Continental extremecontact dws

jginnane

I ordered my tires oversize (20mm front, 30mm rear) in order to get a matched pair that would fit the 18" (base) rims. That gives me a wider rubber contact patch and slightly better curb protection (from where the rubber flattens in ground contact).

However -- I know from Michelin Pilot Plus A/S and Bridgestone Pole Position A/S tires, both of which we've had on my wife's Acuras, that the little rubber lip isn't as much protection as you'd like to believe. If you have to park next to a curb, stay 8 inches out or consider buying a "curb feeler".

In addition, the weight of these two very good A/S alternates is 2-3# more on each tire (that is, more unsprung weight), while the wear stats are significantly less. (Check out tirerack.com and compare the detail specs for the same size tire.) I don't know how they did it, but this Continental tire is both sportier and (supposedly, hopefully) longer lasting, for less money.

I've had 2K of warm-weather driving on the DWSes now, and frankly don't think about them too much. They stick to the road. They're quieter than the OEMs, although it's not a fair comparison between new rubber and old. I was able to wet-hydroplane for one split-second instance, and they came back down to the pavement smoothly and safely.

But the best feature I've had might not be a result of the tire construction (or maybe it is): they've been perfectly balanced since they were installed. No thrumming at speeds, no harmonics, nothing affecting braking or tracking. Either the mold these were cooked in was a precision job or I got the world's best Hunter balancing job on the install. (Since the guy who put them on is restoring an original 240Z, it might have been his dedication to all things Z.) I would buy the Continental DWSes again in a heartbeat... even if they cost more.