techdude

So after a few weeks of going back and forth and ingesting everything here, i finally decided to pull the trigger on the Conti DWS (Avid Envior/Bridgestone Alenza were other choices). Taking into consideration the hilly terrain i live and commute through, it looks as if the DWS offers the best sure footing on snow/rain. Ultimately my wife will inherit the vehicle after the winter, so l figured looks and handling weren't that important to me. Wish me luck!

Carbon2008RDX

Congrats! Let us know your impressions of the DWS once installed and have seen some wintery conditions. If possible, take some PICS too!

737 Jock

We went from the Bridgestone Alenza to the Conti DWS a few weeks back. The Alenza is a well made tire but it's too heavy -- a lot of unsprung weight.

The DWS is VERY lightweight and quick to accel or decel. The sidewall rolls a little more and turn-in is a tick slower. It smooths the RDX ride and is superb in the wet.

techdude

After about 55k of service, i'll be retiring the stock tires for the DWS. No major complaints with the stocks and probably could have lasted me another few thousand miles. Dry handling was fine and had no issues with hydroplaning. I wasn't confident driving with them last winter and didn't want to trust another winter with them and my long commute. I think i learned more than i wanted to about tires in the past few weeks and hopefully it pays off. Thanks to everyone for their opinions and sharing their knowledge! I'll post a few pics after the new ones have been installed.


RDX Tire to DWS">RDX Tire to DWS

techdude

I agree with the reviews that there's a different feel to driving on these tires compared to the OEM. I've only had it for a day on dry road and the handling is a soft i guess is how best i can describe it. It's not bad, but a little different than what i'm used to. Anyway, road noise isn't that much different than the OEM as far as i can tell. They're set to 38-39psi and since there's no rain or snow until Wednesday, i can't comment on handling on that yet. The mechanic who did the install highly recommended over the Envigor and said he had nothing but positive feedback on the DWS. I take that stuff with a grain of salt. The only other thing i can comment on is the shine on the tire....and there is none. I used Meguiars Insane Shine and it did put a nice shine on it that lasted a few hours or over night. It becomes a matted shine as seen below. I've used that stuff before on the OEM and other tires and the shine usually lasted a few days. Anyway, so far that's my take on these tires...nothing technical as i'm not a tire expert, but hopefully my comments help someone else.



From RDX Tire to DWS">From RDX Tire to DWS">

MMike1981

only thing that sticks: ARmor All Prof Detailer (Black Can, Gold Cap) Tire foam...only thing that sticks. i went thru them all, skip everything and buy that, thank me later! Spray it on and LET IT SIT, dont wipe or try to spread, clean up the rim after the white stuff disappears

also, 38-39 psi is really high for the DWS. You will get the same level of performance at cold 34. You will wear the tread out alot faster going that high...i started at 35 consistently, and dropped to 33 and noticed that to be the perfect balance for performance.

wrestrepo

I believe that the limit in the DWSs is 40 psi....

techdude

Thanks...i'll try dropping it down a bit.

techdude

Well, i bought a digital tire gauge and that reports the tires being 32psi cold. The tpms shows them at 37/38. I'm not sure which one is more accurate. Anyway, i picked up the the tire shine recommended by MMike1981 and will post pics after my next car wash.

techdude

Just got back from work. A 60 mile commute and thank God I bought these in time for the storm we are having here in the East. It got me up some crazy windy hills with little issue while cars in front of me were spinning out. I can highly recommend these to anyone.

737 Jock

Are you reading the TPMS cold or after driving? A cold pressure of 32 could read as high as 38 when the tires are heated by hard driving.