Continental extremecontact dws

Methodical4u

I've had 3 sets of DWS' on previous cars and they are an EXCELLENT tire. I think I will likely go with Vrdestein Sessenta's or the Hancook Ventus V12's. The DWS' sidewall is just a little to soft for me... but they are great in rain and snow and if you don't really push your car very hard they are great all year round.

Methodical4u

Let me add to my above statement as to not scare people away... the DWS' WILL perform in dry weather. They are indeed a performance tire... they just aren't a typical summer tire. I have not owned a RWD car since I had my old 93 LX 5.0, but I can tell you that my Z won't be seeing any winter driving. My Fiancee' has the DWS' on her car after I talked to her about them (her stock tires were PATHETIC in the rain). I have had that car which is just a FWD Mazdaspeed 3 in 8 inches of snow with more POURING down in one of the storms we had last winter here in Md. and the car went right through the snow with very little issue. It just cuts right through snow and rain like it's not even there.

On my Evo X vs. my stock Advans I couldn't take turns quite as fast and you can feel that the sidewall is soft in comparison, BUT push the tires and they WILL hold a lot more than you think... but you have to be a good enough driver to know when you are at that limit... also in an AWD car you have a little bit more handling ability with Mitsu's Super all wheel control too.

Anyway, I would rate this tire as probably one of the best ones on the market... maybe ever if I am to be completely honest. Excellent balance of handling, more comfortable ride, and is just downright nasty and the claws seem to just come out of it when the weather gets bad.

KingZee

I actually thought I had ordered the DW and when I was getting a bunch of stuff installed on the car I noticed that they were the DWS, I didn't pay it much mind even though I hadn't done a lot of research on it. The price is about the same but I'm in socal so I don't REALLY need the snow tires unless I'm going snowboarding in the winter for which I have a Toyota FJ. So I'm mostly going to be using these tires on dry roads or in rain, I like that the tread ware is more than the DW even though the DW is already way up there in comparison.

I'm planning on doing quiet a bit of canyon driving and they're not broken in yet but they already show that they have pretty good feel on limits.

I'll update again after some aggressive driving in the canyon.

I'm also coming from the base 18 wheels to the sport rays so the noise reduction from that switch is amplified since the base 18s are quieter stock.

wstar

Yeah the "DW's" vs "DWS" thing has been confusing all along. Unless you plan to drive your Z in snow, get the DW model. They're great tires in terms of both grip and treadwear, especially considering how cheap they are.

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KingZee

Too late for me, not one to complain to the vendor or anything cause it could have been an honest mistake.

jginnane

Sorry you'll have to make do with such a longer-lasting tire. ;p

Since my install I've put on 4-5K. The last week we've had "interesting" rain patterns on the Jersey shore. Not as a purely scientific test, but these tires avoid hydroplaning just shy of 80mph. If there's standing puddles, I recommend you slow to 72. Either way, you'll plow right through. (True even with the +1 sizing I put on stock 18" rims.)

Of course, the larger limit is set by minivans and Camrys hugging the left lane at 55.

KingZee

That's good to know considering I totaled my Acura TL because I hydroplaned at 60mph on the freeway ...and yeah, I'm not really complaining because of the tread ware.

RiCharlie

Just a question for anyone with Continental extremes.. do you find them much quieter than the ones that come with the car? I thought they might be but the salesman at the tire store said there wasnt much difference..
Comments? Thoughts?

jginnane

New tires are almost always quieter than ones with little treadlife left. The rubber soaks up the vibrations.

If you read through a lot of tirerack comments, you'll see people noticing how loud their tires had gotten, shortly before switching. This might be almost as reliable as sticking a penny in the tread.

The DWSes are indeed quieter, but not so you'd really notice. Certain elements in the Z "tub" are deliberately detuned to make the car raucous, otherwise you'd be competing with the "luxurious feel" of a G37 couple which is supposed to sell for 5K+ more. So if the sound gets to you, throw a lot of money into sound-absorbent materials and undercoating the wheel wells (or carry a few thick blankets in the trunk space).

daisuke149

i find them to be quite a bit quieter

KingZee

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W.O.W. 370Z

I am about to pickup some Continentals DWS like you. You like them?

poorazn

Your location says Miami! Do you really get snow that much? The DW version might be more suitable

elmz

I was having a hard to deciding between the DW and DWS. Being that I live in San Diego, and we see very little of anything but dry weather, I ordered the DW. But after doing more research and reading other reviews on the DWS, many have been quite happy with the performance of the DWS in dry locations. The tread wear is what really appealed to me. As much as I like performance and grip, I couldn't ignore the life of these tires, and from what I've read, the performance isn't so bad(with the additional quieter and softer ride). So I went ahead an ordered a rear set of the DWS. I hope I've made the right decision. Has anyone regretted the DWS over the DW?

KingZee

I "accidentally" ended up with the DWS after originally ordering the DW. They're finally broken in and I gotta say, the grip is great and so is the noise. They're great tires.

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