737 Jock

Just removed Bridgestone Alenzas. See that review here: OEM Tire Upgrade: Bridgestone Alenza

Installed the Conti DWS at home using my manual tire changing machine.



The DWS has very soft sidewalls. Easiest high performance tire I've ever put on. I could almost pull it around the rim with my bare hands. Did not need any clamps to hold the bead in the drop center.

Driving dynamics - Best features:

Very lightweight at 12.7 kg (28 lbs). Low unsprung weight and rotational mass makes for quick acceleration and decelleration.

Very good dry grip. Hangs on nicely in fast sweepers and on-ramps.

Superb wet grip. My wife remarks that there is no physical sensation to plowing through standing water other than watching it splash over the fender.

No experience with snow yet, but expect excellent snow traction as this is what this all season tire is biased toward.

Soft sidewall eases ride harshness. Worst bumps are not so jarring. My wife appreciates this the most.

Fuel economy has improved over the much heavier Bridgestones, but not enough to be a decision factor.

Driving dynamics - Worst features:

Soft sidewalls can be felt flexing on sharp transitions. Turn-in not as quick as with the OEM MXM4s or my recently removed Bridgestone Alenzas. Running 33 psi front and 31.5 psi rear adjusts slip angle and mitigates sidewall flex.

Tread Wear:

At 4600 miles the tread measures 7 mm (9/32") with the fronts slightly lower than the rears. These tires will need rotated every 5000 miles. Given approximately 0.8 mm (1/32") of wear every 5000 miles, the tires should reach the wear bars around 40000 miles -- at least 10000 short of warranty.

The tread is assymetric, but not directional. This is important because it can be rotated from side-to-side (not just front-to-back) to keep wear even -- and yes, it looks cool too.

Overall Satisfaction:

All tire choices are a compromise. The DWS is biased toward wet and snow traction with a tick of squirm on turn-in. My wife (primary driver) loves them. I wouldn't put them on my sport compact cars, but they are an excellent choice for the stiff and sporty (family hauling) RDX.

Continental offers a 60 day Customer Satisfaction Trial, so there's no risk. I do not expect any tire to make warranty on the SH-AWD system. To claim the warranty you have to run down to the wearbars -- I won't do that anyway.

Continental also sent me a Tom-Tom Ease GPS as part of their DWS fall promo. It's a very nice little pocket unit -- a $110 value.

The wife's very happy with her tires, so I'm happy.

mrgold35

I like the Conti DWS. I have them on my TSX and I will purchase for the RDX when the OEMs have a few miles on them.

One thing I noticed about the Conti DWS is they follow the (sometimes wavy) traction groves built into a concrete paved hwys. I don't have the same problems with asphalt; just grooved concrete. I did not feel this with the OEM tires or the Bridgestone 960s. It feels like getting hit with an unexpected crosswind at 70 mph; no problems if the grooves are straight.

We had about 4-6 inches of snow in Albuquerque the other day and the wifey wanted to take the TSX with the Conti DWS compared to the RDX with OEM tires.

ltngbg99

Just took a bald set of these off our RDX. 22000 to 2/32s with completely even wear. Traction was good in all conditions until the last couple of 32s. Received a 57% wear adjustment toward our new set. Went with the new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max CS. So far so good with these. Stable driving characteristics, great traction in the snow and wet. Loud on the road.

MMike1981

I will not put another set of tires on my RDX other than the DWS: right now during this noreast blizzard, ive been pummeling the RDX around my neighborhood and on 45 mph road, simply put - the DWS are the best all season tire ive ever driven on under all conditions. The snow handling & braking capability of the DWS is so secure that you will giggle. Under normal driving through the neighborhood: stopping @ stop signs, accelerating from dead stop, thru corners & turns, no other all season has performed like the DWS ie no ABS/stability control. When i've hammered the car which no one should do during the winter, the stab/abs has kicked on but the DWS bite down so hard and feel so tacky in snow that it mitigates the usually expected 10-20 foot slide that should ensue, especially under the OEM. Confidence inspiring fantastical rubber. Ill take the demerit on dry handling any day with the wet/snow performance of the DWS. I feel like i have been riding on roller skates on previous rubber compared to these.

