We were invited to California Speedway in Southern California to try Continental's two new "ultra high-performance" tires, the summer Extreme Contact DW and the all-season Extreme Contact DWS. We evaluated these two tires and their competitors from the "Big Three" (Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Michelin) on wet and dry parking lot handling courses, wet and dry skid pad, and during threshold braking tests.
The "DW" indicates dry and wet weather performance, while the "DWS" adds snow (more like all-season) performance. These tires incorporate several new technologies that may become more widespread in the future.
To improve cornering performance, both the DW and DWS feature chamfered edges. The edges of the tread blocks are not squared off, but instead have 45-degree-angle edges. Continental said that a square edge could actually roll under itself during hard cornering, reducing the contact patch. The 45-degree chamfered edge will remain flatter, with increased surface contact and ultimately, more cornering potential.
It's difficult for many non-enthusiasts to see the wear-indicator bars on their tires. Some drivers still resort to sticking an inverted penny in the tread to see if Abe Lincoln's head is visible. Continental has devised a better solution. The letters D and W (plus S on the DWS tire) are molded right into the tread block and clearly visible. As each of the letters gets worn down, it indicates that the tire is no longer optimal for that particular road condition (dry, wet, or snow). It's simple, easy to see, and easy to understand.
The DWS tire has one additional feature that the DW tire does not. Inside the groove of the DWS are serrations that keep snow from moving circumferentially within the tread groove. This is to optimize snow-on-snow contact, which helps with overall grip on the snow.
The DW and the DWS performed well in all of the wet and dry parking lot tests that we experienced, and in some cases subjectively handled better than their Big Three competitors. But of course, we didn't have any control over the testing conditions, including the selection and preparation of competitor tires.
We also had some ride-and-drives in pairs of Mustangs and Infiniti FXs mounted with the DWS and competitor tires. The Continental tires, at times, seemed to ride noticeably better than the competitor tires. Again, we had no idea how the tires were prepared, but it seemed fair.
The ride-and-drives reinforced our overall impression: the Continental DW and DWS seem to strike a good balance, trading ultimate performance for a bit of ride comfort. That would make sense, since that's what Continental has been known for in enthusiast circles.
Continental won't offer any original equipment (OE) fitments for the DW and DWS. Continental is acknowledged for some other very good original equipment tires, fitted to some high-end vehicles like Porsche and Benz. But for some reason, it's left off the radar when most enthusiasts want to replace their tires.
Continental said that its positioning strategy for the DW and DWS is to value-price them in relation to other premium, ultimate high-performance tires. Based on the tires' performance and value positioning, enthusiasts should give the DW and DWS consideration in addition to the usual Big Three choices when it comes time to replace their tires.
Albert Austria, Edmunds, Inc
kingkhalas says:
04:28 PM, 04/14/09
I like these types of stories. Hard to get good info on tires aside from message boards and reviews on tirerack.
clarkma5 says:
04:34 PM, 04/14/09
Continental's a good brand, we just put some ContiExtreme Contacts on my brother's WRX. They perform better than his old Avon M550 A/S's and performed quite well in the ice and snow for an all-season tire.
estreka says:
05:41 PM, 04/14/09
To be honest, I've never considered Continental tires. I've always thought of them as just another barely-par brand, but I honestly don't know why. I don't know anyone that owns Continentals either.
I love the imprinted DWS system. It's such a "duh" move. Why haven't we been doing this?
jederino says:
06:40 PM, 04/14/09
I would like to get more info on the DWS. I have, in the past, used Dunlop WinterSport 3D's for winter in Seattle on my old front-driver, but the winters are not all that brutal. Just a few does of snow and ice each year make some of the local hills a little treacherous. On the upshot, the I was able to get summer tires, which improved steering feel of the ol' Maxima!
My new G35 Sport is pretty firm with the Kumho Ecsta summer tires, and a lot of tire/road noise get in. I would consider getting a quieter, more comfy all-season tire if I could count on it for the few snow days.
If I go dedicated snow tire route, the Dunlops were great, but then I gotta get more tire-pressure-monitors for the new set of wheels, get my car to recognize them, yadda, yadda...
greenpony says:
07:02 PM, 04/14/09
I had some ExtremeContacts on my Mustang for a couple years. They were the best all-season tires I've ever had, allowing me to drive *almost* normal through two Chicago winters. The tread pattern on the new ExtremeContacts looks considerably different, so I'm curious to see how snow performance is affected.
To clarkma5: I agree. The Avons (Cooper) are relatively lousy. But you get what you pay for, eh?
stovt001 says:
10:39 PM, 04/14/09
I second kingkhalas. More tire reviews would be nice.
felonious says:
09:19 AM, 04/15/09
Did they happen to have PS2s there as Michelin representatives? That's my tire of choice, but if I can find a comparable tire for less money, count me in!
SnakeDoctor says:
09:41 AM, 04/15/09
felonious -
PS2s were present.
