Much to my chagrin, temperatures have settled into the lower thirties (30s) much earlier than I anticipated. Consequently, I have been forced to make the switch to winter tires.

I opted for a square setup (225/40R-18 XL on each corner). We receive a pretty significant amount of snowfall here so I needed a narrow setup that will help me cut through deep snow.

Last year I ran the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 winter tires and they were the best winter tires I have ever used. I ended up selling them to a member here because now I have access to an AWD car. I still wanted to be able to drive the C63 this winter so I set out in search of a reasonably priced winter tire and that is how I ended up with the Dunlop Winter Maxx (DWM) tires.

The DWM model is one of the newest winter tires on the market so at this point, there really isn't a ton of data on it. I'm hoping to change that by posting my impressions of the tires in this thread. Tire Rack tested the DWM tires and found them to be excellent in snow. Furthermore, the DWM tires were some of the best in category when it came to grip on ice.

The DWM are designed with a silica-enhanced rubber compound. The tire holds its contact patch in dry and wet conditions, as well as when snow and ice develop. One cool feature: Dunlop molds wear bars into the tread grooves to indicate when ice and snow traction is reduced rather than when the tire is simply too worn to use.

Thus far, I've driven only in cold, dry temperatures (26 F). The tires provide for a very smooth and supple ride. They are also extremely quiet (which was a pleasant surprise as usually, winter tires can be a bit on the noisy side).

Dry grip is also outstanding. Turn-in feel is only decent but that is what I expected. These are winter tires, after all.

As I rack up more miles and encounter different driving conditions, I will add to and update my impressions.

Here are a few photos. Please excuse my absolutely filthy rims. We have had pretty miserable weather lately (including a light dusting of snow).

 

Looking forward to impressions in the snow.

My Hakkas are waiting to go on. It is cold, but I'm stubborn and waiting for actual accumulations.

 

Looking for winters as we speak.

 

Thanks for the in depth review on those. What do you think of the continental extreme contact DWS tires? The car came with those brand new and I'm about to move to VA next month. I will put on the stock wheels again which have those mounted for the drive east and for that winter.

 

I should have some tomorrow night. We are looking at potentially 2-3 inches. I'll put the car through its paces and report back.

I wanted to wait a little longer as well (sucks having such skinny tires on the rear of this beast) but I noticed that my stopping distances were increasing dramatically (18 F ambient temperature).

The Dunlops won't set you back much. I put some more "dry" mileage on them today and did some pulls in ESP Sport and was pleasantly surprised by their bite.

My pleasure. Thanks for reading/commenting.

I have the Continental ExtremeContact DW max performance summer tires and I absolutely love them. I like them better than the Conti 5Ps and they ride a bit softer/quieter than Michelin PSS. The wet traction is absolutely incredible (best in category).

I can't personally comment on the DWS (the all-season variant) but I know there are several members here that have used those tires. They had nothing but good things to say about them.

 

Obviously, as soon as I say I am waiting for accumulations... It starts.

Sigh

 

Polar Vortex. Gotta love it.

 

Great review.

Just got my brand new Michelin PA4s on (225 square setup as well). Hopefully they were worth the price

 

Thanks man! You will love the PA4s. Nice choice on the 225-section square setup as well. It will really help in deeper snow.

 

+1 ...same set up in Northeast US...

 

What is the starting tread depth... looks really deep?

 

have the same tires on my CL55. prob cause the weight of my car compared to your C im guessing, i feel they are a bit "jello-ie" at times. but under snow/ice conditions the CL is a tank, nothing stopping it lol

 

Not sure off the top of my head but I can check. Will have an opportunity to test them in the snow this weekend.

That's great to hear. These are true studless snow/ice tires so I am expecting phenomenal performance when the weather is at its worst.

 

We received our first snowfall here today (roughly 3-4 inches of accumulation).

Consequently, I had a great opportunity to test my freshly installed Dunlop Winter Maxx tires. All of the roads I encountered were in pretty bad shape (no salt, no plowing). The snow was a very heavy, wet snow. Intersections and bridges were particularly slick and icy.

I was absolutely amazed at how well these tires performed. Whether it was accelerating from a stop light, braking at a stop sign, changing lanes over chunks of wet slush, or navigating the car around long, sweeping, 45-mph turns, the tires did not flinch.

For those of you that see severely inclement weather in the winter, I highly recommend these tires. They ride wonderfully in cold, dry conditions (although there is some tire noise at highway speeds because of the aggressive tread pattern) and they inspire insane amounts of confidence in slick, snowy conditions.