as long as expected, but overall great tyres. High price though.
Helpful 11 - tyre reviewed on May 9, 2023
Given 61% while driving a Skoda (205/50 R18) on mostly country roads for 16 average miles
This is an OK tyre, does not do anything particularly well, average mileage. The one things that let these tyres down is the wet performance, with poor wet braking and total lack of grip with any standing water and will aquaplane in a puddle. This was so bad I replaced after 16,000 miles with over 3mm of tread left. Have changed to CrossClimate 2 SUV’s which are much better.
Helpful 14 - tyre reviewed on April 14, 2023
Given 86% while driving a Citroën C4 Picasso (2013 ) (205/55 R17) on a combination of roads for 0 easy going miles
When I bought a NEW C4 Picasso 1.6 BlueHDi 88/120 was year 2016 equiped with those Micheline Premacy 3 with DOTxx16 "first half of the year 16", and now I will replace them all with four (4) NEW Bridgestone Turanza 6. With Premacy 3I made mostly easy going driving through all 6 years of driving. First year I made 21000km mixed al roads and 70% was highway driving - summer season with averge fuel consumption 4.7l/100km through full diesel tank and mixed all type of roads. The rest 43000 kilometers I made in next five (5) years. For my style of driving, is that type of tyre the best one, but the price for the NEW Premacy 4+ si to high for me...Bridgestone Turanza 6 is cheaper.
Helpful 19 - tyre reviewed on March 22, 2023
Given 83% while driving a Citroën C3 (205/55 R16) on mostly country roads for 40,000 average miles
6 year old 17 plate (40.000 miles) car and tires from new. MOT advising fronts are getting near minimum and have just replaced. Original rear tires have plenty of tread left in them! Very happy with them although have just replaced fronts with Avon ZV7 as they were mid range and of course cheaper as I average about 6,000 a year.
Helpful 16 - tyre reviewed on December 21, 2022
Given 89% while driving a MG Gs (235/50 R18) on a combination of roads for 71,000 spirited miles
Fitted to my mg gs suv. Have had from new,(2016) just been advised close to legal limit after having covered 71000 miles. YES 71,000
Helpful 19 - tyre reviewed on November 16, 2022
Given 39% while driving a Kia Motors (225/45 R18) on mostly town for 12,000 easy going miles
Fitted to a kia e-Niro. Lasted just over a year with hardly any hard driving except accelerating away from lights occasionally. Dry grip is OK, nothing special, wet grip is terrible. It could be that the electric car is heavy, but these tyres are binary. They either grip or dont, there's no feedback of when the tyre will start to slide, it just loses all grip in an instant. This car is a lease, but if it were mine I'd change them ASAP. Also their longevity is terrible too. Overall a pretty poor tyre at premium prices.
Helpful 21 - tyre reviewed on September 30, 2022
Given 49% while driving a Ford Fiesta MK8 Ecoboost (100hp) (195/55 R16) on mostly town for 18,000 spirited miles
Bought the car in 2020 with roughly 9000 miles on the clock. The tires were in good condition at the time. Grip was decent and wear was low around the centre of the tire. Did notice the sides of the tires wearing faster though. Wheel alignment was done but did not change wear patterns. Decent in the wet but will start to slip if you are excessive on the throttle in turns. Did not spin much in a straight line in the wet back then. After 2 years and 9 000 miles, the tires started to go south. Lots of understeer and sudden loss of grip in medium to tight turns. Excessive wheelspin if I apply more than a quarter throttle on most roads at pull away. (With traction control activated there is still wheelspin) The tires feel very hard and dry although they still look good and have a lot of tread left. Braking feel is very numb right now, there is no feel or the car doesn't slow down much until about halfway down the pedal travel. (brake discs and pads are still in good condition so it can only be the tires) I need to replace them soon as they do not give much confidence when pulling away, braking or turning in general.
Helpful 23 - tyre reviewed on August 24, 2022
Given 86% while driving a Citroën C5 Tourer (225/60 R16) on a combination of roads for 37,000 average miles
Excellent allround tire city, country or highway. Smooth traveling no matter what the roads are like, but when it comes to turning or wet roads you can feel the tires struggling a bit. Fuel consumption is decent at avg. 7L/100km. The wear is great, in my opinion, 60 000km with a set. The only set back is the price. cca 800E for 4 tires seems too much for my blood.
Helpful 20 - tyre reviewed on June 10, 2022
Given 84% while driving a Skoda (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 18,000 spirited miles
From the first day driven on the new tyres to nearly 18,000 miles (2 years ago), these tyres have great wet grip, amazing handling and superb wear rate. They are truly exceptional. They were direct replacements for my Michelin Pilot sports (which are in my opinion are as near perfect as possible) and to be honest I think these are dare I say, even better. I have been driving for over 30 years and possibly used pretty much every recognised brand, make and model, including the likes of Continental, Pirelli, Goodyear, Bridgestone etc etc. but none match or even come close to Michelin. They are just a class above in every aspect. If you want the best performance, price and wear rate I would not buy anything else!
Helpful 17 - tyre reviewed on March 14, 2022