Charles12

There are a lot of discussion about the DWS. Based on the good review from you guys I recently installed the DWS I brought 4 month ago and have more than 600 miles in snow and rain.

The good Like others said :
1) very good in snow and rain
2) maybe quite than the Bridgeston OME tire

The bad :
1). soft and more boat-riding - vibration (so it is good for Lexus car). Much less road feeling.
2). Less steering response.

The TL is supposed to be a sport car. Now it is more like a toyata - Lexus car than Acura (My wife has a Lexus RX350) with DWS tires.

If no snow in your area and you prefer fun-driving than comfortable, you may want to consider other options but not the DWS.

vuuha05

iTrader: (5)

you forgot to mention its low price!

realfresh

Good review. Yeah, these are GREAT in the rain.

Feel fairly sporty on 40 profile 18s. =)

TL-Rocket

Why didn't you get the Continental Extreme Winter contact tires which were rated #1 in the Tirerack snow tire tests. I have them on my TL, and while they are not a performance tire by any means, their cornering ability far exceeds my old BlizzacKs...... And they don't feel as rubbery at speeds 45MPH and greater.

TL-Rocket
'04 TL 6MT

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Just assuming the OP didn't want a dedicated winter tire.

zootjeff

Are you saying the vibration is worse with these tires, or you don't get the road vibration/butt rattling that you've come to love from a more aggressive tire?

I just put these on my rear wheels and I'm curious how they are going to stack up..

I had Toyo Proxes 4 on my front and now I have the brand new Continental DWS on my rear.. My Proxes have 15K miles on them and the Firestone shop said they won't rotate them for me because the edges are now technically bald and that's not safe so they won't rotate them and "bless" the situation.

What a load of

So Should I leave them in the back or switch them to the front myself? 15k miles doesn't seem like that should wear them out does it?

How many miles are you suppose to get out of Proxes 4 with a treadwear of 300?

The DWS have a treadwear of 540.. How many miles have people gotten out of their DWS on the TL?

I have 245/40 18s on my extra wide 2004 ASPEC rims btw..

-Jeff

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Keep the better tires on the back, but if the car is out of alignment, especially the toe, it will chew the tires up in a hurry. Better have it aligned before purchasing new tires.

OneWickedTypeS

For those running these tires what air pressure are you guys at?

calgary2800

Is it really that bad? Acura road feel to Toyota? What the heck kind of UHP tire is that if its only calling card is snow and wet traction? Oh and low price.

nfnsquared

I'd think you would want the better tires on the front, especially on a front wheel drive car???

OEM pressure (35/32 for my MT). Great tires!!

Don't think anyone has yet put enough miles on them to find out. I did my first rotation at 8150 miles and all 4 tires still measured 10/32" tread depth. If that's any indication, these will easily hold up to their 540 rating. I'm expecting to get over 50K out of these tires

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I'm liking my new DWS tires. I'll REALLY be able to find out how good they are in snow on Tuesday. We're supposed to get more snow than we've had in 50 years here in Kansas City.....yikes.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=52

Speaking of FWD, Partial Quote:
Intuition suggests that since the front tires wore out first and because there is still about half of the tread remaining on the rear tires, the new tires should be installed on the front axle. This will provide more wet and wintry traction; and by the time the front tires have worn out for the second time, the rear tires will be worn out, too. However in this case, intuition isn't right...and following it can be downright dangerous

When tires are replaced in pairs in situations like these, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the partially worn tires moved to the front.

blkaspec

I enjoyed the part where a TL was confused with a sports car

I have never felt vibrations of any sorts, so I am going to assume this is a vehicle/wheel specific issue for your car. The other "problems" listed were all items found in the 300000 pg thread discussing these tires in depth. Not the sportiest tire for sure, but many great qualities not found in other higher performance all-seasons.

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

Yes, exactly. The TL is definitely not a sports car.

My tires have been incredibly smooth and no vibrations. It's been one of the best aspects of the tire for me.

I'm wondering why we needed a new thread when there's a great one on this exact topic 2 threads down?

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

If your tires are bald then why didn't you replace all 4? If you don't mind me asking...

zootjeff

The Front tires were replaced a little over 15k ago. The guy at the shop said the corners are slightly bald on the front right tire so the whole tire is bald even though it still has 6/32 for 8.5 inches of the 9.5 inch wide tire. It is because itis on the front and the tire had hardly any tread in that area to start with. I'll post a pic..

He said he legally can't rotate them for me.

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

Well, according to Turbonut it's probably better to leave the conti's on the back. If you really want to rotate them then just go ahead and do it yourself. Not a very tough job to do.

zootjeff

This is intriguing.. Why is this the case? Is it the same for rear and front wheel drive? Is it because you are more likely to loose traction in the rear and spin out than you are to loose traction in the front because of the weight distribution of the car?

blkaspec

I am pretty sure it is the same for FWD and RWD, and I dont think it has to do with the weight distribution. I think its more due to the fact that if your rear wheels lose traction you will go in to an uncontrollable spin, but if your front tires lose traction you will just plow straight and will have a better chance of regaining a controlled path. This is especially true in a FWD car.

