zibby43

I wanted to try out some new tires this summer. I liked both the stickiness and responsiveness of the OEM ContiSportContact 5Ps but wasn't thrilled with the ride comfort they provided. Initially, I sold them because I wanted to go wider but after doing some research, I determined that wider isn't necessarily always better (I don't want to start a debate about this though; for those of you that have gone wider, I'm glad your setup has worked well). I didn't want to sacrifice performance but I did want to secure a better/softer ride for cruising during daily driving.

I've had all kinds of summer tires. On my BMWs, I mainly utilized either Pirelli P-Zeros, Michelin Pilot Super Sports, or Bridgestone Potenza Pole Positions. For the C63, I considered these aforementioned options along with several other brands, models, and sizes (OEM, 265/245, 275/245, etc.). After a lot of reading and plenty of deliberation, I went with the Continental ExtremeContact DW (Dry/Wet) in 255/35 and 235/40.

First off, I like the way the DW's look. They've got a nice, extra wide profile and a pretty cool tread pattern. There are D and W indicators in the tread that disappear when the tire is no longer suitable for a particular condition. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Dry Performance: They're ZR(Y)-rated max performance summer tires (186+ mph). Steering feel is good and turn-in has remained sharp. While the tires provide plenty of feedback, they soak up road imperfections and rough pavement much better than my old 5Ps. The tires are also very, very quiet. Since installing the tires, I have been driving exclusively in S+ and whenever I smash the throttle from a dig, they hook up wonderfully (ambient temperatures of about 80-86 F). There isn't much squealing or fuss, just plenty of traction. I didn't measure my stopping distances or anything like that but generally, pedal feel during braking is also excellent.

Wet Performance: Wow, this is where these tires really shine. We've had some soaking rain recently and the DWs handled the wet conditions flawlessly. Whereas the 5Ps felt a little squirmy/skittish during spirited wet-weather driving, the DWs felt planted (especially at higher speeds on the interstate). There was minimal ESP interference during reasonable acceleration in the wet. Braking on the soaked road surface was also very pleasant and stable.

I'll add more feedback to this post as I rack up more miles but thus far, I have been thrilled with the ExtremeContact DWs. You get excellent dry/wet performance and outstanding ride quality for a bargain of a price. Hopefully they last a while.

A few photos:

tofu-

was never a big fan of these. sidewalls a bit too squishy. you can compensate by putting a couple extra psi in them, but it only helps to an extent

otherwise a very comfortable and quiet tire. for street driving, these are great on a budget. otherwise, PSS all the way

Need4Speed

Great review man.

the DW tire is a very good choice for the price and what it offers.

I will agree for the money the PSS is the best "pound for pound" contender on the market.

zibby43

I thoroughly enjoyed the PSS on my BMWs. They're probably the best-performing street tires I've ever used in dry conditions. Tread life was reasonable too.

In the rain, I'd take the DWs (based on my experience thus far). After I got them, I dug up some reviews in which the DWs outperformed the PSS during the wet portions of the test. I'm not surprised.

These will never see the track. I have separate, dedicated tires for that application.

Thank you. Appreciate the kind words man. If I lived in Southern California/Arizona, with all those idyllic canyon roads and dry weather, I would've gone PSS. For the driving I have to do, I wanted something comfortable, quiet, and reliable in inclement weather. It also needed to be a competent performer. In the realm of street tires, there were a few competitors that performed better in dry testing but only marginally so.

And as I mentioned before, for track use, it's these: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ilot+Sport+Cup

Dr Matt

Nice write up. My CL65 came with DW's when I bought it last fall and one thing I'd add is they are not safe on ice or snow.

For those who have run them and a PSS, how much better does the PSS hook compared to a DW on a modded car?

I am Jeff

FYI - No max performance Z-rated tires are safe in the ice or snow. They were not designed for such usage. That's why you should use snow tires in the winter. In case you're contemplating all season tires, they are meant for NO SEASONS. Not great for cold or warm temps.

Dr Matt

Yes I am aware of how they work. I do run dedicated ice & snow tires in winter, just thought I'd post it up since I did drive on the DW's a little last winter before buying winter tires. The DW's were very bad on ice & snow compared to other high performance tires I have driven on in winter.

Need4Speed

DW tires are only meant for what they are initially created for

Dry and Wet weather.

They perform amazing in these two conditions

for pure driving bliss ( no worries of the wet weather or minumul wet weather the PSS )

As for a dedicated snow tire.

When I lived back East ( New Britain CT).

The Tires of choice for me were the Pirelli SottoZero Serie II was my preferred choice.

zibby43

Thank you very much! And CL65? I like your style. What a car. Definitely agree re: the ice/snow. Overall, did you like the DWs?

You can say that again. Years ago I had a C230 Sport (not much power, despite the "Kompressor" haha). We got hit with an earlier than usual but relatively light snowstorm. I couldn't drive an inch up my driveway (not steep at all) with the summer tires on.

Completely agree. Dedicated summer/winter setups are a must in climates that see warm summers and cold, snowy winters. This is particularly true for performance-oriented cars. On my Honda Pilot, I can tolerate "no-season" tires.

