Blickling

Hi All,

My Continental Contisport Contact 3s (that came with the car from the factory) are on the way out and I can't say I'm highly impressed with them. They're ok, but they seem to break traction (in the dry and wet) before other tyres I've encountered.

Do you guys have the same tyres and are you happy with them? What tyres are you running or intend to get when your factory ones wear out?

Keen to get some feedback.

stalklee

Yokohama S Drive. I only put Bridgestone and Yokohama on my cars... tried Michelin,Dunlop,Continental but only Yokohama and Bridgestone gives me confidences when I am taking corners or going 110 mph plus.

Blickling

Thanks for the contribution. Can't say I'm familiar with the S Drive tyres. Here in Oz the advertised performance tyres seem to be the ADVANs. I'm highly interested in these. It's also what they seem to put on the C63 AMG's with the performance package on the 19"s.

stalklee

Depends on how often you drive your vehicle. I drive my C 250 almost every single day so I choose Yokohama S.Drive since it has 300 treadwear and they are 700 dollars plus installed. great tires if you like to go little bit fast. However, Advan is totally different story. my another vehicle has Advan sport on it right now and it is amazing during the rain or dry, but it only have 180 treadwear. If you drive your C everyday I would not recommend them.

By the way My friend and I have tested Advan Sport personally that those tires can go 250 kmh plus and switching lane with no problems.

InTheBenz0

continental contiprocontact dws.. nothing better. No I don't have them because my car is new and came with the pirelli p nero zero (still a good tire actually).

But nothing tops the DWS, if you don't believe me look up review on tirerack, heck even the car mags think they are the most amazing all season tire of all time!

Breitling65

Winter/summer sets with rims. Bridgeston blizzaks lm60/s04 pole position, both excellent tires! Swapping them twice per year myself when temperature < 50F >.

dfa176

Hey Blickling

I had Advan Sport on my previous car (Evo 9), got about 50,000kms and found them to be really good, grippy tyres. Car was AWD and drove nothing like your/my merc so can't give you much of an indication on what they'd be like on it. A mate of mine did run them on his v8 m5 and said they had good traction (including during the wet) but he went through them A LOT more quickly than I did, can't remember the number but am sure it was under 20,000kms.

I can't remember the price for them but they weren't that cheap (def well over 1k for a 17" set) and were an asymmetric tyre (i.e. diff tread for left and right side) so if you are looking into getting them you might want to try importing from tirerack.com if you aren't on a lease.

If you are interested in comparisons for high end tyres, you could always try Motor magazine. They normally do a big tyre test each year. I haven't read it in a long time so I dunno when the last test was, someone else might be able to help there

Blickling

Thanks for that - yeah not too fussed on tyre wear personally. There's also a C63 sedan in the family and it chomps through tyres at twice the rate. C350 tyre wear is like a luxury! Having said that I know a lady who went through her rears in a C250 petrol coupe (pirelli p zeros) after 10 000 kms....I was just shocked.

The Michelin Pilot Super Sports come highly recommended from friends (and internet) but don't think they do a 225/40 18 & a 255/35 - at least not in OZ.

I have a subscription to Motor and get the occasional wheels - the recent tyre tests from motor rate the Good Year Eagle F1 Asymetric 2 as the best (out of the tyres tested) and wheels - the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 - but they didn't really put them up against tyres I want to know about - e.g. they used the P Zero Rosso instead of the better just P Zero or other variants, no M P SS, no Yokohama Advan etc

slktyperice

I run Nitto Motivo on my stocks: 225/45R17 Front and 245/40R17 Rear

Better overall than Conti DWS and slightly cheaper, with a 60k mileage warranty.

On my 19's I'm running Nitto INVO: 235/35R19 Front and 265/30R19 Rear

Same grip as Michelin PS2, better look, and lower price.

Highly recommend Motivo's for the C250's for all around great tire.

Some of you are in OZ and I would check out the NT830's.

dol4er

Continental Contisport Contact 3 and I am very satisfied with them.

Blickling

slktyperice - I've only heard about Nitto's recently and people seem to think they're good. I'll look into them

dol4er - my question is why? I mean in they dry they are ok, maybe even pretty good, but would you really go the same again?

dol4er

Well, I would definitely go Continental, but ContiSport 5 - they are even better Check out how many awards both tyres have and they will show you how good they are.

Blickling

I know this is only one example, but my Motor Magazine arrived yesterday with its 2013 annual tyre test.

