OK -- I am a long time lurker without too many post. Figured it's time for me to contribute a little to a great board.

I purchased my 997C2S earlier this year as a fair weather driver. Now that we are into Fall with Winter fast approaching I just can't seem to garage this thing. So I started doing some tire research... and decided to give the Continental ExtermeContact DWS tire a try. My reasons for this tire are simple... I live in the Idaho high desert a climate that gets cold, however, only about 5 to 10 snows days a year where I live and the snow is usually melted by noon each day as the temp stays between 30 - 40. Because of this I thought a Winter tire may be too much for me so I felt this was a good compromise.

They get installed on Nov. 1st and I will give reviews after some miles on them.

Currently running Bridgestone Potenza RE-050A's

Anyone have experience with these or any thoughts on this? Feedback is appreciated.

 

I've been using the Bridgestones for some time now and have at least 25K on them....handle well,worn well and not overly expensive....why did you change?

 

The Bridgestones have been a good tire. The back tires are a little too worn for my comfort in the winter, and I did not want to just purchase rear tires, so I decided to try a complete set of the All Seasons vs. the Winter tire.

The reality is that I am putting the Conti-DWS on my factory lobsters and will really use them for colder seasons, and then I will get me a new set of Ruger Classics with a nice dry tire for summer. TBD after spring.

 

standing by for the all season report> also interested in something with longer life.

 

i bought The conti dws for my wife's lexus SC 430 to replace the runflats that came on it. Smartest tire move I've made. other than the are bumpy for a mile or two sometimes after sitting overnight, they are smooth, quiet and wear well. In fact, I'm contemplating replacing the 19in wheels on her C4 with 18's so I can use the Conti's. Just going to be expensive initially, but in the long run it will be cheaper. The conti's have a 50,000 mile tread life(reduced by half since i can't rotate) but still a tempting idea. She doesn't need the Michelin PS2's as the porshe is her DD and she doesn't push the car. I do that when she lets me drive it.

 

The Conti DWS are also lighter by a total of 14lbs than the Bridgestone RE050's which I have now. Plus TireRack list the Conti DWS as #1 for All-Seasons.

 

I see...are those N rated
?

 

Not N Rated.

 

i am running Conti DWS tires on my 911 4. they are very good. i have got a set of 4 from tirerack on 11/2011 and put nearly 25K+ miles on them and recently 05/2013 i have replaced rear set with same DWS again. fronts still have enough tread.

u cant go wrong with them. highly recommanded.

 

I had the DWS on my S4 in the past. Very quiet and well rounded tire. Did very well going up the steep hills in Seattle in the middle of a huge snow storm

 

DAY 1 Review - Nothing scientific - just my perception as I would describe to my wife

Continental ExtremeContact DWS comapred to my Bridgestone RE-050's

Comments from installer: The Bridgestones wear was nice and even and very minimal cupping on tires.

My 1st impressions:

Appearance - Bridgestones seemed to fit around the rim better with a wider more muscular look.

The Continentals look good, however, have the wrapped look since the tread appears to be narrower. Lip next to rim is much smaller


Sound: The Continentals are MUCH quieter than the Bridgestones. This could be due to the wear and tear of the Bridgestones.


Ride: Feel is not as sporty as Bridgestones... not as much grip which is expected as temperature is 50 degrees. Overall ride of the Continentals is good and there is a more comfortable feel to just everyday driving.


Performance: Continental just not as good for spirited driving in dry weather.


Pay-off: I am expecting much better performance from this tire when the temperature drops below 40 and we start to get rain and snow.

I will give updates as I get more familiar with this set-up. If you want more specific information, please ask.

 

I have had both tires on my daily driver 3 series and both are really good for what they are, a jack of all trades and master of none!

Much prefer a true winter tire and I only use "N" rated tires for my 997.2 C2s. JUst put my winter tires on my Pcar and am really impressed with the handling of the Pirelli Sottozeros.

We rarely, maybe every 3 years or so, get any measurable snow here in the valley, but constant wet, 40 degree temps are the norm, still prefer a true winter tire, better grip and braking response.

THe Continentals are a great value IMHO if you want all seasons, I bought them for my Bimmer because they are asymmetric and allow me to do a 5 tire rotation. Have yet to try them in snow, the Bridgestones, did not inspire confidence in the few times I used them in snowy conditions.

 

@ ID4688V

Thanks for the info

 

OK... Now that I have had the tires for over a week I must say that I am starting to like them more and more. Now that I am used to the difference in handling due to the softer sidewall on the continental, I can be just as aggressive in the corners as I was with the Bridgestones. The temps have dropped and the Conti's are better in these low temp conditions which is just what I wanted.

 

I have the Conti DWS as well on a 2nd set of wheels and love them. I've used them for 3 years now and there is almost no wear (used about 1/3 of the year). They are so good in fact that for my car (non tracked daily driver) I'm considering just putting these on for year round use. By the time I wait for them to wear out, I'll have dry rot due to age!

They do ride softer overall, but I can't slam the car around anyway in the area that I drive.

If I'm honest with myself about how I drive and where, I really don't push a summer tire anywhere near it's limits. And I don't drive this car in the snow, just cold and wet during the winter.