VGT

This.

Lateral stability is determined in large part by your rear tires.

Anthracite2005

I just got a set of 4 on my TL and noticed vibration on the highway. I will be getting them rebalanced (hopefully roadforce) ASAP.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I've not highway vibration issues so far.

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

^ Me either.

Anabolic_one

SO, do you regret buying these tires / If you could go back would you purchase a different set of tires ?
DId you consider the Bridgestone RE960 , or the Micheline AS plus ?

ACTROS

iTrader: (7)

I read good reviews for these everywhere, except may be when folks cite soft sidewall on these, soft ride/handling, fast wear. How many of you actually put good mileage on your set of tires and driven aggressively. I'm talking 20, 30, 50K miles. That would be a real test.

All new tires are relatively good nowadays and would feel like night/day in comparison to your old set. Although consumer reports rate this tire high, they say the wear is worse than average. Shit, they rate the $100 Sumitomo tire ahead of these. Of course, the Tire rack will rate this tire as their best, they have to push the new product.

IMHO this tire is too hyped up, deservingly or not, only time will tell. Meantime, the Pilot A/S or P Zero Nero A/S (M+S) is the best choice as far as all season tires go. Yeah you pay more upfront but you get a quality product that will perform and last a while. I think the DWS is just not there yet.

nfnsquared

CR is full of crap on the tread wear rating. I e-mailed them and asked them how they measured tread wear. They referred me to some generic video which didn't tell me a thing:

http://alturl.com/vzh59

I sent a follow up e-mail telling them that video was worthless and repeated my original question. Then they replied to me that the DWS had scored a UTOG of 540 in their test, but they were sticking with their "fair" rating for tread wear. Oh brother, give me a break...How does a tire with a measured UTOG of 540 get a "fair" rating. That's impossible...

FYI, at my first rotation (8150 miles), the tread depth still measured 10/32". These tires wear very well and will easily meet their 50K tread wear warranty. Don't pay any attention to CR's tread wear rating.

ACTROS

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, I take CR's tests with a grain of salt like everything else out there, but I also read the end users' accounts in the TireRack surveys which support CR's stand on this tire. A number of people reported the tires were shot in the 20-30K range. If you ask the TireRack rep what all-season tire they'd buy for their money most of them will go for the Pilots. That's gotta count for something.

Glad you're having a great experience with your set but I still think it's too early to judge them, it would be great if you could report back on them in 10,15 or 20K.

nfnsquared

Huh? Where are you getting that? Out of over 1000 reviews, I only found 5 that claimed being "shot in the 20-30K range"...

Do a sort by mileage and read what the folks with 30K-50K have to say (only 10 reviews so far):

"I have 35K miles on this set and have yet to hit the first wear indicators!"

"My wear is almost disturbing, I still show the "S" and it is August 40k miles later."

"I'm happy with the treadwear thus far and hope to get at least another 10k out of them" (currently has 40K).

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

I just did my first rotation at about 8000 miles and they're wearing very well. I can't imagine how they would go at 30k miles... unless they combust, they're going to last far beyond that range.

ACTROS

iTrader: (7)

Looks guy, I'm not dissing on this tire, back when I was in the market for new rubber I found these lacking based on my research. I browsed reviews on tires.com consumerreports and tirerack. My beef was with too many "feel good" reviews where folks only put anywhere from 500 to a couple thousand miles on their tires and declare them the best tires of all. I only found a few substantial reviews and I didn't like what I read there. I ended up going for the safe and proven Neros.

As time goes by though, I acknowledge this tire appears to be a good alternative to the usual suspects like Mich Pilots and Pirelli Neros, which are significantly more expensive. The more choices the better, so I'll only be glad if this tire ends being as good or better as it's hyped to be.

Will Y.

The UTQG for wear is actually not based on a universal or single standard. Instead, tire manufacturers rate each tire type for wear against only their own line of tires-- see http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=48&.
Conti thus rated the DWS for wear based on how other Conti tires wear-- same for Yoko, Goodyear, etc.

As a result, a 300-rated tire from X company can exceed the usable mileage of a tire rated 500 from company Y since each company is looking only at its own tire lines when rating for wear.
CR may be trying to use a more inclusive measure for all car tires; IDK the mileage criteria CR uses for its ratings, though.

IDK if anyone has developed a more objective universal, numerical standard, but neither the manufacturers nor CR use one, AFAIK.

