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Bought Continental ExtremeContact DWS

6K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  KSflyboy 
#1 · (Edited)
Compared to Eagle LS2 that came with the car, the Conti feels different in the following way:

- very quiet! No more loud noise when going over concrete highway
- more grip ! The tires no longer spin at start
- softer ride. I still feel the road imperfections but the harshness is not there
- handling is about the same. However, the rear end doesn't seem to slide out when turning on a rough road
- less mpg. I think I get between 0.5 to 1.5 mpg less than before. probably due to more sticky tires
- the sidewall looks more compressed compared to LS2. I am keeping the front at 35 psi instead of recommended 32 psi.
- thread pattern REALLY look aggressive.

I will have to wait to find out about wet/snow handling and thread life.

Overall, I like the tires.

BTW, you don't need "TPMS Rebuild Kit" for a relatively new car (i.e 2010 model or later) when installing the new tires. The "road hazard insurance" or "replacement/refund certificate" may be a good investment if you find that your tires are magnet for nails and such.

---
Update:
- drove it in torrential rain. pretty solid feel and no hydroplaning

Con:
- I am noticing that the car pulls slightly toward the right from about 70mph and i can definitely notice at 80mph, which I did not notice with LS2.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
I did a lot of research and bought the DWS in January. I was really hoping they were as quiet as the reviews stated they were...unfortunately, they're not THAT quiet. Definitely better than the crappy LS2's, but I was hoping for even more silence. I do like the tire much better than the LS2, as far as grip and cornering...but at a treadwear rating of 540, they're not meant for racing.

I'll definitely give them a big thumbs up, but I don't agree that they're super-quiet. Just quieter than the LS2 (by a noticable margin).

As for gas milage...I should also note that my mpg seemed to drop 10% right after I got the DWS put on! Doh! But, oddly enough, it's back up to where it used to be. Makes me wonder if the tire compound is different on the very outer "shell" of the tire. I swear it was the weirdest thing ever...literally after 1 month of driving, the mpg's went back to normal. Let me know if you experience the same thing!
 
#4 ·
Does anyone else seem to pull to the left?? DWSs may be my next GT tire choice for my Koup over the LS2s. Could the pull just be a bad alignment???
 
#5 · (Edited)
I believe the pulling is torque steer. Something a few people have mentioned before.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've been told that due to the universal design of the motor and transmission, the half-shafts to each wheel are different lengths, therefore the transmission spins them at different rates. More tire contact and grip, means more force pulling the car towards the side, which is why you feel it more with bigger/stickier tires. I noticed it more once I had my GY Eagle GT's put on. Awesome handling, super aggressive tread, GREAT in rain, but just as noisy as LS2.

Quick google
Root causes for torque steer are:[1]
Incorrect sidewall ply design allowing deformation of the tire sidewall.[2]
Assymmetric driveshaft angles due to any combination of
Unequal driveshaft length or diameter
Transient movement of the engine
Tolerances in engine mounts
Body roll
Single wheel bump
Different driveshaft torques left to right (due to wheel bearing or differential problems)
Suspension geometry tolerances
Unequal traction forces due to road surface (µ-Split) in combination with kingpin offset
 
#6 ·
Update:
Put on over 7,000 miles in less than two months taking long trips to west coast. Here's what I found:

- going over 110 mph consistently on UT, AZ desert highway did not cause undue vibration or tire damage. (btw, it's Z rated tire)

- comfort level: better than LS2, but can't compare to something like a limo ride

- handling: it's on par with LS2. I would not race with this tire.

- when the temperature goes up and the tire pressure goes up too, the ride comfort decreases significantly... even though I put 33 psi on front and 32 psi for the rear as measured first thing in the morning ( about 75 F )

- noise: same highway, more noise compared to when new...

- tire wear: The outer edge of front tires are worn more.

- after tire rotation ( right rear - which was almost new and did not show visible wear - got put on left front), the uneven wear is causing a slight vibration at high way speed. Can't fix it via balancing (at tire barn).

Conclusion: I am hesitant about recommending this tire for forte SX. Other tires will perform at similar level.. btw. I did not encounter much rain out there, so my comments are mostly based on dry driving.
 
#7 ·
Hmmmmm, interesting... could it have been you inflating them to 35 instead of 32 psi?? That could have caused the wear. But woud you say these tires are a major upgrade from the LS2s, or basically even?
 
#9 · (Edited)
sspak, under inflation causes both outer edges to be worn more than the center. Not sure from youre info if both outer edges are worn. If its only the one outer edge it could be feathering, which is usually from incorrect toe settings. Excessive front camber can also cause one edge to wear more than other.

Once I found a shop here with a Hunter wheel balancing machine vibration from wheels has been gone. A side affect of solid beam axle is the chopping at the rear tires. And when doing 4 wheel alignment on our cars choosing a shop beforehand that will also include a price for the SPC shims for the rear.
 
