howdy all

have spent the last two weeks narrowing down choices for new rubber on my '03 MCS, and I am almost final on the Continental DWS; however, I have seen more than a few negative comments regarding the apparently "soft" sidewalls on these tires in the reviews on Tire rack, although the reviews have for the most part been overwhelmingly positive.

Not sure that I could live with a cushy sidewall, does anybody have any experience with the DWS, especially spirited/aggressive driving/cornering? I hear they are amazing in the rain as well? I live in Vancouver, tends to be kinda wet up here....

Any info on the sidewalls or other pertinent feedback very much appreciated.

thanks

greg v.

 

The DWS's sidwalls are't too soft, unless you compair them to Pilot Sport AS+'s

I bet some of it it tread block flex, and some of it is expecting summer grip on all season tires.

Just my .02 - Surveys are good but not science. So many un- anwsered questions about a surfey respondents partiular situation and bench mark.
I have blogged on this topic as well

 

hello Alex

thanks for the info!

Your blog link seems to require a password, or am I doing something incorrectly?

thanks again

greg v.

 

Greg,

Sorry, my mistake. Here ya go!

Alex

 

I used the DWS on my 350z. I tracked the car almost every weekend too. But it was still my DD, I think it was an excellent choice for my driving style and weekend activites combined. You will not be disappointed with this tire.

 

so long as you dont go too high a sidewall, these tires are great! I had them on my STI. They are really good wet/snowy weather tires.... they are considerably quieter than most A/S also.

 

thanks for all the info guys!

I'm going for 205/50/16, so I think the sidewalls will be a decent enough (short) height.

I'll post some feedback on these once I get them and have a few miles on them.

thanks again!

greg v.

 

After reading the reviews and talking back-and-forth with Alex via email, I am going with these in a 215/45/17 size. I realize the Michelin Pilots are a better overall tire but for the type of driving I am now doing, these should work out well.

 

MPAS+ consistantly has enough grip to make me sick on the test track! Thats an acomplishment for ANY AS tire!!

 

I have real issues with this too on short tracks. Need more ginger.

I may consider this the next time after I wear down those Z1 I got from you last year.

 

I have a sweet little secret, ReliefBand.

I fly with it, and its on me in any HPD driving since Hurley Haywood killed me with hot laps last August @ Barber Motorsports park. That man can drive!!

I got mine on Ebay for a song!

Make sure you have extra batteries! to think I just used to deal with this feeling!

 

Thanks, I will look into it.

I have been sick while driving (only once).

 

i'm going with these conti's when i change this year. i think from what i've read they're a happy medium for people like us. i had been set on the 960as' and pilot sport as' but these have better year round reviews, very similar dry and wet reviews, a good warranty if you care about that kinda thing AND best of all cheaper!

i have snows but i figure a/s is safer just in case of being caught in a gap period (march/november)

 

I just bought Dunlop SP Sport Signatures and am greatly impressed with them. I was looking at the DWSs but decided to go with the Dunlops after reading countless reviews all over the net. I am very happy with them so far. great ride and no spongy feeling but they are a heavy tire.

 

Just got home from having the Conti DWS's mounted, first impressions:

Absolutely terrible.

Good points: incredible grip around long sweeping corners like freeway on-ramps etc., very quiet, soak up bumps incredibly well, easy to forget you are driving in the wet.

Bad points: mushiest tire I have ever driven on, period. My Mini actually porpoises around corners, which it has never done before. The fun wrist-flick driving style of a Mini is entirely gone, replaced with mushy mush-like mush. Feels like I am driving an old worn-out taxi. The Michein Alpin's I just had on were racing tires compared to these things, and those are snow tires.

I am going to check and probably bump the pressure a bit on these tires and drive them for a while, but honestly I can't see that making all that much difference. I think these are good tire, but not for small sporty cars like a Mini.

I'll post some more feedback once I get some more miles on these, maybe I'll grow to like them.


greg v.

 

Quiet, mushy. Exactly what my wife is looking for. I doubt if she'll be throwing her Mini around too much, so these will work great for her. Just ordered 4 from Tire Rack. Availability is iffy, so I guess we'll get them whenever. Got the spare hold down today and will get a Civic compact spare soon. Conti run-flats have lotsa miles left on them, but we gotta dump them ASAP.