MeAndMyTypeS

I agree with U! I have same tires and I don't really like them, I should go with a higher grade. I wanted to save $$$, but it wasn't worth it.

nfnsquared

As I said, CR told me they measured the UTOG themselves and came up with a UTOG of 540 for the DWS. It didn't come from a spec sheet.

Here's the e-mail they sent me:

Dear Mr. :

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my previous message.

Regarding your inquiry, in general, tread life is an indicator of wear
potential from Consumer Reports' vehicle road test on the Federal
Government's tread-wear course.

About UTQG Tread-wear:

UTQGS, which stands for Uniform Tire Quality Grading System, is a federal
government required grading system for passenger tires excluding winter
tires. Key information includes tread wear, traction, and temperature
appearing on the sidewall of a tire.

UTQG tread wear, an index developed by the government, compares a tire's
tread life with that of a reference tire graded at 100. A tire with a grade
of 300 is predicted to last three times as long as one graded at 100. Tread
wear grades are just one indicator of tread life, but actual tire life will
vary due to a number of factors including road conditions, driving habits,
vehicle, and maintenance.

The tire you inquired about scored 540 in this evaluation.

The Continental Extreme Contact DWS has a 50,000 tread wear warranty in Y
speed rating. While is received only a "fair" rating for tread life,
overall, we think it's a very good choice for most weather conditions..

Thanks again for taking the time to write. Your interest in our work is
greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Will Y.

The e-mail seems pretty ambiguous as to whether CR performed the wear evaluation or whether it relied on someone else for the 540 rating, which is the UTQS tread wear rating used by Continental on the DWS.

I have not heard of CR independently running wear tests, and wonder if CR did and they used the same reference point as under DOT standards: a 100-wear-rated reference tire from Conti.

Charles12

It is quite a while since my post for the experience on DWS tires. I think it is time for me to report it again after about 2000 miles.

For the past few weeks the road was dry and I noticed that the tire indeed runs quiter and smother. Altought the boat-like riding is somehow still there but it is much better than the first 500 miles. I am not sure if it is the tires which set down after a while or I am now used to it.

The tire is much better than the orignal tire on uneven road - road feeling - yes;

The price is good.

You do not have to buy it online. If you can get from a local store - even the $ is more, buy it. For about 50000 miles. you have to add at least $400 for rotation. But local store such as Sam's, BJ and Firestone, you get free rotation.

Only my opinion.

Charles

soon2b954

You can always buy the more expensive Michelin/Bridgestone OEM, they’re a great tire.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I got rid on my DWS as well.

I have had my TL for about 9000 miles and have been through 4 sets of tires.

Car came with Hankook tires and the rear ones were cupped. I got $500 from the dealership to replace them and decided to go with the Continental DWS. Also based on the reviews here and on Tirerack. They were loud and have a very harmonic noise. They also would not hold balance. I would have them balanced one day and a couple days later they would be out again. I balanced them 3 times in one week. They had to go.

Thankfully Continental offers a 60 Day Ride Satisfaction on the DWS so they replaced them no questions asked for another Continental Brand tire. I put about 7000 The only thing they had were the General Exclaim UHP. These were quieter, no harmonic noises but I was not thrilled that they suck as the mercury dropped. I put about 1500 miles on these. I called Continental Customer Service again and they authorized the tire shop to credit me the money for them.

This morning I forked out the extra $180 for the Michelin MXM4's. Night and day difference. Virtually NO noise. Better comfort on the highway. I still have a very faint vibration at speeds in excess of 70 but I am planning on driving it for a week or so and then having another shop balance them. I think the place I purchased these from are horrible at balancing.

What I will say is that the Continental DWS were amazing in the wet. Traction was better than any tire I have ever owned. The UHPs were also very good in the wet. I also applaud Continental for their customer service. I put about 8500 miles on their tires and they didn't argue once about me returning them.

I thing that the likely reason that the tires were so loud and harmonic is likely due to the bad rear camber on the TL causing them to ride hard on the inside threads. I could be wrong. I think it may also explain why they went out of balance so quickly. Again, I could be wrong.

geekybiker

Sounds more like a problem with your car/installer than the tires. I've been on mine for 8 months now- over 10k miles easy and other than the soft sidewall, I can't say anything bad about them for a touring type of tire. I wouldn't buy them for carving canyons, but they are great for normal use. The biggest win is they work okay in snow. Not something I've had good luck with on other all season tires. There is no way I'm killing these things by 30k. They still look fresh.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I would agree that the installer sucked but I have them balance at another shop and within a couple days it was out again. And once they were replaced the harmonic nature of the road noise went away.

I could have just had a bad lot of tires. But I was too annoyed to try another one.

leedogg

Loving mine so far. I have low profile tires (245/35/19), so the soft wall is fantastic for ride comfort, yet the low profile retains a lot of the sportiness of the tire. My area sees all seasons, so it really is the optimal tire for me.