Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2
Goodyear have developed the Efficient Grip Performance 2 for increased braking performance in wet weather.
Price from
Find your size84.99to289.99
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4+: Which Tyre Should You Choose?
While manufacturers will never name a competitor directly, it's fair to say that Goodyear's EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Michelin's Primacy 4+ are in an unspoken head-to-head.
After all, both tyres sit in the same bracket. Both are premium touring rubber for family hatchbacks, saloons and SUVs. Both are EV-approved, built around the same trade-off – safety and comfort over the tyre's whole life, not outright grip on day one.
Where they split is in how each brand has chosen to spend its engineering budget. Goodyear leans into mileage and rolling resistance. Michelin leans into wet performance that holds up as the tyre wears down.
Here's what the evidence, the EU tyre label and Blackcircles' own pricing and size data show, and which one wins out for your style of driving.
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4+: What's the Difference?
The biggest difference between the two is what each tyre is built to protect first. The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 is tuned for low rolling resistance and high mileage. Meanwhile, the Michelin Primacy 4+ is tuned for wet braking performance that doesn't fall away as the tread wears down.
Both are summer/all-round touring tyres for everyday cars, both carry EV-approved status on Blackcircles.com, and both compete for exactly the same customer: someone doing UK motorway and commuter miles who wants safety and value over years, not track-day grip.
In simple terms:
- Choose the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 if fuel economy, mileage and price-per-mile matter most
- Choose the Michelin Primacy 4+ if wet braking as the tyre wears, noise and ride comfort matter most
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Overview
Built for high mileage and low rolling resistance, with Wet Braking technology for shorter stopping distances in the rain, the EfficientGrip Performance 2 is Goodyear's mainstream premium touring tyre.
It is aimed primarily at 15- to 18-inch rim sizes, though Blackcircles.com stocks it up to 21-inch.
Goodyear builds it around 'Wet Braking' technology – lower compound stiffness combined with a higher number of gripping edges, designed to evacuate water from the contact patch faster and shorten wet braking distances. Three large ribs across the centre of the tread add stiffness for dry cornering stability, and increased tread elasticity is aimed at resisting damage on rough road surfaces.
Michelin Primacy 4+ Overview
The Primacy 4+ is Michelin's premium touring tyre, built on Michelin's EverGrip technology for wet braking performance and aquaplaning resistance that's designed to last the tyre's full legal life.
It is positioned as the successor to the long-running and multiple-award-winning Primacy 4.
Its core technology is MICHELIN EverGrip: two offset layers of rubber compound designed to counteract reduced tread depth as the tyre wears, paired with a self-rejuvenating tread pattern and MaxTouch Construction. This spreads acceleration, braking and cornering forces evenly across the contact patch to even out wear.
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Michelin Primacy 4 Plus +
Experience greater levels of safety with MICHELIN PRIMACY 4+. Designed to keep you and your passengers safe, mile after mile.
Price from
Find your size106.43to215.23
Tyre Label Ratings
Tyre label ratings are regulated, and they're the only performance figures on this page that have been tested to a common standard by an independent body rather than commissioned by either manufacturer. They cover three things:
- Fuel Efficiency – graded A to E
- Wet Grip – graded A to E
- External Noise – a decibel figure and a class
Ratings vary between sizes. The table below compares the two tyres in a single common size that both are available in on Blackcircles.com – 205/55 R16 91V.
| Label rating | Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 | Michelin Primacy 4+ |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Efficiency | B | C |
| Wet Grip | A | A |
| External Noise | 69 dB (B) | 69 dB (B) |
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Awards & Recognition
Recognition listed by Goodyear and Blackcircles.com includes:
- Winner, AutoBild Summer Tyre Test – 2022
- Winner, DriverReviews Best Tyres for City Cars – 2022
- Highly Recommended, DriverReviews Best Tyres for Large Family Cars – 2022, and current 2026/27 award
- Highly Recommended, Tyre Reviews Summer Test – 2023
Michelin Primacy 4+ Awards & Recognition
Recognition listed by Michelin, Tyre Reviews and Blackcircles.com includes:
- 1st of 21, AutoBild Summer Tyre Test – 2024
- 2nd of 16, ADAC Summer Tyre Test – 2024
- 3rd of 50, ADAC Summer Tyre Test – 2023
- Recommended, Tyre Reviews / WhatTyre – best-in-test comfort and second-quietest in its group, with low rolling resistance, though its wet performance and handling times trailed the newest rivals in the same test
Fuel Efficiency, Rolling Resistance and EV Suitability
This is the area where the two tyres separate most clearly, and it's the theme that comes up most often in the research behind this article – fuel economy, rolling resistance and suitability for electric cars.
