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Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
  • Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
  • Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
Tire Rack Test

Tire is Available for Your Vehicle

Your 2016 Lexus RX 350 AWD came from the factory with more than one possible size. This tire may fit depending on the size you need.

The ExtremeContact Sport 02 is Continental’s next-generation Max Performance Summer tire, developed for drivers of sports cars, performance coupes, sedans, and muscle cars seeking a satisfying balance of traction and handling, quiet comfort, and tread life. Like all summer tires, the ExtremeContact Sport 02 is not intended to be driven, stored, or serviced in near- or below-freezing temperatures, through snow, or on ice.

ExtremeContact Sport 02 callouts

Utilizing a specialized summer-only compound molded into a ribbed asymmetric design, the ExtremeContact Sport 02 features Continental's SportPlus Technology, which focuses on precise handling, wet traction, and enhanced wear for well-rounded maximum performance. The outside shoulder features wide tread blocks for lateral grip and high-speed handling, and the continuous center rib provides constant rubber-to-road contact for solid on-center feel. A wide, optimized footprint evenly distributes pressure across the face of the tire for improved tread life. Continental employs its patented +Silane tread compound technology to provide sure-footed handling in damp conditions, and deep, circumferential grooves offer efficient pathways for water evacuation through the contact patch for hydroplane resistance.

The internal construction of the ExtremeContact Sport 02 consists of a two-ply polyester casing supporting two steel belts. A polyamide reinforcement ply adds high-speed stability and performance.

Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.

Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Max Performance Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Compound cracking is not a warrantable condition because it occurs as the result of improper use or storage, tires exhibiting compound cracking must be replaced.

Tire Rack Test Results Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02

Ultra High Performance vs. Max Performance Summer Tires – 2025 Test 3 (27:40)

When these two wildly popular summer performance categories go head-to-head, it gives us a deeper look into what truly separates them. That helps you find the best tire for what you prioritize, whether that be on-road comfort with sporty handling or if you’ll trade off some manners for even more handling. In a packed field, with new products and first-time tires in our revamped testing platform, there were sure to be some surprises…and there were! And as always starting in 2025, you’ll see last year’s results added into the mix to see where they all stand.

Read the Full Test Report

Ratings Charts & Reviews Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02

Tire Category: Max Performance Summer

Consumer Surveys

 
Best in Category
Miles Reported
Recommended
Treadwear
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
Excellent
100%
3M
9.0 - Excellent
8.9 - Excellent
8.8 Hydroplaning Resistance
8.9 Wet Traction
9.4 - Excellent
9.4 Corner Stability
9.5 Dry Traction
9.4 Steering Response
N/A
N/A Light Snow Traction
N/A Deep Snow Traction
N/A Ice Traction
9.0 - Excellent
9.0 Ride Quality
8.9 Noise
8.3 - Good

Customers Say

User feedback reveals the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 delivers excellent dry traction, with consistent 9-10 scores for grip and cornering stability. Wet traction also earns strong praise (8-10 range), though a few note reduced hydroplaning resistance in heavy rain. Ride comfort and noise levels are generally positive (7-9 scores), described as smooth for a performance tire. Treadwear receives mixed feedback, with some users reporting shorter-than-expected tread life despite 7-9 ratings, suggesting it may wear faster under aggressive driving. Overall, it aligns well with its Max Performance Summer category, prioritizing responsive handling and confident dry/wet performance while balancing everyday usability.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Customers Like:

357 customers mention "Wet Traction"

  • 348 positive
  • 9 negative

Most customers rate Wet Traction 9s and 10s, highlighting excellent grip and confident handling in wet conditions. Scores between 7-8 still reflect strong wet performance for a summer tire.

May 02, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.1 out of 5 Star Rating
4.1 out of 5

...They performed very well at autocross in the rain.

My 328iX is my daily and autocross vehicle. I only have used them for about a month. So far, these tires perform very well for day to day use. They performed very well at autocross last week in the rain.

