Review: Continental ExtremeContact DW
02-22-2014, 08:38 AM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Review: Continental ExtremeContact DW
Background:
The application is my 2001 C5 Corvette. I use the car for daily driving and track days. While the daily driving duties are a much larger percentage of the car's use than track days, track day setup takes the priority. I was previously running OE 5-star 17/18 wheels with Nitto 555 in standard 245/275 tire sizes. While not the grippiest tire, I felt confident with them, reasonably predictable limits, good response and good thread life.
New Setup:
In preparation for the eventual purchase of new tires I had been purchasing used Z06 wheels to build a square set of 18x10.5 C5Z wheels. My new tires were mounted on these rear C5Z wheels. I chose 275/35-18 for the front and 295/35-18 for the rear. Tire choice was the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Decision on the Continental ExtremeContact DW was based on various reviews and tests. General consensus was the same in most cases. Quiet, comfortable, great grip rain or shine, very predictable, easy to manage at limit, but poor turn-in/transient response. Considering the category of this tire and the typical competitors to this tire, I overlooked the poor transient response thinking it would be acceptable given the relative strong performance of the competing tires.
Review:
I'll start with the good. The absolutely quietest tire I have ever driven on, and not just considering my Vette either. The DW is extremely comfortable tire to drive on too. The very compliant carcuss seems to soak up road imperfections with extreme prejudice. After cruising on the tires for awhile, I decided to test them on a few of my area "test corners". I was impressed with the level of grip the tire was exhibiting, particularly for a tire with such a high tread wear rating. At the limit, the tire also felt easy to manage and balance, more so than my Nitto 555's. Great, so whats not to like about these DW's? Plan and simple: Transient response. The turn-in response would have you thinking you are driving on your grandfather's 79 Lincoln Continental touring tires. Having recently replaced my OE seats with fixed-back race seats and was in aw with my newfound connection with the car. The Continental ExtremeContact felt as though they put me back in my OE seat with regard to turn-in. The car felt that slow to respond to driver input. I was in shock. I could shuffle the steering left and right and the car would waddle around like my grandfather's Lincoln. Gone was the go-kart like feeling I had with my Nitto 555's and race seats.
Verdict:
I called Discount Tire and told them I hated the tires and wanted something different. Got some Nitto NT-05's going on. Would I recommend these tires? Absolutely! Just not for a track-oriented customer.
The application is my 2001 C5 Corvette. I use the car for daily driving and track days. While the daily driving duties are a much larger percentage of the car's use than track days, track day setup takes the priority. I was previously running OE 5-star 17/18 wheels with Nitto 555 in standard 245/275 tire sizes. While not the grippiest tire, I felt confident with them, reasonably predictable limits, good response and good thread life.
New Setup:
In preparation for the eventual purchase of new tires I had been purchasing used Z06 wheels to build a square set of 18x10.5 C5Z wheels. My new tires were mounted on these rear C5Z wheels. I chose 275/35-18 for the front and 295/35-18 for the rear. Tire choice was the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Decision on the Continental ExtremeContact DW was based on various reviews and tests. General consensus was the same in most cases. Quiet, comfortable, great grip rain or shine, very predictable, easy to manage at limit, but poor turn-in/transient response. Considering the category of this tire and the typical competitors to this tire, I overlooked the poor transient response thinking it would be acceptable given the relative strong performance of the competing tires.
Review:
I'll start with the good. The absolutely quietest tire I have ever driven on, and not just considering my Vette either. The DW is extremely comfortable tire to drive on too. The very compliant carcuss seems to soak up road imperfections with extreme prejudice. After cruising on the tires for awhile, I decided to test them on a few of my area "test corners". I was impressed with the level of grip the tire was exhibiting, particularly for a tire with such a high tread wear rating. At the limit, the tire also felt easy to manage and balance, more so than my Nitto 555's. Great, so whats not to like about these DW's? Plan and simple: Transient response. The turn-in response would have you thinking you are driving on your grandfather's 79 Lincoln Continental touring tires. Having recently replaced my OE seats with fixed-back race seats and was in aw with my newfound connection with the car. The Continental ExtremeContact felt as though they put me back in my OE seat with regard to turn-in. The car felt that slow to respond to driver input. I was in shock. I could shuffle the steering left and right and the car would waddle around like my grandfather's Lincoln. Gone was the go-kart like feeling I had with my Nitto 555's and race seats.
