Finally, new tires... Conti DWS

[hoppy6698]

So, got a great deal on Conti DWS set from Tirerack. Going to get installed by the awesome team at RAI this weekend.

Any notes on break in thoughts from previous owners? Tirerack recommends a gentle (lol) break in period of 500 miles (so I figure about one tank of gas).

[Stubek]

Interested to know how those are. I am deciding between those and the Michelin Pilot Sport Plus. My Pirelli PZero Rosa tires that came on the car have only lasted about 15k and are bald in the middle.

[hoppy6698]

Interested to know how those are. I am deciding between those and the Michelin Pilot Sport Plus. My Pirelli PZero Rosa tires that came on the car have only lasted about 15k and are bald in the middle.

Well, at Waterfest I talked to the Vredestein Salesman about their line. Since I'm in MD, I can't really run summers all year round. If I was anywhere more southern though, I would not have went with all-seasons. There are some awesome summer tires that do better justice in the dry and still run well in the wet. If you want longevity and not too extreme on summer, the Continental DW tires are supposed to be the non-wintery version and perform slightly better in summer. Plus the Conti's are warrantied for 72 mos/50k miles, which is very nice. Most summer tires only last about 20k miles if you drive em hard.

[orange1218]

I voluntarily waited an extra 4 days for my DWS when I purchased CPO 6 wks ago. So far I have loved them. Good grip and low road noise. They are top rated on tirerack too.

[Audibot]

Can't talk about the break-in period, but I have a set on my wheels now and had them on my stock wheels as well. Very low noise compared my old tires and grip is really good too, especially in inclement weather. The only issue I do have is that at higher speeds around bends, the sidewalls do flex more than some other tires, and so you feel a bit less safe than you actually are. I haven't taken time to figure out their limits, but they haven't let me down yet!

[coolwater]

Best all seasons IMHO.
Had them in 18 and 19 sizes and they perform great and offer good cushioning.

-cW

[BASARAB]

became loud on my car after about 12k

[gunsmoker]

Interested to know how those are. I am deciding between those and the Michelin Pilot Sport Plus. My Pirelli PZero Rosa tires that came on the car have only lasted about 15k and are bald in the middle.

So so handling due to soft side walls. Low noise initially, but not so much after 15k miles on them. I'm at 19k miles and they are squealing in the corners like no other tires I have had before, but it could be that I'm driving more aggressively now. I'll have to change them before the winter, so overall they can last about 24k miles on the quattro. I have been running them at 34psi front and back and have even wear front to back, side to side and have never rotated the wheels.
I wouldn't recommend them to anybody who has any expectations of a sporty behavior from an A/S tire.
I'll be getting the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS. They are more expensive than the DWS, but cheaper than the Pilots and having the best performance according to tirerack.

[tajturner]

I have the dws. They are ok. I have super sports on my passat wagon and they are completely amazing. I would've put them on my Audi but they don't make a 245/30/20. My only complaint about the dws is that that can tend to have unevenness. The owner of butler tire (Atlanta) showed me when we spent a day rebalancing & repositioning the tires over and over again.

[bmoreS4]

I grabbed a set of these for our Passat and I was very let down.

Tire wore down very quickly and road noise set in.

Just replaced them after about 10k miles.

Honestly for the money you cant beat a set of the higher end Kumho tires.

I just put on a set of the new Kumho 4x All Season Performance, so far so good.

Im running the same 4x model on my S4 and they are great.

[ljnaum26]

Best All Seasons i have ever used, i dont remember how long but the paper said they do need to break in to get the top layer of materials off. Also i have my Pretty much new set in the classifieds since i upgraded to 19's. http://www.audizine.com/classifieds/...50-2f17&cat=46

[AWDLover]

Yeah great all season tire if your expectations are in line with what the tire is supposed to be. Probably the best all season in snow, ice grip is so-so, wet and dry pretty good. Soft side walls, but smoother ride because of it.

[name.goes.here]

Yeah great all season tire if your expectations are in line with what the tire is supposed to be. Probably the best all season in snow, ice grip is so-so, wet and dry pretty good. Soft side walls, but smoother ride because of it.

That would be my experience.

[sickspeed]

i am considering these as well. was thinking hankooks if not these. so im curious to see what the experience is. I'm in MD as well so an all season or HP with some all season capability would be good.

taj, tirerack shows these in 245-30-20, which is the size i would be getting.

[KlRBY]

I think I have about 7,500 - 10,000 miles of treadlife left. Conti DWS and Potenza's are at the top of my list for a replacement tire. Not particularly crazy about the Perilli P 6's.

[tajturner]

i am considering these as well. was thinking hankooks if not these. so im curious to see what the experience is. I'm in MD as well so an all season or HP with some all season capability would be good.

taj, tirerack shows these in 245-30-20, which is the size i would be getting.

Yeah that's the size I got the conti's in. It gives a sexy little stretch and absolutely no rub. I almost bought them from tire rack, but got my local discount tire location to match tirerack's price and included install. I think they are used to having to match tirerack's pricing (did the same with my super sports).

