I'm looking for new summer tires, 205/50/16 on a Justa. I live in Michigan so I do have dedicated winters that go on some time in November and come off some time in March or April, so no worries about snow or overly cold weather. The one problem that Michigan does present though is that our roads are in horrible condition and often extremely bumpy and pothole ridden, I don't mind a rough ride, my concern lies in tire durability though. I do attempt to avoid as many deep potholes as I can but mishaps happen.

I do a lot of driving, but as long as the tires can go a season or a season and a half I'm fine with it it. I am a sporty driver on back road jaunts, but I'm not a madman and never push the legal limits. I don't autocross either, although I'm thinking about maybe trying it this summer after I get my new struts and springs.

It also rains occasionally and I don't want to hydroplane all over the place because I have the wrong tires. I've been through that and it is down right scary.

I've been looking around and have thought about either the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sports or the Continental ExtremeContact DW's. Both seem to get good reviews on Tire Rack as well as other corners of the internet. Any thoughts on one over the other? I'm open to other suggestions too.

Oh and I have Dunlop Direzza DZ101's on the car right now that are wore down.

Thanks for any advice!

 

For that tire size

The Continental ExtremeContact DW for the money is a great option for strong dry or wet performance with good street comfort and good treadwear. It's a Max Summer tire.
see
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=140

The BS RE760 is not bad but is an Ultra High Perf Summer tire, a little less cost, a little less performance (esp for wet), a little more comfort for street use.
see
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=104

I'd suggest the Continental DW for the better performance given these are 50 series tires which should help with some street comfort on rough roads.

Contact Alex@tirerack.com if you have more questions.

 

Thanks for the input!

 

I just got the Conti DW in 215/45/17 to replace my 215/40/17 Star Spec Z1's.

The Star Specs were great in the rain when when bald, but when I'd hit standing water at speed, the car would hydroplane like crazy. They were very rigid and had amazing grip and little to no sidewall flex. As a result, the ride quality was about as crappy as runflats. The look of the tire was also excellent as they looked wider than they were due to the tire having a nice rim protector.

The Conti's are much better in the rain and are more than adequate in dry conditions. They have way more sidewall flex and don't inspire as much confidence. Feels less planted. The ride quality is easily twice as good as the Star Specs or stock run flats. Better than the stock 16" Conti all season RF's my car came with. My biggest gripe would be the lack of a fat rim protector like that of the Star Specs I had previously.

Right now I have a loaner auto S with bridgespokes and stock RF Goodyears. The handling and amount of grip simple cannot compare to the DW's. I think they're just about the best value Summer tire out right now.

 

Thanks for the input .

I'll probably end up with the DW's once the weather stops being cold and snowy.

 

I have the DW tires in 205/50R16 on my car and am quite happy with them. I wish spring would arrive so I can swap out my winter tires.
The DWs are quiet and have good grip, the pricing is reasonable. An added bonus over the RE760 is a 2 lb. weight saving per tire, every little bit helps.

 

Tis true, can't argue with weight savings especially with rotating mass. My rims are a little on the heavy side so it is good to consider tire weight too.

 

Just installed Conti Extreme Contact DW's on my Cabrio. Here are some initial impressions, as I don't yet have many miles on them.

Size: 215/40/R17 on Breyton GTS-R wheels

-First thing I notice upon leaving the garage is turn in, car responds to steering inputs much faster than the run-flats. Steering feedback is excellent.

-Overall feel is the car is "lighter on its feet", more responsive to all inputs.

-Acceleration/braking. Feels like I gained a couple of horsepower. I'm thinking I shed approx. 11lbs. per corner of unsprung weight, 44lbs. total. Also, going with the 40 series, i'm turning a slightly smaller diameter wheel. I know the suspension is able to react faster having to handle less mass.

-Ride is more comfortable and I lost the high frequency buzz/rattle in the dash board.

-Cornering/Grip Too early to tell, as the tires are not yet broken in and the temps have been too low in Chicago. I will report back on that when conditions improve.