#10 ·
To answer various questions here:
1. The outer edge on the front gets worn more. I kept the front at 35 psi, and then lowered it to about 34 psi to get a bit more of a comfortable ride. The rear tires were kept at 32... so I did not really under inflate. After the the tire rotation, I set the front (which were from the rear) to 33 psi.

2. The ride quality is an upgrade to LS2.. but after the first 7K miles, I seem to have lost the original grip. The front doesn't spin yet... like it used to do with LS2, but there is a slight sliding like feeling when cornering.

3. The wear: Because the grooves are so deep compared to other tires, I can't tell much about how much of the tire got worn down... but I don't think I'll get 55K miles out of it. More like maybe 30 - 35K max ?

4. Noise level.. After 7K miles, the road noise is more detectable when compared to when it was new. It's definitely louder.

5. Tire Barn where I did the balance/rotation has the Hunter Road force balancing... but whatever I did during 7K miles trip to west coast (doing over 100 mph) must have worn the tires some what improperly, because after the tire rotation, I still have a slight vibration...I balanced it twice in two weeks due to vibration... The tire guy says their machine cannot detect noticeable imbalance. I think the tires may have gotten slightly out of round

Summary: It was good tire when new.. as slightly used, it's losing the "edge" it had in road comfort, traction, and noise level.
 
#12 · (Edited)
To answer various questions here:
1. The outer edge on the front gets worn more. I kept the front at 35 psi, and then lowered it to about 34 psi to get a bit more of a comfortable ride. The rear tires were kept at 32... so I did not really under inflate. After the the tire rotation, I set the front (which were from the rear) to 33 psi.

2. The ride quality is an upgrade to LS2.. but after the first 7K miles, I seem to have lost the original grip. The front doesn't spin yet... like it used to do with LS2, but there is a slight sliding like feeling when cornering.

3. The wear: Because the grooves are so deep compared to other tires, I can't tell much about how much of the tire got worn down... but I don't think I'll get 55K miles out of it. More like maybe 30 - 35K max ?

4. Noise level.. After 7K miles, the road noise is more detectable when compared to when it was new. It's definitely louder.

5. Tire Barn where I did the balance/rotation has the Hunter Road force balancing... but whatever I did during 7K miles trip to west coast (doing over 100 mph) must have worn the tires some what improperly, because after the tire rotation, I still have a slight vibration...I balanced it twice in two weeks due to vibration... The tire guy says their machine cannot detect noticeable imbalance. I think the tires may have gotten slightly out of round

Summary: It was good tire when new.. as slightly used, it's losing the "edge" it had in road comfort, traction, and noise level.
Very nice and detailed report. A couple issues worth discussing though: At 35 psi, aren't you over-inflating the front tires? In addition, the un-even wear could indicate a problem with your car's alignment (car pulling right), not the tires?

The 3 problems noted (noise, comfort, and loss of traction), couldn't they be due to uneven wear and over-inflation, and not necessarily the tire "becoming" bad? Overinflation would affect noise, comfort, and traction, and uneven wear could affect noise and traction.
 
#14 · (Edited)
All the reviews that i've read on these were exceptional. yours is the only bad one i read. the only issues with them (in other reviews) are soft side-walls, and they need to be broken in for 500 miles first
Agreed. Tire evaluation is tricky because a lot of variables come into play. Old tires as a matter of course get noisier and stiffer (so whenever you switch tire brands, comparison is tricky if you are comparing an old worn out tire to a NEW tire of a different brand - not the case with sspak9 though); inflation pressure, proper alignment, correct tire wear, etc., all matter and have to be taken into consideration. There is a survey on tirerack, and this tire is at or near the top on nearly every category http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS&

Regarding the soft side wall, not such a bad thing for this car IMHO! My only minor criticism of the SX is a very firm ride (minor because that's the same reason that makes it so fun in the twisties), either from stiff stock spring or the very low profile tire size - lowest in comparison to all competitors such as Mazda 3, VW, etc. I agree a softside wall will hurt handling a little bit but in return you get good ride comfort, and that's a good thing for the SX.

Do you (or anyone) have any opinion on Continental DW versus DWS please, particularly with respect to noise and ride comfort?
 
#15 ·
FYI on why I kept front at 35 psi when new

- I wanted to keep the sidewall from compressing even further during cornering. For softer tire like this, I think you should put a bit of extra air pressure. Don't know where I read this, but one of the tire vendors (like Toyo) recommends higher air pressure (like 34psi) for their tires than the recommended 32 psi

- please note that even with 35 psi, the outer edge got worn more, rather than the center.

- Because I take long highway trips, I tend to keep the tire pressure a bit higher to gain better mpg

==
re:Question on comparison to LS2.

Even with the wear, it's better than LS2, because
- when LS2 got worn, it made terrific noise on the concrete highway which the Conti doesn't yet. As said before, though, the noise level for Conti has gone up due to tire wear.

- with LS2, the front wheel would spin rather often when I try to start moving with a bit of gas, and its grip was always somewhat loose. Conti doesn't exhibit this yet.

- despite of being a bit firm after being used, Conti is still better on ride comfort compared to LS2.