WOW. thank you.

737 Jock

Had the DWS out in 12 cm of fresh snow and plowed packed snow. Starting on steep hills with VSA off could not induce wheel spin with normal easy throttle -- just grip and go. Turning and stopping at appropriate snow speeds also impressive. Good control and recovery even at excess speeds.

Will be watching that tread wear. Next check at 10K.

Mr Marco

How did you ballance the tire?

Mr Marco

So how about it??? If you changed the tires yourself, how did you ballance them?

Crashore

I'm guessing he did it this way:

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-diy-faq-161/diy-wheel-balancing-scratch-free-777838/

Mr Marco

^Good research, thank you.

737 Jock

The DWS went on with an oil change, so now I've rotated them after 6028 miles, at the next oil change. The fronts show about 0.8 mm of wear and the rears about 0.5 mm. If the wear continues at that rate, they will be at the wear bars after a total of 40k miles, about 10k miles short of warranty.

Otherwise, the DWS is an excellent wet and snow tire (for an all-season), given the compromises mentioned earlier. I would not dissuade anyone from buying them, provided they know they are not going to make warranty mileage. I was running 33 psi front and 31 psi rear for handling. This resulted in the fronts wearing very slightly more in the center (0.2 mm) and the rears wearing slightly more at the edges (0.5 mm). To adjust for wear I've dropped the fronts to 32.5 psi and increased the rears to 32 psi.

My wife likes them better than any tire she's ever driven on, and I would give consideration to getting another set, unless some interesting new tire hits the market.

Mr Marco

^You may still achieve your tires mileage warranty. Tire wear is related to numerous factors; from the automobile they are put on, to the weather conditions where you live. Some manufactures like Bridgestone use multi-layer compound technology which extends the life of the tire as it wears. Determining a estimate of life expectancy on these tires would be impossible from the first rotation.

737 Jock

Bridgestone's multi-layer compound is called "UNI-T" technology. It consists of computer optimized construction and design, rounder O-Bead steel cables and Long Link Carbon Black. Additionally, Extended Performance Optimization resists heat hardening of underlying rubber layers to improve wet traction.

We just removed Bridgestone UNI-T Dueler Alenzas from the RDX. They are very good tires. They went about 45k miles -- 20k short of the warranty.

Bridgestone Dueler Alenzas

Mr Marco

^That's great. I had forgotten what the marketing team at Bridgestone had called it. With all that knowledge and experience under your belt, you must have your doctoral degree in mechanical engineering. Excellent! You are qualified to operate a nuclear plant! (_8^(|)

737 Jock

11400 miles on the DWS now. Tires are still performing very well, with no noise increase.

I've settled on 32.5 psi front and 31.5 psi rear. Wear is perfectly even across the tread, both front and back.

Tire wear calculation has now increased to about 5500 miles per mm. This would indicate that the tires will reach the wearbars now at only 36000 total miles, or 14000 short of the warranty.

mrgold35

Do you know if you can rotate the DWS left to right since they are not directional tires?

737 Jock

I remove tires at 2 mm (3/32"). This is slightly above the wearbars and recommended for safety.

The Bridgestone Alenzas cost $660 and started with 10 mm
A. Service life to 2 mm: 45417 miles
B. Cost per 10000 miles: $145.32

The Continental DWS cost $688 and started with 8 mm
A. Expected service life to 2 mm: 33000 miles
B. Expected cost per 10000 miles: $208.48

So the DWS cost 43% more to operate, and they will have to be replaced about one year sooner (12k miles) than the Alenza. If you kept the RDX for 120k miles you would buy 3 sets of Alenza and 4 sets of DWS. Obviously, the extra 2 mm tread on the Alenza contributes to the longer life and lower cost. But the DWS are better in wet/snow, and their lower weight makes them sportier and delivers about 1 to 2 mpg better fuel economy.

So are the DWS worth the extra cost? Yeah, I think so -- at this point anyway. They are better in wet/snow and they are better suited to the sporting character of the RDX.

Note: the free GPS ($110) that came with the DWS tires would reduce their cost-per-10k miles to 175.15, but you can't count on a promotion every time.