I had those same Pirelli winter tires on my last tuned F30 M Sport 335i. They were outstanding. That said, the most impressive winter tires I have ever used are the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s I utilized this past winter. They provided excellent traction/performance in cold, dry conditions. They also were formidable in the white stuff once we were in the grip of the "polar vortex."

Ingenieur

Good analysis
Conti makes a good product
I also agree about upsizing
For 99% of the time oem is better
For the other 1% only a small compromise
Comfort, noise, wear, wet performance, etc are more important

I run the DWS a/s in the winter and they are perfect
We might have snow on the road 10 days and it's cleared fast
I run them nov thru april almost 1/2 year...snow tires are not a good choice
For light snow they are fine
The tires were not the issue...lack of an lsd was
A/s are a good choice for some climates
Snow tires suck in the dry and are 't as good as a/s in the wet
Which is >90% of the time
I lived in AK for almost 10 years and know snow lol

Dr Matt

Yes I like the DW's, other than they have no grip launching my car as you might expect. Wet traction is excellent, but I am used to running 325/40-18 M&H drag radials all summer for dry road grip (not on my CL) so obviously they are awesome compared to that. I merely wanted to know if others experienced a big difference in dry straight line traction with the PSS over the DW. At this time I am leaning toward another set of DW's when these wear out.

zibby43

Thanks, Ingenieur! Glad to hear that you're enjoying your all-season variant of the DW. And I agree, Continental does make a very solid product. The competition between tire manufacturers has really ramped up in recent years. We consumers have reaped the benefits.

Yeah I can imagine. I haven't had the chance to run the DWs back-to-back with a car equipped with PSS but I speculate that you wouldn't necessarily feel a huge difference between the two with just your butt dyno.

However, on a timed dry course, I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers on the stopwatch favored the PSS.

Dr Matt

Yes we do get some snow here, LOL.

Ingenieur

Lived in Bethel for 2
Based in Anchorage the rest

Drove a BMW 2002 and a Porsche 931
Both with narrow (165 & 175) studded snow tires

I miss AK

johnnyblaze

Nice write-up. For the price, Continentals are excellent. I have a pair on the rears right now and they hook up great. I had 2 sets on my E55 and never looked back.

zibby43

Thanks man. Completely agree. Went for a drive tonight and even in the cooler temperatures, the traction was still excellent. No wheel hop and minimal spin.

The Continental ContiSportContact 5Ps are pretty pricey though. They run a little over $1k whereas PSS are going for roughly $780 at the moment.

I am Jeff

I have also had good experience with Good Year Eagle F1's. They offer a pretty nice ride and good performance. The one thing I'm not a fan of about continental tires are the weak sidewalls. NYC potholes are brutal.

jmueller

Is anyone noticing extreme wandering and sway at highway speeds with these tires? The sidewall feels so soft that there is a delay in reaction in my rear tires that feels dangerous to me. I have never felt this feeling from tires before.

zibby43

That sounds scary man. Sorry you're dealing with that.

To answer your question: No. I've never experienced anything like that.

My ExtremeContact DW tires perform very predictably on the highway. They have a supple, quiet, and planted ride. Now, when it comes to aggressive cornering, these tires feel like they have a slightly softer sidewall compared to something like the 5Ps or PSS. That said, they are still very competent performers - particularly in the wet (best in class/category, slightly ahead of the PSS).

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...tact-dw-page-6

Plus, I've got over 4,000 miles on my set and when the tires were inspected yesterday, the tread was in excellent condition (4.1 mm or greater tread depth remaining).

Here are my questions based on what you said you're experiencing:

1) What tire pressures are you running? 2) When was your last alignment? 3) Who mounted and balanced the tires?

tofu-

I ran these tires on my 335 which has a lot more power than my c63. While, I agree the sidewalls are squishy, there was nothing "dangerous" about it.

Have your alignment done by a proper shop (one that doesn't just stare at a computer screen until everything lights up green). Have your suspension bushings checked as well. Use a prybar and see if there is excessive movement.

I can assure you the tires aren't the problem.

JRHolt

Yep!! I had that same experience with these tires and after a two months of it I had them replaced with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. It was a night and day difference

The DW's have a 90 day satisfaction guarantee on them so Discount tire swapped them out for me with the PSS and I just paid the small amount of difference in the tires. The removal and install was covered

JRHolt

Actually the tires were the problem. It was outright dangerous feeling on the highway. Maybe if you pumped them up to 45 PSI they would be okay but with a normal air pressure in them of around 35 to 36 PSI Cold they was way to much swaying and movement in the sidewalls of the tires.

jmueller

I have them pumped up to 44 /45 psi in the rear and it still is downright dangerous feeling. I am getting them taken off ASAP.

unagi1

I've run these on the Mustang (275/40/18 all around) as well on the E55, with no issues. Wet traction is superb, no issues whatsoever with sidewalls on these tires.

zcct04

That seems way too low. I've not checked, but I think the tire pressure sticker on the door frame specifies a lot more pressure than that. . . more like 42F 46R. The load rating on the tire drops with lower pressure and the sidewall flex increases, so the 35-36 range is NOT a good place to be.