Conti DWS06 Extreme Contact alternatives

[plastermaster]

I live in a moderate climate, (bay area CA) and could use a hybrid tire that was basically a summer tire that was good down to 30 deg, So, it would have summer tire tread but more of an all season compound. The most extreme weather I would be driving in is cold rain.

I read a lot of reviews both good and bad on the 2 main all season tires, Cont's and Mich's so it's hard to decide between them. I don't really need a super sticky tire, as I wont be going on the track. I just like a tire that feels the most responsive and still comfortable. I found that with the Bridgestone RE 950 but they are extinct now. The flexing sidewalls of the cont's concern me. I'm really adverse to the car not feeling supper solid when cornering. My first mod was sway bars, and my current tires need to be inflated to 36 to not feel the sidewalls giving in when cornering. For stiff sidewalls I wonder how tires made for small trucks would feel.

 

[victorofhavoc]

Factory pressure last i checked was 37 psi cold, so your 36 is a tad low. Most Michelin and conti both like higher pressure anyway, so they feel better closer to or above 40. Pressure will vary based on your alignment, suspension stiffness (sway bars do add stiffness), and most importantly tire size.

If your concern is to go lower in pressure you can increase tire size by going with a taller sidewall on a 17" wheel.

Light truck tires could work, but you'll give up a lot on steering response, noise, and comfort. Again, size and load rating determine pressure, and generally the tires for the gti/r are already on the "xl" load rating system.

For comfort and response, it sounds like you want a slightly sporty tire but with larger tread blocks for less squirm. Either of the tires mentioned on this thread would do. Not really any better options I'm aware of

 

[tigeo]

Just run more air if you want a firmer sidewall feel. The Michelins are a stiff tire (to me) for an all season which is evidenced by the weight vs. the Contis.

 

[scrllock]

If you want comfort get the Continentals.

 

[plastermaster]

I should have mentioned my current tires are Centaro P7s. Not a performance tire, but rated high by Tire rack for the next step down, and the cornering and braking were barely behind the ultra high performance AS tires. The pressure rating on them I believe is 32 PSI. Anyway that's what the installer set them at. I've always ran more in any tire, except for my VW Karman Ghia which likes the low 20's.

Good to know 40 isn't excessive. When I get new tires I like to run tape across the treads and max the amount of pressure while not wearing out the tape in the center of the tire.

 

[victorofhavoc]

I should have mentioned my current tires are Centaro P7s. Not a performance tire, but rated high by Tire rack for the next step down, and the cornering and braking were barely behind the ultra high performance AS tires. The pressure rating on them I believe is 32 PSI. Anyway that's what the installer set them at. I've always ran more in any tire, except for my VW Karman Ghia which likes the low 20's.

Good to know 40 isn't excessive. When I get new tires I like to run tape across the treads and max the amount of pressure while not wearing out the tape in the center of the tire.

32 is definitely low if it was a stock size tire. The lower profile tires like a 225/40/18 need more pressure to keep the sidewall up, unless it's something stiff walled in the 200 or 100tw range.

For most pedestrian tires you'll want to be at factory pressure, unless you change size or you want to really get into performance tuning. Chalk also works well for watching wear across the tire. Ideally you have enough pressure to keep the edge from wearing on street alignment.

 

[coniglio rampante]

After reading and viewing more reviews than I can recall over the last couple of years, about the most honest thing I have learned is that you can basically throw a blanket over the Continentals and the Michelins … they’re that close in the objective tests. It may come down to subjective feelings, one of which may simply be brand preference and/or pricing. For street use, they seem to never be separated by more than a degree or two and that can come down to the variables from one test or reviewer to another.

With that in mind, it simply came down to price for me. In early October I received an email from Michelin that offered a $70 Visa card with a purchase of 4 tires. A day or two later, I received a notice of a deal on the Continentals: buy three and get the fourth for a dollar.

That was my deciding factor, simple price. I haven’t driven on them much yet, but right away the Conti’s are much quieter than the OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS, which offered no grip and little feedback. The Bridgestones are described on Tire Rack to be a grand touring all season, so I thought they would have been quieter than the Conti's, but that’s not the case and it’s not even close.

If someone is coming from 200tw auto cross tires to the Conti’s, or any all season tire, I could understand it if they talk about not having the grip to which they’ve become accustomed.

But if someone is coming from a non-UHP all-season (as I did) I think they’d be pleasantly surprised at the amount of grip that is available.

My GTI is my street car and within that use these tires are superb. There’s enough grip and feedback to have some fun yet they ride more comfortably and quietly than the tires they replaced. Plus I got them at a great price.

The one thing I have noticed, and it was mentioned once in a review (forgot if it was Tire Rack or Tyre Reviews) but when turning into a corner there is a “moment” before the tire feels like it takes a “set.” It’s not slow to turn in, but I notice that “moment” and then it’s quickly followed by the “set.” I don’t have a way to describe it better than that. I could see that trait bothering someone enough that they would prefer the reported “sharper” turn in with the Michelin's, but it doesn’t bother me at all on a street tire. In fact, I see it more of a characteristic than a flaw. Who knows, it may disappear once the tires are broken in, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[scrllock]

The one thing I have noticed, and it was mentioned once in a review (forgot if it was Tire Rack or Tyre Reviews) but when turning into a corner there is a “moment” before the tire feels like it takes a “set.” It’s not slow to turn in, but I notice that “moment” and then it’s quickly followed by the “set.” I don’t have a way to describe it better than that. I could see that trait bothering someone enough that they would prefer the reported “sharper” turn in with the Michelin's, but it doesn’t bother me at all on a street tire. In fact, I see it more of a characteristic than a flaw. Who knows, it may disappear once the tires are broken in, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

you're feeling the soft sidewall, which makes them comfortable but also makes them feel like they're going to de-bead in really hard corners. to me it feels like unpredictability, definitely my least favorite attribute of the DWS06.

 

[SouthFL_Mk7.5]

I have a set of 400tw Contiprocontact on my Integra from factory. The sidewalls are compliant but I find the tires grippy overall (much more than expected) when pushed hard. Better grip than I’d expect from them.

 

[plastermaster]

Has anyone tried the Bridgestone 980? Tire Rack puts them up with the Mich's and Continental DWS06+ and I think they also compared it earlier with the DWS06. In their opinion it wasn't their favorite, but it did lead the competitors in how precisely they handle and responsiveness. They lagged a bit on grip, but unless your are looking for best track times, I'm not sure it matters. It's not like they are unsafe. On public roads that give you lots of tight curves the traffic is going to be 2 way, so its not like you can do much controlled oversteer with the back end of your car in the opposing lane. Years ago I was very happy with Bridgestone 950's but that was a different car.