New Michelin A/S 4 or Conti DWS06+

[LawDawg]

I have some A/S3+ tires on the S6 right now that are starting to get towards the end of their life, and therefore they are getting pretty loud.

From my research, it looks like both Conti and Michelin have recently upgraded their all-season offerings. The A/3+ is being replaced by the A/4, and the Conti DWS06 is being replaced by the DWS06+.

So with these new all-seasons in mind, what do you guys like? I gather that the Michelins are better performers, but by how much? I would rather a quiet, smooth tire, that lasts a long time...provided that it doesn't give up TOO much in performance. That leads me to think the DWS06+ might be the ticket. However, if the performance or longevity is significantly behind the Michelins, I suppose I'll give up some noise to get a better performing tire that lasts longer.

I don't have a dedicated winter setup, and live in the Chicago 'burbs. So winter performance is something to consider. However the roads here are straight, flat, wide, plowed, and salted...so really it's not THAT big of a deal.

I know this question has been asked, but with the new offerings, I thought this was worth a discussion before I shell out $900 on a coin flip.

Thanks!

[Khall0204]

Glad you brought this up! I'm actually doing the same research now to replace A7 tires here in NC. Looking forward to everyone's thoughts.

[Patrick Matte]

Im running the Continental extreme contact sport. I love them, rain or dry, they grip like hell ! I did some very good 60ft and it’s them at the drag strip.


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Audizine Forum

[Wilbur_RS7]

I run the DWS06 Tires on my Stage 1 RS7.. Probably an odd choice considering the car and where I live (FL), but here's why - I had Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires before and yes, they were great handling, but they rode rough and were loud IMO. Maybe I just had a bad batch. After 4K miles, I was tired of it. I wanted a quiet, good performing tire, and I landed with the Contis.

Still able to knock out 0-60 times of under 3 seconds, they feel safe even up in triple digit speeds, and they feel planted and confident in the rain. Best yet, very comfortable on long drives (even in dynamic mode), and overall I'm happy I made the switch.

[DOCEVG]

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=266

Here's what TR says. Have DWS06+ on a couple cars and A/S 4 on another. The Conti's outperform the Michelins in the winter (but still no substitute for snows), and vice versa in warmer conditions.

[MattyMarkey]

They are both great tires and both with very similar wear rating (540 M’s vs 560 Conti’s). Wear really depends on your driving style and rotation/alignment care.

I personally use the DWS06’s as my winter tires and they have been great for me over the years; used the new plus’s for one winter season.

My tire guy mentioned a couple of his other customers bought the new DWS06+ and had some issues at higher speed balancing and noise, so the customers returned them for Michelin’s.

*knock on wood* I have not experienced that on mine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[choy188]

As someone who works with tires and has run both tires, unless your priority is dry performance, get the continental's, the michelins are way too loud and don't have great wet performance compared to the dws06+, if you think the ps4s rides poorly and is too loud, the AS4s are much worse

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

[zcd2.7t]

A friend just replaced the brand new Continentals he’d just installed on his RS7 with the Michelins due to the Contis’ noise. 🤷

[19birel]

I have AS/4 and find them to be a great balance of performance and comfort. They are my favorite tyre I have run thus far, and that's from someone who was skeptical to believe the hype that often surround Michelin products.

I would purchase them again in a heartbeat

[4.2Crew]

....I had Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires before and yes, they were great handling, but they rode rough and were loud IMO. Maybe I just had a bad batch. After 4K miles, I was tired of it. I wanted a quiet, good performing tire, and I landed with the Contis.

Same here... Had'em (4S's) on a 2003 RS6. Switched to A/3's for better longevity, and a quieter & more compliant ride on mottled MN roads. Been run'n A/3+'s on the S7 since ~Nov 2020. No complaints so far....~8k miles.

The Conti All-season's are great in wet & snow......but, for me, the tire noise (humming) started to steadily creep louder and louder after ~10k miles-----especially during the cold months.

[paul-g]

it's funny some people say conti's are louder they always brag how they are quieter. i have been in the past a tried and true 100% believer in Michelin tire guy. BUT few years back put a set on wife's SUV and a tire that had a 60k tire rating were gone in 12 months. So after $200 more after rebate tire store replaced with same ones ......same thing. Luckily they admitted that Michelin was having issues with wear on these tires and gave me something else. I truly found that odd cause as you pay out the nose for Michelin always backed it up by saying you get what you pay for. So i have since adventured out to other brand and haven't been disappointed to much

when i bought my used 16 A6 they had contiprocontact on them and i have to say they are pretty good, not to loud, handle decent, upper 3's low 4's 0-60 and handle snow well (live in CT) from everything i read they are a good tire but people complain that they don't wear well. almost 15k since i've owned car (think they were pretty new when i got car from dealer) and i rotated them twice (every 7k with oil change) and seem to wearing as expected. they should make 45-50k from what it looks like.