Both tyres are listed as EV-approved on Blackcircles.com, meaning both meet the basic load and construction requirements manufacturers set for electric vehicles. Where they differ is the regulated fuel efficiency rating: B for the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 against C for the Michelin Primacy 4+ in the common 205/55 R16 size compared above.
Rolling resistance is one of the few tyre metrics with a direct, physical link to range – a heavier EV working a higher-resistance tyre harder will use more energy per mile, all else being equal.
On the regulated label alone, the Goodyear has the edge here. Independent testers have also highlighted the EfficientGrip Performance 2's Mileage-Plus construction as well suited to the extra weight and instant torque of EVs, which tends to accelerate tyre wear regardless of brand.
Customer Reviews
Customer feedback on Blackcircles.com is provided through DriverReviews, allowing drivers to share their experiences and opinions on tyres they have already purchased. The review categories are:
- Overall ratings
- Would the customer buy the tyres again
- Does the car feel better to drive
- Were the tyres value for money
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Customer Reviews
customers have reviewed the EfficientGrip Performance 2 as follows:
Michelin Primacy 4+ Customer Reviews
customers have reviewed the Primacy 4+ as follows:
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Common Tyre Sizes
Michelin Primacy 4+ Common Tyre Sizes
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Common Car Models
Michelin Primacy 4+ Common Car Models
Price Difference Between EfficientGrip Performance 2 vs Primacy 4+
Prices for tyre ranges typically differ between sizes and specialised car manufacturer fitments.
Fully fitted prices for the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 range from £ to £ .
Fully fitted prices for the Michelin Primacy 4+ range from £ to £ .
Which Tyre Suits My Driving: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4+
Both tyres are aimed at the same everyday UK driver, but the research behind this article surfaced some specific, common questions worth answering directly.
Everyday and motorway driving: either tyre is a safe, sensible choice. The regulated label puts them level on wet grip and noise; Michelin's own test data shows its wet braking margin growing as the tyre wears, while Goodyear's independent test data and fuel label favour it on efficiency and outright mileage.
Small hatchbacks (Fiesta-class cars): both are stocked from 15/16-inch rims upward, so fitment isn't the deciding factor – budget and priorities are.
Rural and rougher roads: there's no independent test data supporting the idea that the EfficientGrip Performance 2 is 'too soft' for UK country roads. Goodyear's compound is tuned for wet grip and mileage rather than sidewall stiffness, which shows up as a comfort trait rather than a durability issue in the test results above.
Long-distance comfort: Michelin's Primacy 4+ has the stronger record here, with best-in-test comfort and second-quietest results in its most recent Tyre Reviews comparison.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better in the wet, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 or Michelin Primacy 4+?
Both carry an A rating for wet grip on the regulated EU label at 205/55 R16, so there's nothing between them on paper. Michelin's own commissioned testing shows the Primacy 4+ pulling ahead once a tyre is worn down, particularly on wet braking distance, while Goodyear's commissioned testing (against the previous-generation Primacy 4) claims the shortest wet braking distances of its group. Both tests were paid for by the tyre that won them.
Is the Michelin Primacy 4+ worth the extra money over the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2?
If comfort, noise and wet performance as the tyre ages are your priority, Michelin's independent test record supports the premium. If you're optimising for cost per mile, Goodyear's fuel label and its cheapest-to-run result in the 2024 AutoBild test make the case the other way.
Which tyre is more fuel efficient, and better suited to an EV?
The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2, on the evidence available. It carries a B rating for fuel efficiency against the Michelin Primacy 4+'s C rating at 205/55 R16, and lower rolling resistance translates fairly directly into less energy used per mile – relevant for any car, and especially for EV range.
Are Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 tyres too soft for UK country roads?
There's no independent test data to support that. Goodyear's compound is tuned for wet grip and mileage rather than outright sidewall stiffness, and in every test cited on this page it either wins or places competitively on braking and handling. A soft-feeling ride is a comfort characteristic, not a sign that the tyre is unsuited to rougher roads.
