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Old 09-05-2012, 08:40 AM   #1
jknakes
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Default continental extreme contact dws on 06 sti

does anyone have recent experience with these and what size on the stock bbs? i've read that the bbs can fit up to a 245/40 tire. i have two friends that have them on their bmw 135i's and like them, but i wanted to get impressions of them on sti's.
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Old 09-05-2012, 09:05 AM   #2
REX8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jknakes View Post
does anyone have recent experience with these and what size on the stock bbs? i've read that the bbs can fit up to a 245/40 tire. i have two friends that have them on their bmw 135i's and like them, but i wanted to get impressions of them on sti's.
They're comfortable, great in the snow, decent in the rain, and have OK dry stick.

However, their sidewalls are VERY VERY VERY soft. Your turn-in and overall handling will not be what you're used to.

Good commute tires, not so good performance tires.

Given the sidewalls, get a narrowers tire for the 8" rims, going wider will only magnify their horrid sidewall flex.
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Old 09-05-2012, 09:21 AM   #3
solort
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The DW is a much better tire in the dry and actually better than the DWS in wet. A lot of auto crossers use them for rain tires with excellent results. and they are one of the best all around tires period.
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Old 09-05-2012, 09:21 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REX8 View Post
They're comfortable, great in the snow, decent in the rain, and have OK dry stick.

However, their sidewalls are VERY VERY VERY soft. Your turn-in and overall handling will not be what you're used to.

Good commute tires, not so good performance tires.

Given the sidewalls, get a narrowers tire for the 8" rims, going wider will only magnify their horrid sidewall flex.
Thanks, after looking at tirerack i'm also interested in Potenza RE970AS PolePosition experience.
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Old 09-05-2012, 10:20 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by jknakes View Post
Thanks, after looking at tirerack i'm also interested in Potenza RE970AS PolePosition experience.
Really nice handling all-season. Really nice. Gives up a good bit of snow traction to the DWS, and ride comfort (although it's not an uncomfortable tire by any means).

What are you looking for in a tire?

How much snow will they see?
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Old 09-05-2012, 10:20 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by solort View Post
The DW is a much better tire in the dry and actually better than the DWS in wet. A lot of auto crossers use them for rain tires with excellent results. and they are one of the best all around tires period.
If he's looking at all-seasons, I think we can assume a summer tire isn't going to get it done.
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Old 09-05-2012, 10:51 AM   #7
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i live in St. Louis so we don't get too much snow, but it does get cold here. after more research this morning i'm leaning more to the 970's. right now i have falken zex 912's on my car and have not been at all impressed with them. the sti is my daily driver and hasn't been autoxed or anything.
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Old 09-06-2012, 11:54 AM   #8
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Your car will perform like a 70's station wagon with the Continental DWS tires...DO NOT BUY !

I had them on my 2012 STI sedan for 1 week...hated them, then traded up to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus...what a difference.
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Old 09-06-2012, 12:16 PM   #9
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Well I don't know about that. I have them on my wagon and they're pretty decent all weather tires. Regarding what rex said, when I was driving in the switchbacks I noticed that it almost felt like a I had a deadspot in my steering, but it could have been the tires rolling over a little.
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Old 09-06-2012, 12:45 PM   #10
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The DWS is the ONLY tire I will run provided they make it in the size I run. I don't autox and drive pretty normally though. I love them. Really quiet, really long tread life, decent dry grip, good wet grip and good snow traction. My mother in law has a set with 40k on them and they are about half life still. I put them on my wifes car and love them on it. Just installed a set on my wrx and already love them. I have run pirellis, yokohamas, bridgstone, summitomo, dunlops and falkens. None even come close IMO. The dunlops were the worst, they started separating their tread on 3 of the 4 tires @ 20k.
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Old 09-06-2012, 12:53 PM   #11
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Glad your mother in law likes them.