The dws tire is a fairly nice all-seasoner. I've just been so used to being able to hit turns doing 70mph with no squilling and no grip loss in my super sports, that now I'm just kinda spoiled. And being in Georgia, I've been able to run my super sports all year long with no issues.

[gunsmoker]

The dws tire is a fairly nice all-seasoner. I've just been so used to being able to hit turns doing 70mph with no squilling and no grip loss in my super sports, that now I'm just kinda spoiled.

I have 5/32 tread left and they squeal at 30mph on intersections of regular-width two-lane streets. They have a decent snow performance, but I get to drive less than a week a year in such conditions and I'm not ecstatic about their performance the rest of the time. They offer a good value for the price, but are an average performer overall - nothing to brag about, I think.

[linet90]

Good tire!
Don't use them for autocross, I tore mine up at Waterfest.

[vtheman]

Nice and comfy tire. Your hemorrhoid will thank you for it. My Honda minivan is ecstatic about them, however they do wear fast.

[hoppy6698]

Nice and comfy tire. Your hemorrhoid will thank you for it. My Honda minivan is ecstatic about them, however they do wear fast.

Sad to hear so many replies about faster wear on these. However, I think almost anything will be better than the cruddy Pirelli P6s that came stock. If it weren't for the snow, I would have gone straight summers tbh. But I guess we will see. My Audi is nearly 3 yrs old now and only 21k miles so far. Guess these tires will last until my next Audi :).

Still hoping for RS3 sedan, TT RS, or an S4 (with some tuning :P).

[tajturner]

I have 5/32 tread left and they squeal at 30mph on intersections of regular-width two-lane streets. They have a decent snow performance, but I get to drive less than a week a year in such conditions and I'm not ecstatic about their performance the rest of the time. They offer a good value for the price, but are an average performer overall - nothing to brag about, I think.

Are talking about dws's or super sports?

[hoppy6698]

DWS

[KlRBY]

Hoppy - Your P6's only lasted 21K? I don't like mine much, either. I may replace them early.

I'm right at 21K and it looks like mine could make it another 7-10K.

DWS is what I'm looking at, as well. If you dont mind asking, what did you pay for them? I see different prices on Tirerack for the same tire. Is that just based on batch number or something? Are local TireRack retailers obligated to price match the Tirerack website?

[BASARAB]

discount tire will match tirerack prices

[hoppy6698]

Hoppy - Your P6's only lasted 21K? I don't like mine much, either. I may replace them early.

I'm right at 21K and it looks like mine could make it another 7-10K.

DWS is what I'm looking at, as well. If you dont mind asking, what did you pay for them? I see different prices on Tirerack for the same tire. Is that just based on batch number or something? Are local TireRack retailers obligated to price match the Tirerack website?

My pirreli's were prematurely killed by a track event weekend :). Their lateral grip is near gone, and gets worse if it rains, hence the new set.

Total set was about $650, close out pricing on the 93Y load ratings. Apparently the new model goes up to 97 I think.

[holmes4]

I have been very fond of the Bridgestone Potenza 970AS Pole Position.

[dscline]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is weight. For my car (255/35-19), tirerack lists the DWS as 25lbs, while the RE970AS is 29lbs. That seems pretty significant to me. It also probably explains why the DWS is generally considered fairly "soft", and I've also seen reports somewhere in the forums that they may be a bit easier to damage when running low profile tires over potholes, and why the RE970 is considered to be more responsive. Thicker or thinner sidewalls are probably a major contributor.

So DWS may help soften up the low profile setup, but may also be more likely to be damaged due to the low profiles. RE970 handles a bit better and may be more durable, but that comes at the cost of 4lbs/wheel. The reports of short treadwear life on the DWS is interesting... they have a pretty high UTQG rating of 540 and a 50k mileage warranty vs. 400 & 40k for the RE970, but it sounds like actual owner experience isn't backing that up. The RE970 is newer and has less driver miles on them, but so far the tirerack treadwear votes are 9.0, vs. 8.5 for the DWS.

Tire choices are always difficult, there's always trade offs. But I'm glad my stock tires have a fair amount of life left. Maybe there will be a clearer victor down the road.

[KlRBY]

I have been very fond of the Bridgestone Potenza 970AS Pole Position.

I'm between this, and the Conti DWS for my new set.

[gunsmoker]

Are talking about dws's or super sports?

DWS. Left turn squeal at a 90 degree intersection at 30mph with 5/32 of tread left.

[gunsmoker]

So DWS may help soften up the low profile setup, but may also be more likely to be damaged due to the low profiles. RE970 handles a bit better and may be more durable, but that comes at the cost of 4lbs/wheel. The reports of short treadwear life on the DWS is interesting... they have a pretty high UTQG rating of 540 and a 50k mileage warranty vs. 400 & 40k for the RE970, but it sounds like actual owner experience isn't backing that up. The RE970 is newer and has less driver miles on them, but so far the tirerack treadwear votes are 9.0, vs. 8.5 for the DWS.