737 Jock

Correction: After the OEM Michelins wear out (about 25 to 30k) you would buy 2 sets of Alenza and 3 sets of DWS.

RTFOP dude

catnippants

To 737 Jock or anyone else who has owned both the Alenzas and DWS...

I'm now at the point where I'm ready to replace my tires for the second time. I'm still a bit torn between the DWS and Alenzas. Living in the far northeast, snow traction is my biggest concern. I love the idea of the DWS, but I've been pleased with Bridgestones in the past, and the reduced cost due to longer wear has my attention at the moment.

1. 737 Jock mentioned that the DWS are better in the snow. Is the difference huge? Or are the Alenzas almost as good?

2. What about road noise? Is one quieter than the other, and how does the original noise level compare after say 25K miles?

Tirerack has both right now for similar prices, with similar value promotions. I really want the DWS, but as I said, the longer treadwear of the Alenzas has me leaning that way. Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

737 Jock

If snow traction is your main concern, I would say go with a dedicated winter tire on some aftermarket rims.

On the other hand, you are trying to keep cost down (and who isn't?). In that case, all seasons will serve best, and I found the DWS to be both better in snow and also quieter than the Alenza -- maybe 20% better in snow, but about 50% quieter. Below 4mm tread on the Alenza, road noise was annoyingly loud.

The Alenza is designed as a highway tire. It is heavy and has a very stiff sidewall; much stiffer than the DWS. Also, someone here has just reported a sidewall blister in their DWS. I have not had that problem with mine.

Keep in mind, the Alenzas had an actual life of 45417, and I'm still estimating the DWS life. I'm at 17400 miles now on the DWS, with 5.5 mm remaining. Now I calculate this might take me 37288 to 41760 when 2mm remain. That's a little closer to my earlier estimate of 40000 miles -- still short of the Alenza -- and about 10000 short of warranty.

Excepting some newly introduced high-tech tire, I'm planning to get DWS again -- we like them that much.

737 Jock

But I don't doubt that the Alenza would shrug off a curb strike that would spell disaster for the DWS -- and I wouldn't take the DWS anywhere near a rutted or rocky, unpaved road.

catnippants

Thanks a bunch - that's exactly what I needed! I thought about the dedicated snow tire route, and it's not my first choice.

My drive to work is roughly 25 miles, mostly through rural farmland. There are very few curbs around here to hit, so I'm less worried about that. We do, however, have our share of unpaved roads (some ruts and holes, but not rocky) - so I'll have to be careful if I go with the DWS.

Thanks again,
Mike

737 Jock

Something else I didn't think about earlier, regarding the longer life/lower cost of the Alenza:

We averaged 19.5 mpg on the Alenza, and we are averaging 21.0 mpg on the lighter DWS.

Let's say the DWS only goes 35000 miles vs the Alenza's 45000 miles. Over that first 35000 miles, the DWS will save 128 gallons of gas, or about $480 at 3.75 per gallon.

With these gas prices, the DWS fuel savings cancels out the longer life savings of the Alenza -- it would pay about 70-ish% of the next tire purchase.

MMike1981

if you put the DWS on, youll prob never need snow tires. DWS have been the best all season tire ive ever owned, have superior WET & SNOW traction versus anything currently sold right now. Their dry performance is good, not fantastic, but its still performs so well that the tradeoff is minimal. Add to that quiet riding, smooth ride, and unbelievable confidence in bad weather. They knife through water. Cant go wrong with the DWS at all. Living in the northeast as well, with the last winter we had with numerous blizzards, the DWS ate snow, I did not get stuck, not even once, im not even sure my abs ever kicked in. they are rock solid, and i hammer truck.

if you live in a place that is more of a 3-season area, id maybe check out something more performance oriented, but even in serious rain, the DWS are just so solid that I dont think Ill ever change my all-season choice.

catnippants

Thanks guys the Contis are on the way to me!

catnippants

Finally had the DWS's put on yesterday. Not the prettiest tire, but wow what a ride difference. I've only driven it once, and there is a HUGE difference. Expansion joints are no longer jarring - the car just glides over them. At the same time, I haven't noticed any difference in sportiness/handling. I think I'm going to like these tires...

nj2pa2nc

thanks for letting me know the life predicted on the DWS tires. I am looking at my next tire purchase. I am not in the snow belt. They do not sound like they would be good for me. I am looking for a tire that lasts longer. The oem tires lasted 74,000 miles-all measured 4/32 when I replaced them with Yokohama's. They recently were measured at 6/32 with 53,000 miles.

fmr5000

I am in the market for new tires and was quoted at $860 for an "out the door" price for the DWS's. Is this a good deal? I have 21K on my current OEM Michelin's and they are < 2/32 and won't pass inspection in PA.