 

put a few more miles on them late today, and have to say that my impression of these tires has changed a bit already. Fyi, put them up to 38 psi all around, from the 35 they were at from the tire shop. All driving has been done in either rain or post-rain slightly damp conditions.

Grip is really really good. I'm starting to get a better feel for the "mushy" sensation, which actually seems to be more of a weird unsettling wobble on initial turn-in, as I read in countless reviews but am just understanding now. I have never worn high heels, but I would equate this to having a heel that wobbles a bit at the top when you turn on it, but never actually steps out. Kind of un-nerving, especially compared to run-flats, and makes me wonder if this weird wobble will ever occur at a really bad time and send me into a spin.

For the first time in a long time I didn't want to get out of my car upon reaching my destination, and I am looking forward to putting more time on these tires. I could not get the abs to kick in on damp asphalt despite repeated hard stops on typical uneven roads. They are getting stickier by the mile... they still feel soft, mind you, but incredibly reassuringly grippy and secure feeling at the same time. I have not as yet been able to feel the limit of grip in long corners.

greg v.

 

what size tire is it? what did you have before? most tires change quite a lot in the time following installation. hopefully you're more pleased with time. let us know as i think there are more than just i interested in or planning on these tires.

 

I'm looking at this tire, the Bridgestone G019 Grid, and the Michelin Pilot Sport a/s plus... might also consider the hankook k110 ventus v12 evo but that is a summer tire and I really would like all season so I dont have to buy winter tires.

 

Thanks for the report.

That's okay, we won't tell

 

The Contis are 205/50/16 on R84's, and I just had some Michelin Alpin's in the same size on R83's. The Michelins are the best tire I've ever had on this car btw, even though they are snow tires. Before that I had some Falken Ziex ZE-912's which I had to replace because I found a giant nail in the sidewall of one of them; I really didn't like the Falkens very much, they were terrible in the rain and not very good in the dry either. I bought them based on having had a set of their predeccessors (forget what they were called) on my '91 Civic, and those were damned great tires. When I first got my MCS it had the oem Dunlop runflats, which in their bald state were horrifying (but tight).

I'll keep you posted on how the Conti's work out for me; worst case scenario I think they would be perfect for my gf's SC1, which curretly has a set of those crappy Falkens on it; even she complains about them...

cheers

greg v.

 

Non runflat sidewalls, all season compound, full tread depth, no heat cycles = Mushy.

Higher pressure and a few hundred miles worth of heat cycles should continue to improve their dry weather feel.

Those looking for sporty handling are better served by
Michelin Pilot Sport AS+.

 

over 960a/s? i'd always felt and thought they were stiffer than those

 

hello Alex

I see the MPAS are not available in 205/50/16, only 205/55/16; this works out (nominally) to a 0.8" difference in diameter, which is in my experience a fair amount.

Besides the visual difference, what change in driving feel could I expect from this higher aspect ratio? If I went from the DWS in 205/50 to the MPAS in 205/55, would the latter still feel more "sporty" than the DWS?



thanks!

greg v.

 

I stole this from Tire Rack. My apologies if it's copyright. Let me know and I'll delete it.

Tires are comprised of many layers of rubber, steel and fabric. Due to these different components, your new tires require a break-in period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance. As tires are cured, a release lubricant is applied to prevent them from sticking in their mold. Some of the lubricant stays on the surface of your tires, reducing traction until it is worn away. Five hundred miles of easy acceleration, cornering and braking will allow the mold release lubricant to wear off, allowing the other tire components to begin working together. It is also important to note that your old tires probably had very little tread depth remaining when you felt it was time to replace them. As any autocrosser or racer who has tread rubber shaved off of his tires will tell you, low tread depth tires respond quicker."Don't be surprised if your new tires are a little slower to respond (even if you use the exact same tire as before). Their new, full depth brings with it a little more tread squirm until they wear down.
NOTE: Be careful whenever you explore the capabilities of your new tires. Remember that every tire requires a break-in period for optimum performance.

Wearing off the mold release is exactly why you never hit the twisties on a motorcycle with new tires. Go slow, wear them a few miles then hit it. As far as mushy, more air would probably be better since the sidewall is less stiff. When off-roading you air down to 5-10 psi, so you gotta adjust your air to what you're doing.