Regards,
Snake Doc
panzrwagn says:
04:26 PM, 05/28/09
Continetal has been on a bit of a roll of late, with OEM work from all 4 German car companies. The ContiSport Contact 2 that were OEM on my Audi A3 S-Line were great SUMMER tires. Just don't try driving them in below 40 degree weather. Hockey pucks. Used them up as rain tires on my BMW 325 autocross car. great there, too.
The ContiExtreme has been the most winter-suitable A/S tire, so no surprise from the comments above.
My wife's BMW needs new A/S rubber, and the DWS looks like the perfect blend for Seattle weather. Priced about $300/set below the B-Stone 960 and Michelin Pilot A/S doesn't hurt either.
jason5driver says:
11:03 AM, 07/ 7/09
I noticed that there is no description about steering response, handling, etc... on the Continental DW tires...
Plus, I can not tell whether they are testing the DW or the DWS...???
Specifics???!!!!???
Plus, I would like to know specifically what tires were tested and sizes?
Do these new Continental DW and DWS tires flat-spot or have difficulty balancing like most Continental tires?
How do they wear?
Is the rubber compound in these new tires as soft as previous Continental tires, hence flat-spotting and reluctant balancing...???
Please let me know.
Thanks!
Jason
leewithsubaru says:
11:19 AM, 09/27/09
Jason,
tirerack.com has extensive summaries and charts of a June 2009 road test on 4 Ultra High Performance All Season Tires that inclues the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. Once you get to the website, find the tire, and click into it's product page, click on "Tests" and you'll find the reports.
Lee
gabbott1 says:
10:39 AM, 03/ 2/10
My 2003 Ford Expedition has had Continental's SUV since day one. I continue to use Continental as replacements. I will be replacing the Yokohama's on my VW Touareg V8 with Continental DWS.
jerseyguy1 says:
09:11 PM, 04/15/10
Most interesting. My wife's '04 Lincoln LS came with Continentals as standard. Absolute junk. Noisy, harsh riding, not especially good wear. When my '04 911 needed new rubber, the Porsche dealer's service manager suggested Continental Contact Sports. Based on experience with my wife's car I told him I would rather not. He countered by saying that he thought they were the best application for how I drive my car and that I did not like them he would buy them back from me.
How could I go wrong. I now have about 10,000 miles on them and the are simply first rate. Reasonably quiet, good tread life, great handling. I 'm impressed enough to seriously consider the DWS for my wife's LS as the Firestone Firehawks on on it are crap.
cptmatt says:
08:10 AM, 11/14/10
I just completed 1000 miles on the DWS. I own a 2007 Saturn Aura XR with the 3.6L V6 (255hp). I had replaced the OEM Goodyear LS tires within a month of buying the car because they almost killed me in a snow/ice storm here in Chicago. For the last 4 years I've had a set of Kumho Ecsta ASX on the car. They performed OK but where kinda noisy and so-so on snow traction. They were practically worn out after only 26K miles.
These ExtremeContact DWS tires have made a whole now car out of my Aura. They are quiet, grip like they are digging into the asphalt, in both dry and wet, and actually improved my mileage by 2-3mpg. These tires have lived up to Continental's brochure hype so far. Because of that, I expect they also will when the snow comes in the next couple of months.
madlock says:
02:33 AM, 02/23/11
Replaced summer-only Goodyear Eagle F-1's in 245/45-20 with ExtremeContact DWS for my 2011 Taurus SHO before taking delivery - the best decision I've ever made.
Silent. Phenomenal road manners - keeping two-plus tons in trim with a 45 aspect tire is no small feat. They were the absolute peers of to identically-sized Michelin Primacy MXV4's for winter performance on dry, wet, snow and ice.
I will be shoeing my 2011 Mustang GT500 with DWS for street use - keeping the OE F-1 G: 2's for where they're meant to be used - on the track on hot summer days when they're any damn good at all. My only dilemma is sizing - Continental has aimed for the broadest part of the enthusiast market - leaving many of the highest-performance OE fitments off the menu.
Be aware - Continental has added additional DWS size(s) than their web site indicates, including a 315/35-20 not shown on the master product sheet.
rbarnette123 says:
03:09 PM, 12/21/11
These tires are excellent. I did tons of research when looking to replace the Dunlop non-RFT tires that were on my 2007 BMW 550i. For price, mileage warranty (50K), comfort and sporting nature, there is nothing else that comes close. The first thing I noticed was how much quieter and smoother the DWS tires were compared to the Dunlop’s; I even saw a 1 MPG increase in my overall mileage! They ride very comfortable and they are more than sporty enough for most drivers, unless you really want to drive hard at the track. For everyday driving with rain and light snow/slush capability, there is nothing that touches the overall price/performance ratio. I can't say enough good things about this tire! I love having one set of tires I can use comfortably all year round without having to worry about my traction in any terrain.
BMW employs negative camber to increase turn-in response. It will wear the fronts on the outside edge and the rears on the inside edge prematurely. Continental has a great warranty and Americas Tire Center gives me a pro-rated credit back on my new purchase. The tires last me around 35K for the fronts and 25K for the rears on my staggered set-up.
If you're looking for the best handling tire for the track/street, it's the Michelin Pilot Super Sport .