[LawDawg]

OP here. Like a lot of people, I had Pilot Sport 4s on my S4. They wore out pretty quickly, and the tire shop recommended switching to the A/S 3+ for a lot better longevity with only a small decrease on performance.

Sold the S4 before I could see how long they held up. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I bought my S6 to see that it also had almost brand new A/S 3+ on it.

Now that they are on the way out, it think it’s time to revisit my “Michelin or nothing” attitude. If the Contis hold up reasonably well, don’t give up too much in performance, and are quieter, I may go that way. If on the other hand, they perform like garbage compared to the Michelin A/S 4, then I’ll sacrifice the noise for the better performance.

Either way, the Conti, Bridgestone, and Michelin max performance tires I’ve had in the past don’t hold up well at all. So it’s all-seasons for sure.

[IronAudi]

I've run DWS 6 since they came out, its the only A\S I buy. Great in the snow and longevity I got like 65k out of mine before they got too low.

[phaphaphooey]

I recently faced the same decision as you on both my RS7 and my Tesla MS Performance. I went with the Contis over the Michelin. They are without a doubt the 2 best A/S tires on the market. From my research, you get a little bit more livability with the Contis while the Michelins perform just slightly better in ultimate grip at the expense of NVH and wear. Since these cars are my DDs and not my "fun car", I went with the Contis and couldn't be happier. I have had them for a few months now and they are super quiet and seem to be wearing well. Furthermore, I have never wanted for grip in any condition. On my NSX when my tires give up the ghost I will put on some PS4S as they are the best summer tire, bar none. But for my dailys that get driven in all conditions in spirited but not racing situations, the DWS have been fantastic.

[Doarrival]

Literally just put the Continentals on my A7 this week. NYC got hit with rain storms and I took old girl out for a spin. I am in love with the ride, quietness and grip. I went with the 265/35/19 tire on stock 8.5 inch rim. OMG I know what all you PURISTS are gonna say, but they fit, they are balanced, they don’t rub and they look great. I was also able to take advantage of the rebate Continental which was about $70. Not bad. Definitely recommend the Continentals.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[Spitfire007]

I went from AS3s to DWS06 on an e90 328, and will never get the Contis again.
The car's handling became piglike and the sidewalls were too squishy. The tight and direct steering e90s are known for became vague, and heavier, and emergency maneuvering/lane changes were an exercise in not overcontrolling.
Never ever again.

If you want control and precision, go Michelin.
If you want comfort and grip, go Conti.
They grip, but they suck when you push them.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[ANMS4]

I love my DWS06's have had them on all my cars the last 5 years. ^^ I push mine to 60-70 MPH on , on/off ramps to the HYW and hold just fine :). An they grip when launching!

[MattyMarkey]

^ I definitely agree with both of these most recent comments above. The Conti’s do feel sluggish when cornering and the sidewalls aren’t as strong as Michelin’s; fairly certain that’s a known fact. I am still able to push them and they hold well, they just aren’t as good in that specific comparison.

I also only use the Conti’s in fall/winter/early-spring, so that doesn’t matter to me as much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[choy188]

I just got a set of summer tires (pzero pz4 sports) honestly makes the as4 feel like the dws06 comparatively, except that it's more comfortable than the as4, it changed the handling enough where my cornering speeds are up by 5-10 mph

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

[jakubx80]

I went from AS3s to DWS06 on an e90 328, and will never get the Contis again.
The car's handling became piglike and the sidewalls were too squishy. The tight and direct steering e90s are known for became vague, and heavier, and emergency maneuvering/lane changes were an exercise in not overcontrolling.
Never ever again.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

It's very interesting. I was reading through this thread and was recalling my own situation on 2010 328i. But I had Bridgestone as M didn't make size for my rear as I had a staggered setup.

I got out of tire shop with Contis DWS06 and tried them out by taking a corner and I seriously thought I lost a wheel or something because the car took the corner in such an unstable way.
I went back to the tire shop and the guy just laughed at me saying that Contis are great for straight line.

Never Contis for me. I wonder how many people that recommend DWS have driven Michelins or Bridgestones on their cars. Maybe S7 would take DWS better but I'll never get over my e90 experience.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[Spitfire007]

I think the soft sidewalls of the DWS just weren't good for the e90 platform, which was designed to work with runflats: oversprung and underdamped.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[mwdelta]

I just got DWS+ installed on my car yesterday. Was really torn on this decision as well but the Michelins being out of stock everywhere pushed me in this direction. I'll report back after a bit with what I think.

[LawDawg]

I just got DWS+ installed on my car yesterday. Was really torn on this decision as well but the Michelins being out of stock everywhere pushed me in this direction. I'll report back after a bit with what I think.

I’m SUPER interested in your feedback after driving on them for a day or two!!!

