I was half convinced that Luke was going to call Child Protective Services on me. He'd borrowed my car (an '07 Impreza) for a few hours, and when he came back, he asked, "You don't drive your daughter around in that car, do you?" The scary thing is, I do. Long story short, my wheels and tires had come off now-defunct sister publication SCC's project WRX. This was after they'd beat them to hell. And then 20k or so miles through sub-par Santa Ana, CA, streets later, and my tires were bad. Had it only looked like it was going to rain, I would have careened off the road.
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Available Sizes:
16-24UTQG: 540AA
So I called up our pals at Continental. Since the Impreza is my daily, they recommended the new(ish) ExtremeContact DWS. In all fairness, anything would have been an improvement to my beat-ass rubber. But after about three weeks, my DWSs (205/50R17) are much more than just an improvement. They're a revelation.
As far as traction during acceleration and breaking, and improved rolling resistance, the DWSs have done nothing but impress. My daily commute is only eight miles, but it's through downtown Santa Ana, and it can be pretty dodgy. Punching it, swerving, breaking hard-all part of my drive each and every day.
The DWS was designed with all-weather performance in mind. Not just all-weather driving, but all-weather performance. There have been plenty of all-season tires that have left us, let's say, underwhelmed. Not the DWS.
Here comes the science. Their asymmetrical tread pattern and advanced tread compound mean the DWS really is made to work it in all situations. Their chamfered edges and solid outer shoulders create the largest possible contact patch, and they bite the road like . . . let's say a vampire. Those are big right now.
This is when the road is dry. And with other tires, this is where we'd be left disappointed. A tire might be super bitey and responsive in the dry, but throw it in the wet, and it's all slop and unresponsiveness. With the Contis, the wet responsiveness was unbelievably similar to the dry. This is because of their Enhanced Groove Curvature, which literally shoots water out of the tire's tread before it can break your contact with the road. We haven't had a chance to throw them around in the snow yet, but word is the grip is much the same story there.
The DWS is an all-around consistent performer and is the perfect daily-driven tire. Because of its Dynamic Temperature Distribution technology, the tread design distorts less, which means longer tire life, less rolling resistance, and less friction and noise. It works in all conditions, it can perform in the twisties, and it'll last a loooong time. Your search for tire Nirvana ends here.
Continental Tire / 704.588.5895 / www.continentaltire.com