That being said, with the premium I paid for the tire set ( with installation and insurance - which paid for itself when I picked up a nail this week) I don't think I will buy the same set next time (in 30 - 40K miles later)
 
#16 ·
^^^I understand what you're trying to do (regarding increasing pressure) and again thanks for the detailed analysis. Not having tried the tires myself, really not much I could add.
Do keep in mind though over inflation definitely affects traction negatively. Also, not normal for outer edge to be worn more in this car, no? Could there be something wrong with the alignment?
 
#17 ·
A guy I talked to last week has the DWS on his scion TC, same size as our wheel, and he loves them. He said they have great wet weather traction, and after over 8k on them, still handled and sounded great. He even said they were worth the small premium he paid for them over other tires.
 
#18 ·
On the set of wheels I just got, they have these tires on them. Now, there's not a whole lot of tread left on them, maybe 1/4 left but I left them on because I'll be taking them off come winter and didn't see the need to get new tires when I don't drive a lot anyways. Back to topic, I am noticing a LOT of road noise from these tires and a slight wobble from one of the fronts. I'm thinking maybe I should get them rebalanced or maybe switch the sides to see if that helps any. I know they aren't directional tires but would it create problems if these tires have been run in one direction since they were new and now going the opposite direction they are giving me a little wobble plus the loud road noise?
 
#19 ·
Make sure the rims you bought aren't bent. The tires themselves shouldn't wobble unless the wheel or tire itself is deformed.
 
#22 ·
Actually just went for a ride tonight and I get nothing through the wheel and I don't even feel anything in the ride of the car but still hear the "woo woo woo woo woo" of something not quite right. As far as I can tell, it's the right front that's doing it and i don't think the wheel is bent. Worst case is I may take it in somewhere and see if it's maybe off balance or maybe the tire is messed up or something. Still though, it might be me not being used to a larger wheel on the car (18's), but it still seems like a lot more road noise than the stock 15's (steelies) that were on it.
 
#23 ·
^^18"? Just curious, what tire size do you have on? It's probably a good idea to have the rims/tires checked by a tire shop, for safety reasons.

BTW, 18 rim/tire is stiffer AND heavier. Neither is a good idea as far as performance and comfort are concerned, especially if your car is an SX.
 
#24 ·
They have 225/40's on them. I wnet over the wheels pretty good when I cleaned them up before I even put them on so I'm pretty sure they are nice and straight and not cracked anywhere. Like I said, I think it's a weight issue and I'll be taking it somewhere and have them balance them and see if that cures it. I don't feel a thing in the wheel or the ride of the car (minus a very slight pull to the right) so I don't think there's anything up with the wheel. If anything it's either weights or the tire is messed up somehow. Also, I have a LX so no concerns there. The ride is a little stiffer but not a big deal to me. I ride around in tractor trailers and tri-axles all day so I'm used to a not so smooth ride.
 
#25 · (Edited)
225 x .40 = 90, wow that's even thinner side profile than the stock SX tire 215 x .45 = 97? And I thought 214 x .45 is already among the thinnest tire in this car class!

I agreed that you should have tire shop balance/inspect rim/tire. Assuming they check out ok, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the noise is a result of a very low profile tire (less rubber, stiffer side wall) that is getting old. As mentioned, large rim & thin tire combination is not always best for EITHER ride or handling; it's done only for its look. Based on my experience with the SX for example, I would have opted for 16 rim even, not the 17 that it comes with, and definitely not 18 (YMMV).

Best of luck - hope everything will check out ok for you.
 
#26 ·
15K miles, 5 months of use update:

- starting to slip on wet surfaces, especially when cornering semi-hard or from a standing start. Due to the tire spin, sometimes the traction control kicks in. Road Condition: slight rain and about 40 degrees (F). Still, it's a lot better than Goodyear LS2.

- Did not yet encounter hydroplaning, but I am driving more cautiously since the tires began slipping

- Wear and Tear. Not much. I can clearly see all of DWS wear marks. Maybe these set could last upto 40K+ miles.

- Ride comfort. A bit hard on cold weather. I am now keeping the front at 32 psi and the rear at 31 to 32 psi.

- Noise level... Due to slight uneven wear, the noise level is higher than when new... but I am getting used to it.

Waiting to see how it handles on snow
 
#27 ·
My wife and I both have SX sedans and about 12 months ago with about 30K on the original LS tire and not a lot of tread left put DWS tires on our cars. She has abour 32K on hers and I have about 24K on mine. We found dry handling to be about the same, the DWS was better on wet and much better on snow. A local car dealer, not KIA, had a $5 over cost special so we got our tires for $119 a piece and with mount, balance, tax, and fees was about $600 per car. I found some cheaper tires, but none had the good reviews or milage warranty that the DWS tires had. I am more regular about getting my tires rotated than my wife, but I think we will get 50K out of each set and plan to buy them again when worn out. My wife still would prefer a small suv, with since we got the DWS tires she is more comfortable in her Forte.
 
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