Thoughts?

nj2pa2nc

WOW: your tires did not last very long.
That price sounds kinda high-what exactly are they including in that "out the door" price.

fmr5000

Tell me about it. The michelin's are crap. The out the door price includes all taxes, mounting, balancing and disposal.

mrgold35

$860 out the door sound pretty good to me. My tires were on back order for 4 weeks and I think I paid about $900-$925 out the door in Feb/11 from Discount Tire for everything (disposal, warranty, lifetime balance/rotation, tax).

I was able to get around 43,000 miles from the OEM Michelins on my 08 RDX before replacing them. I couldn't stand the road noise and got rid of the OEM Michelins on the TSX at 35,000 miles.

I don't think the Conti will last the full 50,000 miles because of sh-awd of the RDX (I hit the corners pretty hard also). I'm expecting between 38,000-43,000 miles. You might only get 30,000 to 35,000 miles from the Conti DWS if you are wearing out the OEM tires at 21,000.

nj2pa2nc

that price sounds ok then. Personally I had excellent luck with the michelins. I actually liked them more than the Yoko's that are now on my car. Where in PA-I lived in the Pocono area for 11+years.

fmr5000

had my new conti dws tires installed today. man what a difference! was going 110 on the highway, no shaking, cornered like a beast. wow. i'm a happy man

nj2pa2nc

Next test: Drive when it is raining (downpour) and let me know how they are.

Carbon2008RDX

I put the DWS on my RDX about 2 months ago and have driven them in some serious downpours. Simply put, they are phenomenal. I cannot wait for snow. My RDX feels like a new beast!

DateTSX

So many great reviews about the DWS but I can't seem to find them anywhere in New England! Every place where i called states they're all backed order untill at least Feb. Can Any one vouch this or know a place to direct me? Thanks.

stray_pube

sounds like great planning on the part of the mfg to be completely out of stock of their popular all-season tire during the months of November, December, and January.

Carbon2008RDX

Try MavisTire. That's where I got mine.

dc5ville

not trying to hijack this thread. Im in the market for a set of continental dws. I have a question has anyone every bought from either onlinetires.com or discountedwheelwarehouse.com? both say they have them in stock. They come out to around $820.
thanks,
Roger

CreoUCLA

I've used the DWS' on my 2009 Subaru STI and 2011 Audi S4 for winter use, and they've been great in the snow after a couple seasons on them. I'll probably switch to them once it's time to replace the stock tires on the RDX.

737 Jock

^^ That estimate from back at the second rotation was pretty close.

Mileage on the DWS is 25380 with 3.5 mm remaining. This is 1 mm wear per 5640 miles. At this rate they should reach the wearbars (1.6 mm) at 36096 miles. That is 14000 short of the warranty.

The Contis are still very quiet and smooth. They squeal a bit sooner now in hard turns on dry pavement, but still give a confident feel in the wet, though we are more cautious -- as anyone should be -- as tires wear out.

So I re-adjusted the DWS cost below:

The Bridgestone Alenzas cost $660 and started with 10 mm
A. Service life to 2 mm: 45417 miles
B. Cost per 10000 miles: $145.32

The Continental DWS cost $688 and started with 8 mm
A. Expected service life to 2 mm: 36096 miles
B. Expected cost per 10000 miles: $190.60

The DWS probably will be about 35000 miles when I pull them this fall. That makes them more expensive (per 10000 miles) than the Alenzas, but they save quite a bit more fuel. Not sure what I'm going to replace them with yet: The Alenzas are out due to weight and noise, but I would still consider another set of DWS.