Vehicle: 2011 BMW 328i xDrive Sedan Base Model
Miles Driven on Tires: 500
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: FRANKLIN, NH
Driving Style: Spirited
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May 21, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.4 out of 5 Star Rating
4.4 out of 5

I had my best autocross finish ever on this set of tires. I finished 2nd out of 47 cars for the first Indy region event for 2025 in wet conditions.

I had my best autocross finish ever on this set of tires. I finished 2nd out of 47 cars for the first Indy region event for 2025 in wet conditions.

Vehicle: 2016 Ford Mustang Fastback GT Performance Pkg
Miles Driven on Tires: 30
Driving Conditions: Track/Autocross
Location: SHELBYVILLE, IN
Driving Style: Spirited
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514 customers mention "Dry Traction"

  • 509 positive
  • 5 negative

Customers overwhelmingly rate dry traction as excellent, with most scores at 9 or 10. High marks highlight confident grip and precise handling, making it a top choice for summer performance driving.

April 22, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.3 out of 5 Star Rating
4.3 out of 5

These tires took away the ' let me slide around this corner' tendency from the stock tires and replaced it with strong, steady cornering. You'll need to work to break them free, and to be honest, if that's what you want, these tires are not for you.

These tires took away the “let me slide around this corner” tendency from the stock tires and replaced it with strong, steady cornering. You'll need to work to break them free, and to be honest, if that's what you want, these tires are not for you.

Besides holding the road well, the road noise isn't bad. They are softer than stock, and that translates through the steering wheel. After running through two full sets of the stock tires, I wasn’t happy with the softer feel at first, but I’ve since grown accustomed to it.

They’re going to last longer than the stock tires, which is great, especially considering they’re softer. Last summer, I took a trip from Colorado to Illinois and back. I went through heavy rain at highway speeds and had no problem with hydroplaning.

Unless something better comes along, I’m sticking with these.

Vehicle: 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring
Miles Driven on Tires: 3,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: LAKEWOOD, CO
Driving Style: Average
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April 26, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

...Wow, wheel spin gone, snap sideways- gone. Grip is way past expectations. Yes they ride harder, but the grip is so much fun.

Tires are underrated, I had 215/40 sport 4 Michelin.
They had a great ride and were quite but kept letting go accelerating out of turns
And car would snap sideways, yikes
My new Continental sport 02s 245/35 mounted on much wider 9” wheels
Wow, wheel spin gone, snap sideways- gone
Grip is way past expectations
Yes they ride harder, but the grip is so much fun
Safety is so much higher.
Turn in amazing
Pulls way past 1.0 Gs now yay
Drives like my old spec Miata with a softer ride
Grip like average 200 TW 😁

Vehicle: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS 2SS
Miles Driven on Tires: 3,200
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: COLUMBUS, OH
Driving Style: Spirited
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514 customers mention "Ride Quality"

  • 502 positive
  • 12 negative

Customers consistently rate the ExtremeContact Sport 02's comfort highly, with most scoring 9s and 10s for ride quality and low noise levels. High marks highlight its ability to deliver a refined, smooth driving experience expected from max performance summer tires.

December 03, 2023 (Verified Purchase)

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

...Very comfortable with little to no road noise...

Grip is phenomenal even in rain. Very comfortable with little to no road noise. Would definitely recommend and purchase again.

Vehicle: 2011 BMW 335i Sedan M Sport Package
Miles Driven on Tires: 3,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: OZONE PARK, NY
Driving Style: Spirited
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July 26, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

5 out of 5 Star Rating
5 out of 5

...Smooth, quiet and great traction wet and dry...

So far the tires have exceeded my expectations. Smooth, quiet and great traction wet and dry. I hope to have them for the foreseeable future!

