Carbon2008RDX

Well, after much research and review I finally decided to pull the trigger on a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS in 235/55/ZR18 for my RDX.

First impressions: Definitely a softer, quieter, more compliant ride than OEM Michelins. Dry handling seems fine although being so new I haven’t pushed them hard yet. No tire squeal like the OEMs would do. Rain = Incredible! We had a severe downpour shortly after getting the tires and the DWS sticks like glue. I turned the VSA off and I couldn’t get the tires to break loose in pouring rain. Impressive. I cannot wait for snow.

OK. The downside: Only 142 miles into the new DWS tires and the LF tire got a sidewall bubble!! I was very disappointed to say the least. Luckily, with such low miles on brand frikkin’ new tires, the tire store replaced it at N/C today.

I really like these tires so far but I hope they stay reliable!

For those of you running the Continental DWS on your RDX what COLD tire pressures are you using? I had mine set at 36 PSI cold but maybe that’s too much?

windowlickingood

dont know if the model of the tire matters, but i have mine set to 37 with a hot psi at about 38/39 just plain ole air. dont drink the nitrogen air koolaid.

aggoodin

I have a set of those tires on aftermarket rims on my Fiesta and they will definitely be the ones going on the RDX when replacement time comes. I have about 11k on them and no complaints.

Love the looks of them too.

Sailfast

The OEM Michelins are kaput at 44K. The Acura dealer said that the RDX and CR-V are both tire eaters and 44K was very good. Lots of good info on this site about tires. Since the life of whatever tire you put on is limited, I'd like a quieter tire than the MXM4 that is also a good performer. Does the Continental fit that bill well? I looked at the Goodyear Assurance Touring, the Goodyear dealer said it was an even tire with the Michelin, but with a 70,000 tread warranty. I live in the south so snow performance is no longer necessary

Thanks,
Sailfast

mrgold35

I live in ABQ, NM, and we don’t get a lot of rain or snow (we only got about 2-3 inches total since Jan of this year). The old Michelins lasted me for about 45,000 miles on the RDX and the hwy noise was driving me crazy. I wanted an all season high performance tire because I don’t have enough room for 2 sets of tires for the TSX and RDX in the garage. We do get the occasional snow/rain storm in ABQ and I do travel to Colorado/Utah/AZ/TX a lot. Most performance type tires did not seem to handle the snow part that well. I purchased the Conti DWS for both vehicles because I liked them so much.

The Conti DWS had a longer tread life compared to the OEM Michelins, better dry/wet/snow traction, and less noise on the hwy. The Conti DWS do make less noise compared to the Michelins. The Conti DWS don’t squeal like the Michelins around corners when you push the vehicle on the curves. The Conti DWS do have a softer sidewall; but, that also gives you a smoother ride and the soft sides did not seem to affect my TSX (A-spec suspension + RSB) or RDX (Eibach springs) cornering capabilities. I like the “D”, “W”, & “S” imprint on the tread to let you know how much traction you have left down the road. I will be happy to get anything over 45,000 miles from the Conti.

I had to wait about 3 1/2 weeks last spring because the Conti DWS were back ordered. It may be hard to find deals with this popular tire.

MMike1981

too high, and could be why u also got a bubble so quick. I run them at 32. I messed around in the beginning at 34, but dropped it back to 32 for basically the life of the tire.

congrats on the buy, the wet and snow traction is amazing.

Carbon2008RDX

Thanks Mike. Right now they're about 34 PSI cold, but, being in New England like you, the temps will be dropping soon, especially in the AM, so they'll be a 32 PSI cold very soon.

I also thought that maybe because I initially had the cold at 36 PSI with hot around 39 that maybe that caused the bubble? I just assumed the higher the PSI the stiffer the sidewall and LESS chance of failure vs. more? After all, these tires max out at 51 PSI.

windowlickingood

being too high would not cause a bubble unless it had a side wall defect. a typical reason why a bubble would form would be too low of pressure and hitting something that would let the wall and the rim lip smash each other.

Carbon2008RDX

Yes, I'm hoping it was just a very isolated defect. Fingers X's! I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun with these tires this fall/winter.