[1st Trax]

A/S 4 all the way. Here's my .02, I have a stage 1+ S6 and have been running 4S' for over a year. Two road trips from Central TX. one trip to Telluride and one to Western NC.. Very stable at high rates of speed, handle well etc... I'm a Michelin fanboy. Fast forward to this Spring with another trip to Telluride and obviously colder temps and snow facilitated something for colder temps so I added the A/S 4's. Again, very predicable, no drama on freshly fallen couple of inches and hard pack.. What really impressed me was another trip last month to North Carolina where I experienced torrential downfalls. The A/S 's didn't blink. I've had A/3's and Conti's on my Stage 3 B5 S4 amongst others(Falcon) and these A/S 4's are without a doubt the most confident inspiring tires I have ever purchased. I was literally blowing by cars in pouring rain and I felt like I was on dry pavement. Never had any feeling of Hydroplane or loss of grip.
I have purchased allot of tires over the years for wife's cars(E350, various Lexi, Infinity) My kids cars(Lexi, A4) and these will be my go to from now on. I really don't think you give up too much performance wise from the 4S 's either at 7/10's.....

[markdjr]

I've got about 1k miles on DWS06+ w/ my a7. I went with 275/35/20 for a little better ride quality. I'm stage 2+ DP and have no complaints with the grip, haven't lost traction or had any issues to report.

[Spitfire007]

You never run out of grip, or traction.
It's the way they feel, slightly squishy when at the limit.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[choy188]

You never run out of grip, or traction.
It's the way they feel, slightly squishy when at the limit.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

What's interesting is how my set of pzero pz4 summers makes the as4 feel that way, but somehow the pzeros also manage to ride better

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

[A665]

Interesting thread. I did not realize that we had so many die-hard racecar drivers on this forum. Is all this to-the-limit driving being done on public roads? :)

The more I read about comments here and elsewhere about the Continentals, the more I'm convinced they're the tire for me. I really enjoy driving my C7 A6 with the S-Line Sport package (with 20" wheels), but sometimes I just want the highway ride to not be quite as twitchy and noisy. My Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3s sure grip like crazy, but I'm not a racecar driver and I believe the extra layer of comfort, and lower noise, offered by the Conti option is right up my alley.

[Spitfire007]

Well consider this:
I had my e90 in Brooklyn NY and ALSO wanted a plusher ride for myself and family. So I listened to everyone else. BUT, I learned that as good as the Contis is, it required certain compromises.

As for my at the limit experience:

Had to avoid rapidly stopping traffic on the Long Island Expressway by doing a really quick and rapid lane shift from the fast lane to the middle lane. With AS3s, the car performed flawlessly, and accurately. IT SAVED MY LIFE. With Contis (yes, properly inflated, and yeeeessss the car was in top shape, and yeeessss I was picky and not cheap on maintenance), the whole car overreacted, with repetitive oscillations from side to side, excessive body roll, and took serious concentration to not over control the car, or sideswipe another, whereas with the Michelins, it was a quick movement of the steering wheel, and the car followed and didn't wallow, it was precise.
Same thing had happened avoiding a deer in the past....almost in the same place, actually.

So call it what you will, this was a night and day difference on a car reputed to have some of the best steering and handling in the business: the e90 chassis, and it surprised the FU!& out of me.
I could even feel how much slower and heavier the steering got at speeds around 20mph, AS SOON AS THE WERE INSTALLED.
Michelin: direct and responsive steering
Contis: slower and heavier.

YES they grip like hell,
YES they provide great traction
YES they last a long time

But there's more to a tire than those criteria, and it was my lesson to learn I guess.
Enjoy your Contis.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[markdjr]

I made my decision based on the majority of my driving. I spend a lot more time in a straight line then hammering canyons so I went for the comfort option.

[massboykie]

I have AS/4 and find them to be a great balance of performance and comfort. They are my favorite tyre I have run thus far, and that's from someone who was skeptical to believe the hype that often surround Michelin products.

I would purchase them again in a heartbeat

Same here. I was a huge DWS fan, back when they were actually a lot cheaper than the Michelins. Once the DWSes started selling at around the same price as the Michelins I had to give them a try and would definitely stick with the Michelins moving forward... Awesome in dry, very good in wet and good in snow IMHO.

That said, I only have around 12k miles on this set, so will be getting a new set under mileage warrantee soon... (Costco)

Someone told me these cars eat tires so I guess I should not be surprised ;-)

Cheers
Massboykie

[acruxksa]

I run the DWS06's about 8 months/yr and Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8's about 4 month/yr. I really like both. I find the DWS06's to be a very capable all season tire, but no substitute for the Hakka 8's during the worst of our winter months in Alaska. No experience with the Michelin A/S3 or A/S4's but have had very good luck with other Michelin tires over the years.