Michelin Primacy 3 Tire Review

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About the Michelin Primacy 3

Summer is one of the best periods for driving, especially if you own a performance vehicle. You will enjoy excellent handling, the best traction and an enjoyable driving experience.

But to enjoy all the above benefits, you will need to equip your vehicle with the right set of tires.

And while you can use a set of all-season tires for driving during the hottest days, their performance is average at best for a performance vehicle.

Therefore, you will need a proper set of summer tires, which can match your vehicle’s performance levels. And the Michelin Primacy 3 is one of such tires.

The Michelin Primacy 3 is a premium summer tire, designed for a wide range of luxury touring vehicles.

It’s used as original equipment (OE) by some of the most popular luxury vehicles like the Audi 6, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and various BMW models. It’s also available as a replacement tire.

According to Michelin, the Primacy 3 is built to deliver excellent wet and dry traction, enhanced sport handling, as well as a comfortable and quiet ride.

Performance Features and Technologies

As noted above, the Michelin Primacy 3 is built to deliver outstanding dry and wet traction, decent handling, great steering response and a cozy ride.

To achieve these objectives, Michelin has equipped it with some of the most advanced tire technologies. They include:

Auto-Blocking Sipe Technology

Michelin has outfitted this tire with its advanced and exclusive auto-blocking sipe technology as well as a new rubber tread compound.

These two features work together to deliver superior dry and wet performance, combined with top-notch sport handling.

Optimized Contact Patch

The Michelin Primacy 3 also features Michelin’s Contact Patch technology. This technology helps to distribute heat and tire pressure evenly.

And as a result, this tire will not only grip the surface better but will also deliver more mileage, compared to other summer tires.  

Comfort Control Technology

Michelin has also utilized its Comfort Control Technology in this tire. This technology is designed to reduce the tire’s road noise and vibrations.

According to Michelin, this tire will give you a quiet, smooth, and comfortable ride, whether it’s your daily commute or you are going on a long road trip.

Green X Technology

This tire also comes with Michelin’s Green X Technology. According to Michelin, this technology helps to reduce the tire’s rolling resistance.

In turn, your vehicle will consume lesser fuel when using this tire, leading to lower C02 emissions.

Also, the reduced rolling resistance will help to slow down the tire’s wear rate while enhancing its tread life.

Performance in Different Conditions

Summer tires are specifically built to deliver the best performance possible in hot weather.

But as you may probably know, it sometimes rains during the summer, meaning you will need a tire that can get you safely whenever you encounter such conditions.

The question is, can the Michelin Primacy 3 provide superb dry performance without sacrificing wet traction?

Well, I took a set of these tires for a test ride using a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and this is how it performed in different conditions.

Performance on Dry Tarmac

The Michelin Primacy 3 performs exceptionally well on dry tarmac. From the get-go, you can tell this tire is specifically engineered for these conditions.

Its grip levels are simply outstanding. Its acceleration traction is also excellent. With a set of these tires, you can push your vehicle to the limit, even on the track, without experiencing any loss of grip or traction.

One area that stood out for me is how easy it is to control the vehicle in a tight corner with a set of these tires, even when driving the vehicle at higher-than-average speeds.

Furthermore, the steering remained precise, fast and direct throughout my test ride. Acceleration traction is top-notch and high-speed stability is great.

And when it comes to braking distances, they are among the shortest in the category. I was able to bring my Corvette to a stop safely within few seconds.

Another thing you will love about this tire is that you don’t need to warm it up first to provide the grip needed on dry roads, which is a great feature, especially if you use it on the racetrack.

Performance in Wet Conditions

As mentioned earlier, Michelin has outfitted this tire with its exclusive auto-blocking sipe technology. It also comes with a patented rubber tread compound.

Thanks to these two features, the Michelin Primacy 3 performed quite well on wet surfaces and damp conditions.

Its cornering grip is reliable, traction is adequate and the braking distances remain short.

Also, its hydroplaning resistance is great, thanks to the two deep and wide circumferential grooves on its tread.

Overall, its performance in wet conditions is great, considering the Michelin Primacy 3  is a summer performance tire.  

Performance in Snowy Conditions

The Michelin Primacy 3 is a summer performance tire. It lacks the performance features needed to handle snow-covered or ice-covered roads.

So, if you own a performance vehicle and you live in an area that experiences colder temperatures of frequent snowing, you are better off equipping your vehicle with a set of performance winter tires.

Michelin Primacy 3 Ride Quality

Michelin’s performance tires are renowned for their above-average ride quality. And the Michelin Primacy 3 also doesn’t disappoint in this aspect.

It delivers a comfortable, quiet and refined ride, thanks to the utilization of its exclusive Comfort Control technology.

Road noise is almost nonexistent and it doesn’t transmit vibrations to the cabin. Overall, when it comes to the ride quality, I have nothing to complain about this tire.

Warranties and Guarantees

Like other tires from this brand, the Primacy 3 is also covered by the Michelin Promise Plan.