I disagree with the previous posters that said the DSW have a short life. It's not short by any means compared to tires of the same size and class. The 50k miles warranty is for FWD or RWD. I got 24k miles out of the DWS on my wife's car and it looks like I might get the same on mine if I don't change them before that, both cars AWD. Got the same mileage out of the Potenza RE92 tires on my wife's car before. Those had a lower tread wear index (250 I believe) and over the years I have learned to not rely on that one bit. I got 38k miles on my previous FWD car out of RE92 Potenzas, but OEM version rated 160 - I thought at first that those would last me no more than 15k. If you read on tirerack about how the manufacturers come up with this number and what it means (400-mile loop in West Texas - what a joke!), you will understand that they can pretty much put whatever they want. There are also all the flavors of a given OEM tire with different tread wear ratings for different car manufacturers. Go figure.

[sdy101]

I had the DWS on my B7 and after about 12k miles they got very noisy. They were 17's, did regular rotation. This time for my B8's 245/40R18's I went with Pirelli Pzero Neros. They have been decent, very comparable to the DWS's in dry and wet, and only time will tell noise-wise....

[tajturner]

DWS. Left turn squeal at a 90 degree intersection at 30mph with 5/32 of tread left.

That sucks! Is that what I have to look forward too?

[Kal Rubinson]

I had the DWS on my B7 and after about 12k miles they got very noisy. They were 17's, did regular rotation. This time for my B8's 245/40R18's I went with Pirelli Pzero Neros. They have been decent, very comparable to the DWS's in dry and wet, and only time will tell noise-wise....

I used both of those on my MB C320 wagon and the Pirellis, although they were quiet and decent, lasted for barely 15k miles. The DWS were comparable in handling, a bit noisier but were going strong at 24K when I traded the car in on my Avant last year. The DWS were cheaper, too.

[gunsmoker]

That sucks! Is that what I have to look forward too?

Not necessarily. 20mph is a normal speed for that turn, 30 is not. On the other hand controlled squealing and drifting is fun and I do like doing it a lot. The A4 (mine is with the sport package) has a solid feel in the corners despite that. If it were a Corola, it would have been riding on two wheels. Did that once with a rental Corola. It caught me off-guard on a twisty course I used to enjoy with a Mitsubishi I used to have.

[gunsmoker]

I had the DWS on my B7 and after about 12k miles they got very noisy. They were 17's, did regular rotation. This time for my B8's 245/40R18's I went with Pirelli Pzero Neros. They have been decent, very comparable to the DWS's in dry and wet, and only time will tell noise-wise....

There is something with the noise of these tires. It somewhat depends on the camber. It was very noticeable on my wife's IS250 on highway turns. Because the tread is half winter/half summer when you turn slightly it makes more contact with one side or the other and the noise changes. You hear some periodic burr-r-r until you come out of the turn. I swore to never buy these tires again, but I did for my A4 and there has been no such problem with them.

[B_Boy]

these are great tires

[Resophy]

I am very interested to read more opinions as I will also be making a tire purchase here soon.

We should do a poll!

[Charles.waite]

I've got Conti DWS (235/45 R17) on my B7 Avant and I absolutely love them. Theres a bit of road noise, but far less than the shitty Yoko YK520s on my B6. Also they're badass in the snow. My car was unstoppable during the snowstorm we got in seattle this summer. Icy roads were a non issue and braking was great for the conditions. Obviously they wont replace real snow tires, but in a pinch they work great in snow and ice. Rain is excellent as well, never once seen any hydroplaning in some very wet situations. Their dry traction and cornering are somewhat limited by the soft sidewall, but I've seen excellent treadwear and for a non-aggressive cruiser, they're unbeatable for the price.

To the people who say they were shot after 10k, I HIGHLY doubt it was the tires...

[bmoreS4]

To the people who say they were shot after 10k, I HIGHLY doubt it was the tires...

Please explain how of the 2 sets of tires I have had on our Passat it is somehow driver's fault that the DWS's lasted half as long as the first set?

No burnouts, no autocross, not slammed, 34psi.

Go ahead ill wait.......

[Charles.waite]

Please explain how of the 2 sets of tires I have had on our Passat it is somehow driver's fault that the DWS's lasted half as long as the first set?

No burnouts, no autocross, not slammed, 34psi.

Go ahead ill wait.......

Alignment. I don't know, but it's not normal. I've had my DWS on my car for 10k+ and they've got plenty of tread left. So I ask you, why did they wear so quickly on your car?

Damn dude did I say the issue was the driver? A bit touchy now aren't we?

The RE050A tires on my old G37 lasted way way longer than 20k and I drove that car like I stole it. So you jumping in here saying a DWS won't last more than 10k is stupid. Your experience with them wasn't normal. Period. You can't argue that.