Vehicle: 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
Miles Driven on Tires: 1,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: MOUNT PROSPECT, IL
Driving Style: Spirited
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May 10, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

They replaced Michelin PS4S. A more comfortable ride, excellent cornering, turn in very good.

They replaced Michelin PS4S. A more comfortable ride, excellent cornering, turn in very good.

Vehicle: 2011 BMW 335is Coupe
Miles Driven on Tires: 9,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: LEOMINSTER, MA
Driving Style: Spirited
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298 customers mention "Treadwear"

  • 269 positive
  • 29 negative

Customers praise tread life with most scoring 9s and 10s, highlighting excellent longevity for a summer tire focused on dry and wet traction.

July 02, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

I figured they would wear out quicker than a normal tire, but NO! These tires really surprised me... I have 50K on them and still have quite a bit of tread left...

I bought these on a recommendation of a fellow instructor and we were running it on one of our supercars. I figured they would wear out quicker than a normal tire, but NO! These tires really surprised me. I knew they would be grippy and they are, cornering is amazing, the ride quality is amazing but the wear is fantastic. I have 50K on them and still have quite a bit of tread left. I thought for sure I would have replaced them before this. Definitely will be purchasing these tires again.

Vehicle: 2014 Audi A7 Sedan 3.0 TDI Prestige
Miles Driven on Tires: 50,000
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: CUMMING, GA
Driving Style: Spirited
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May 05, 2025 (Verified Purchase)

4.6 out of 5 Star Rating
4.6 out of 5

...The Conti's are much quieter, much grippier, and have a more compliant ride...

Replaced a set of OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050s on my Fiat 124 Spider Abarth that were about 7 years old. The Conti's are much quieter, much grippier, and have a more compliant ride. It was fun getting the rear out on the Bridgestones, although it could be a handful, particularly if someone not familiar with the car was driving. The Conti's instill more confidence. Exceeded my expectations.

Vehicle: 2017 FIAT 124 Spider Abarth Standard Brakes
Miles Driven on Tires: 3,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: RIVIERA BEACH, MD
Driving Style: Spirited
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Consumer Reviews

Media Gallery

Ultra High Performance vs. Max Performance Summer Tires – 2025 Test 3 (27:40)

When these two wildly popular summer performance categories go head-to-head, it gives us a deeper look into what truly separates them. That helps you find the best tire for what you prioritize, whether that be on-road comfort with sporty handling or if you’ll trade off some manners for even more handling. In a packed field, with new products and first-time tires in our revamped testing platform, there were sure to be some surprises…and there were! And as always starting in 2025, you’ll see last year’s results added into the mix to see where they all stand.

Read the Full Test Report

Are EV-Specific Tires Better than Popular Non-EV Tires? – 2025 Test 1 (34:07)

In the first test of 2025, we run it back with EV vs non-EV tires with an eleven-tire, five-category grouping. Using our pair of Teslas, we delve into efficiency, road characteristics, wet and dry handling/braking, and of course, the overall rankings when combined! Including a final chart with tires from 2024 added! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the first test of 2025!

Read the Full Test Report

Best Performance Tires: Ultra High Performance vs. Max Performance Summer Tires – 2024 Test 3 (22:06)

Using our new BMW M2 high-performance test vehicle, we ran two Ultra High Performance and four Max Performance summer tires through our litany of tests to find the best performance tire on the market.


Read the Full Test Report

Experience the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 (00:47)

The ExtremeContact Sport 02 is the evolution of the well-regarded ExtremeContact Sport. It’s ideal for drivers of sports cars, performance coupes, sedans, and muscle cars seeking a satisfying balance of traction and handling, quiet comfort, and tread life.

Testing Max Performance Summer Tires: Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 (01:38)

The ExtremeContact Sport 02 is Continental’s latest Max Performance Summer tire engineered to balance traction and handling with good on-road manners. To see how it stacks up against the competition, our team tests it against another newcomer to the category and a well-known benchmark.

Read the Full Test Report

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