Verdict:
I called Discount Tire and told them I hated the tires and wanted something different. Got some Nitto NT-05's going on. Would I recommend these tires? Absolutely! Just not for a track-oriented customer.
02-22-2014, 08:00 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: LaGrange Park, IL IL
Posts: 2,308
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St. Jude Donor '13, '15
Interesting that you still would recommend these given the steering response feel. So had your vehicle not seen any track duty and was 100% daily driver, would these be an A+? Would the steering response be tolerable for every day usage? I've been considering the Extreme Contact DWS and read the same cons with that one. My '04 is a daily driver except during snow season. Looked at the S though to ensure good grip still during cold dry days of winter.
02-25-2014, 10:41 AM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
Interesting that you still would recommend these given the steering response feel. So had your vehicle not seen any track duty and was 100% daily driver, would these be an A+? Would the steering response be tolerable for every day usage? I've been considering the Extreme Contact DWS and read the same cons with that one. My '04 is a daily driver except during snow season. Looked at the S though to ensure good grip still during cold dry days of winter.
02-25-2014, 11:20 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
The DW is a great tire for daily driving and wet weather racing. The trick with the tire is to run it a size or two smaller to get the responsiveness back.
I had an S2000 that I auto crossed in with 17x9's f/r and ran a 235 on it. It was plenty responsive. That's the biggest false notions in the tire world is bigger is better. Just because a 345 will fit on a 12 inch rim doesn't mean it'll be faster. The same tire like for like just different size, a 325 will be faster. It has less response time in transional changes.
The DW stands for dry/wet where as the DWS is dry/wet/snow, so unless your driving your car in the snow I would stay away from the DWS. Also, the DW that's engraved in the tread are at different depths. The D is engraved deeper that the W meaning when the W is gone its not as good in the wet as when its visible.
I had an S2000 that I auto crossed in with 17x9's f/r and ran a 235 on it. It was plenty responsive. That's the biggest false notions in the tire world is bigger is better. Just because a 345 will fit on a 12 inch rim doesn't mean it'll be faster. The same tire like for like just different size, a 325 will be faster. It has less response time in transional changes.
The DW stands for dry/wet where as the DWS is dry/wet/snow, so unless your driving your car in the snow I would stay away from the DWS. Also, the DW that's engraved in the tread are at different depths. The D is engraved deeper that the W meaning when the W is gone its not as good in the wet as when its visible.
Last edited by chetly; 02-25-2014 at 02:06 PM.
02-25-2014, 11:44 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: LaGrange Park, IL IL
Posts: 2,308
Received 158 Likes
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St. Jude Donor '13, '15
I don't drive in the snow, but most of the non All Season tires state not to be driven in below freezing temps...which I will do on occassion should the ground be dry in the winter months. And if I do get caught in a surprise storm, I like knowing the tires can handle it without issue. Which is why I am looking at the DWS.
02-26-2014, 11:32 AM
#6
Former Vendor
Brian, Unfortunately you are correct the sidewall rigidity of the Extreme Contact DW has been the one glaring issue with that tire. I am glad that you were able to exercise the Continental 60-Day Customer Satisfaction Trial warranty to get into something more appropriate for your driving style.
02-27-2014, 02:47 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
04-14-2014, 12:56 PM
#10
Instructor
I love my DW's for my dd 06. Great grip through all conditions unless it gets below 40 degrees they start to spin easier if you bring it over 3k. Super quite and soak up a lot of the craptastic roads here in the Norfolk VA area.