This plan comprises several warranties and guarantees, designed to protect the buyer against loss and inspire confidence in this tire. They include:

Materials and Workmanship Warranty

As its name suggests, this warranty is designed to protect you from loss, if your Michelin Primacy 3 and it’s removed from service due to materials and workmanship defects, then you should get a replacement.

Michelin offers a free replacement with a comparable new tire or a pro-rata replacement, depending on when the tire is removed from service.

If your Michelin Primacy 3 tire becomes unserviceable during its first 2/32-inch of the original usable tread or within 12 months from the purchase date, Michelin will replace it with a comparable new tire, free of charge.

Michelin will also pay for the tire’s mounting and balancing charges while you will be responsible for the tire’s applicable taxes and other additional service costs.

If your Michelin Primacy 3 is removed from service outside the free replacement period, then Michelin will replace it on a pro-rata basis.

For the pro-rata basis, you will contribute a certain amount of money during the tire’s replacement.

The replacement amount that you will pay will depend on the amount of the original usable tread worn off the tire.

Besides paying the replacement amount, you will also be responsible for its mounting and balancing charges, as well as applicable taxes and other service charges.

Coverage under the workmanship and materials warranty runs for six years, from the tire’s purchase date.

So, if it’s removed from service after six years, it will not be eligible to be replaced, even it has only been slightly used.

Treadwear Warranty

The Michelin Primacy 3 is also covered by Michelin’s treadwear warranty. The warranted mileage will depend on the model you buy.

For instance, the V, Y, and W models come with a 35,000-mile treadwear warranty while the H speed-rated Michelin Primacy 3 comes with a 30,000-mile warranty.

Under this warranty, Michelin promises to replace your Michelin Primacy 3 tire, if it wears out without attaining the warranted mileage.

So, if the Michelin Primacy 3 wears out uniformly across its tread face down to its treadwear indicators without attaining the promised mileage, Michelin will replace it.

But you should note that, unlike the materials and workmanship warranty, the treadwear warranty doesn’t have a free replacement window.

Hence, your tire will be replaced on a pro-rata basis, where you will contribute some money for its replacement.

You may be probably wondering how much you will pay for the tire’s replacement. Well, the amount will depend on the percentage of the mileage the tire has delivered, by the time it's worn down to its treadwear indicators.

The dealer will then multiply this percentage to the tire’s current selling price. You will also be required to pay for the full cost of the tire’s mounting and balancing, as well as applicable taxes and miscellaneous service charges.

Satisfaction Guarantee

The Michelin Primacy 3 also comes with a 60-day customer satisfaction guarantee.

So, after buying this tire, you will have up to 60 days from the date of purchase, to decide whether to keep or not.

If you are not fully satisfied with this tire, you can return it to the dealer who sold it to you, and they will exchange it for you, free of charge.

Roadside Assistance

This tire is also eligible for Michelin’s Roadside Assistance service.

So, whenever you are driving on this tire, you will be eligible for emergency roadside assistance services like:

• Flat tire change
• Gas, oil and water delivery
• Battery jumpstart
• Free towing
• Lockout service

It’s important to note that you will need to have a spare tire if for the flat tire to be replaced on-site.

In case you don’t have one, then you can opt to have your vehicle towed to the nearest auto shop, for up to 150 miles.

Coverage under this service runs for 3 years from the tire’s date of purchase.

Michelin Primacy 3 Sizes and Fitment

This tire is available in several sizes, ranging from 16 inches to 19 inches. It can fit a wide range of vehicles like:

• Chevrolet Corvette, Impala and Camaro
• Honda Fit and Civic
• Audi TT, S4, A4 and A6
• Ford Mustang and Focus
• Infiniti M37, EX35, Q70, M56, EX37, and QX50
• Cadillac XTS, CT6, DTS, and CTS
• Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne
• Pontiac Trans Am, GTO and G8
• Bentley Continental
• Hyundai Nexo, Equus and Tucson
• Mitsubishi 350Z, Lancer Evolution and 3000GT
• Lexus GS430 and GS300
• BMW 740i, 335i, M5, 525i, 330Ci, X3, M8, X4, 750i, 550i GT and M3
• Porsche Boxster and Panamera
• Mini Cooper S
• Toyota Supra, Solara and Yaris
• Mercedes-Benz E320, E63 AMG, S400, S550, S560, S450, and CLS550

Michelin Primacy 3 Pros

• Superior dry performance
• Short braking distances in wet conditions
• Decent rolling resistance

Michelin Primacy 3 Cons

• Price is on the higher side

Should You Buy the Michelin Primacy 3?

The Michelin Primacy 3 performs according to expectations. It delivers exceptional grip on dry roads, dependable traction in wet conditions as well as decent steering response. Braking is solid and consistent and the steering response is accurate and fast. Overall, if you own a performance luxury vehicle or a sports car and you want to extract maximum performance from it, then you should definitely consider the Michelin Primacy 3.