For that matter, I like them too. But there's no way around it, they are really, really soft in the sidewall department. Great for a commuter, you'll be frustrated with them in spirited driving.
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Old 09-06-2012, 01:23 PM   #12
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I made the mistake of buying these as a winter tire because they're on the recommended tire list on these forums. Terrible tire for all the reasons listed above, do not buy.
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Old 09-06-2012, 01:46 PM   #13
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They are an all season... Not a winter tire.

They are an all season....not a summer tire.

Some of you guys are confused as to what these tires are designed to do.
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Old 09-06-2012, 03:02 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sc00by4life View Post

They are an all season... Not a winter tire.

They are an all season....not a summer tire.

Some of you guys are confused as to what these tires are designed to do.
I'm not confused...I was comparing apples to apples when I said my Michelin Pilot A/S tires were WAY better in the handling department compared to the Continental DWS A/S tires.
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Old 09-06-2012, 06:51 PM   #15
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Are Michelins 50% more expensive?

Krzys
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Old 09-06-2012, 10:14 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sc00by4life View Post
They are an all season... Not a winter tire.

They are an all season....not a summer tire.

Some of you guys are confused as to what these tires are designed to do.


Yes, we are well aware of what they are. They are softer than ANY other all-season tire in its class. In fact they are softer than many many all seasons in lower performance classes.

We are comparing apples to apples.

Kumho 4X, at least 3 Bridgestones (Grids and RE960 and RE92s), Falken 512s, the newer 900 series, Dunlop SPs, GForce A/S, P-Zero ...(these are just about the only one's I've tried)

ALL handle better than the DWS, albeit at the expense of comfort and snow traction.

Quote:
Originally Posted by krzyss View Post
Are Michelins 50% more expensive?

Krzys
Yes, but there are countless other cheaper tires that perform better in the dry as well. Or at least feel better.


Again, I run DWSs on my DD. I like them for what they are (comfortable, quiet and good in snow)

But they CLEARLY give up a good bit of handling performance for the tradeoff.
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Old 09-06-2012, 10:17 PM   #17
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****, you guys hate RE92s....


Strictly from a sidewall stiffness, steering feel perspective, they mop the floor with the DWS.

They might now have their outright stick, and certainly don't have their snow traction...

but they feel like freaking 070s in comparison on steering.
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Old 09-10-2012, 12:27 PM   #18
tebriel
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I think that those are all reasonable comparisons and tradeoffs.
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Old 09-11-2012, 01:46 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sc00by4life View Post
They are an all season... Not a winter tire.

They are an all season....not a summer tire.

Some of you guys are confused as to what these tires are designed to do.
I think this was directed at this guy below.

Quote:
Originally Posted by arf80 View Post
I made the mistake of buying these as a winter tire because they're on the recommended tire list on these forums. Terrible tire for all the reasons listed above, do not buy.
If you buy the DWS looking for a winter tire... I have no idea what to tell you. They're clearly marketed as an A/S.
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Old 09-11-2012, 07:51 PM   #20
Schrecken
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There is no better all-season tire for the price than the Potenza RE970AS Pole Position. Same price as DWS, way cheaper than the Pilot. Look at Luke's sticky if you don't believe me.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1753562

Unless you have plans to visit the snow(light) regularly, then you should just get summer tires anyway. They'll out-perform in dry and wet.

If you have significant snow but still want decent dry performance, look for Nokian WR G2s. They're a bit pricey but will out-perform any all-season in winter conditions.
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Old 09-12-2012, 12:47 PM   #21
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Comfortable, and quiet. Excellent for highway cruising. Yes for sidewall flex, but running them a good few psi above suggested values helps - 35 to 40psi would be my suggestion.

Also, they DO NOT OFFER GOOD TRACTION IN SNOW. Not a single all-season tire does. The only cautious statement about their performance in winter is what Schrecken wrote.
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Old 09-12-2012, 06:53 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRXLTD View Post
Your car will perform like a 70's station wagon with the Continental DWS tires...DO NOT BUY !


succinct and quite right





I had them on my 2012 STI sedan for 1 week...hated them, then traded up to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus...what a difference.

and if ya gonna buy AS tires...buy the best and be done
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