Pirelli P Zero won overall.

Good Year Eagle Asymetric 2, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT and Michelin PSS were up there. The new Conti Sport 5 was in the middle somewhere. Test was with a new Toyota 86.

I know this is only one test and I'm surprised the Michelin didn't do better as it is rated really well by many, if not the best of the non semi slicks.

It's another example of the Continental being pretty average. I'd like to have faith in them, but I just can't get there. Anyway each to their own I suppose. I guess I'm just really disappointed that on a Benz the original equipment is an "average" tyre. It seems to be the most common tyre on factory cars. You occasionally seem to get lucky though and get the Pirellis.

dol4er

Here is a 2013 test from one of the most respected tyre tester in Europe - the German Automobile Association/Club (ADAC):

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests...cePageId=31821

As a whole, what I meant was that you would waste your money buying new tyres having in mind that the gains (if any) would be minimal and hardly noticeable - Continental is one of the best high-end tyre manufacturers.

Breitling65

Not sure about German club but in US these are leaders among others in summer max performance category:

Michelin Pilot SuperSport
Bridgeston Potenza Pole Position S-04 (mine )


Test:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=148

dol4er

I'd say the rating of the tyres is quite subjective... 7.67 and 7.45 - who/how judged the 0.22 points difference? I'd say they are even... and after all my point is that it is a waste of money to switch from Continental tyres to Michelin or vice versa. If you switch from Firestone to Michelin, it may be justified but to switch from one premium brand to another, just to get 0.22 subjective points out of 8, is pure waste of money and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It is obvious that specialists can't tell flatly which the best tyre is - in some tests Continental wins, in another Michelin and etc. How can we decide then? Just drive your OEM tyres, save your money for something else and have fun

Breitling65

Are you saying Continental's are cheap? Continental brand tires in general not bad at all but they are not up to these two (Bridgeston and Michelin), they are not introduced in motor sports much as well. OEM stock Conty's are horrible and very embarrassing for MB to supply $50K car with such cr.py tires
My main criteria is experience with similar tires I drove before, reviews are important but not as much. Also availability of staggered sizes I need for my rims my second criteria and price would be last.

dol4er

I have never said Continental tyres are cheap but quite the opposite. In my opinion, Brigestone and Michelin are neither more expensive nor any better than Continental. And I cannot agree with you that Continental are crappy tyres. Unless you are a tyres test pilot, I doubt that you can feel much difference between your Bridgestone and any other premium brand performance tyre.

Being introduced in motor sports cannot be a criteria at all - it is all up to marketing policy. Kumho are cheap tyres, and still they are introduced in motor sports. Does this make them good?

2nice2slow

Running Falken Azensis 245/40 s all the way around. Nice smooth, grippy.

2nice2slow

Running Falken Ziex ZE912s 245/40 s all the way around. Nice smooth, grippy.

Breitling65

I don't think I would continue this discussion with someone who is not reading carefully or not knowing anything. Above text is just nuts to me ...

dol4er

Indeed, no point in discussing with a famous car and tyre specialist like you who states that Continental tyres are crapy. I guess you spend half of your day on the track, testing tyres and cars.

Also, you'd better check out the spelling of the name of your tyres' brand - "Bridgeston" - before writing about nuts. Kneel next to your front left tyre and write it down on a piece of paper - Bridgestone!

Breitling65

Oh man, ^ I guess this forum member can't talk normal or even read what I said. Whatever, buy anything you like, drive go-kart if you like ...

Blickling

Don't you just love it when the mud starts getting thrown?..

I tried to start a discussion because I was curious what people are running and two because I'm not happy with the Continental Contisport Contact 3. I'm sure there are people who are as demonstrated by this thread. Not everyone drives the same though...

I personally find they run out of grip too easily in cornering and wet (in a straight line in the dry you can put the power down fine). I just want to know if people have had similar experiences and what tyre they've replaced it with that they have found is a better choice.

Breitling65

Same, I found stock Conty's as pretty bad option on my RWD coupe and I replaced them after 2K miles. No grip at all even if pressure is OK and outside temperature is not as cold or wet. However as I said in general Continental is not that bad nor cheap company producing other great models of tires many would like to use. I normally drive winter/ summer sets on my cars and I believe that is also better than any all seasons but up to you. Also as I said Continental is not anyhow leader in summer max performance tires, that place is already taken ...