Dunlop Winter Tires

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
February 27, 2013

Hard to believe that this tire is rated below the Dunlop Wintersport M3, which is a fine winter tire but inferior to the Sottozero II's, specially in the dry. Very happy with this tire, they also outperform the OEM Pirelli P-Zero All Seasons that came with the car, which were H-rated and very unstable at high speeds. I highly recommended this tire, it was the most affordable for the original VW GTi's 18" wheels , and as a bonus it performs great in the dry, far better than any All-season tire.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 20, 2013

Great tire for all driving conditions in an Ontario winter.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 22, 2013

Simply put the best all around tire I have ever owned, smooth ride, little if any road noise and great traction in all conditions. Just had a major winter storm in St Louis and the tire was excellent in the snow and ice. I would have never made it home or up my driveway with the orginal Dunlops that came as standard on the car. Just an excellent all around tire!

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
February 09, 2013

These tires are a great set of winter tires, and paired with my AWD Subaru they are absolutely amazing. I decided to get these tires over other winter tires because of their wet and dry traction. These tires are very quiet for a winter tire, quieter than some all-season tires, and treadwear seems pretty good as well especially since they are considered winter performance. While they're may be other tires that handle better in deep snow and ice, these still handle better than I had expected. I've only noticed the tires slip slightly while cornering through deep snow (6"+ unplowed). No one has passed me on the highway yet in a snowstorm. I would definitely buy another set of these, and would highly recommend these to anyone.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
February 09, 2013

I bought a 2007 Nissan Xterra with 50k miles and these tires came with it. I have 90k miles on the Xterra now, and these tires have been great. I live in Wisconsin and have run the Xterra through 15 inches of snow going through corn fields, and they handled great. Even in moderate mud they still grip and pull you out. To give you some perspective, last winter a UPS truck was stuck in my cul-de-sac and I have able to tow it out. With 4 wheel drive, a little knowledge of snow driving, and these tires.. You'll be fine.

Initial Review, 26,000 Miles on Tires
February 02, 2013

This tire has great snow and ice traction for a non studded tire. I have driven through numerous snow storms in the mountains of Vermont with these tire on a front wheel dive car and never had a problem getting where I wanted to go. These tire are also very good in dry conditions as well. They handle extremely well for a winter tire and feel like a summer performance tire in dry conditions.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 03, 2013

These tires perform extremely good for an all season tire. They feel more like a high performance summer tire than an all season. I had Kumho 4X before these and I sold them after 6 months because they felt so vague that I no longer enjoyed driving my car. These Dunlops transformed the car back to its glorious self. They have very good and linear response to steering inputs and feel very composed in the way they go down the road.

The Dunlops have very good dry and wet traction. Maybe a little less ultimate grip than the Kumho 4X, but more than enough for road driving. They are also reasonably good on snow and ice. Compared to Kumhos similar traction, but a little less cornering grip in winter conditions. They also have good comfort and noise levels, especially when you consider how responsive they are.

I would highly recommend these tires to anyone that needs some winter capability without sacrificing driving pleasure in the other 3 seasons. I will definitely buy another set of Dunlop SP Sport Signatures when it is time to replace them.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
January 22, 2013

I keep telling people these tires are one of the best Christmas presents I've ever gotten. Just two weeks after they were installed we got hit with a monster blizzard. A six mile drive that typically takes 15 minutes took me over an hour because I had to take four (yes, FOUR) detours to avoid wrecks blocking the highway. Other cars were getting stuck on the side of the road, halfway up hills, and right in the middle of deep snow drifts. With these tires I just drove through it all and barely even slipped. At one point the road around me was clear so I deliberately swerved side to side on the icy, snowy road going about 35 MPH just to see how it would handle. The back end kicked out a little but that was it, I was still in complete control. With All-season tires I probably would have gone sideways. I've also been impressed with the lack of road noise when it's dry, these are much, much quieter than the Blizzaks I used two years ago. So far these are the best snow tires I've tried, I'll definitely get them again.

Initial Review, 300 Miles on Tires
January 04, 2013

I orginally encountered these tires three years ago when I put them on my 1997 Tacoma 4X4. I used them through three New York winters and was quite happy with their performance. In May of 2012, I purchased a new Tacoma with Dunlop Grandtrek AT20s installed. After looking at the tread on these passenger tires, I was underwhelmed, but decided to give them a chance. Who wants to cough up hundreds of dollars on new tires for a new truck? I used them until December and our first dusting of snow. I immediately called the tire store and ordered a set of the General Grabbers. The shop got them on literally minutes before we got hit with 10 inches of snow. If you've ever been to the Ithaca area, you know we have hills...lots of them! During the worst of the storm, the truck handled confidently. The tires are noisier on the highway, but I expect that from an LT tire. I no longer spinout on slight inclines and hydroplane in the rain. The Grabbers allow my truck to act like a 4X4 and get around in all sorts of weather which is why I bought her in the first place.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
January 21, 2013

I have had the Continental ExtremeWinterContact winter tires on my Honda Odyssey for a couple of years with very good experience and results. That was my primary motivation for getting the same tires for my 2010 Honda Insight. At first, I was apprehensive about the potential impact on my fuel mileage on the Insight with winter tires. After driving around for 5000 miles, I am surprised to find only a 3-5 mpg decrease with these tires versus the factory Dunlop SP31 (LRR) all-season tires. This is a phenomenal feat as the weather and road conditions have been much harsher on fuel mileage alone (ie. more time to warm up the engine and tires).

The handling of this set of WinterExtremeContact winter tires is not much different than the set on my minivan even though the size is narrower and smaller (195/60-15 versus 225/60-16). Given the different vehicle dynamics between a mini-van with a compact hybrid, the tires still convey the sense of assurance in traction and handling. Overall, I would highly recommend the Continental WinterExtremeContact winter tires for any hybrid owner (as well as mini-van owner).

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
December 21, 2009

I just had a chance to test the tire in winter conditions given the mid atlantic blizzard we just experienced. Traction in snow and slush is very good. Ice traction is not as good, but this is to be expected with a performance winter tire. Driving around in the worst of the conditions was not a problem, but as the snow piles up ground clearance becomes the issue. Performance in the dry and wet is average for a performance winter. My previous tires were Dunlop Wintersport M3s, and the LM 60s are comparable in performance, with a slight dry handling and steering responsiveness going to the M3s.

Overall, if the majority of your winter driving is on cold dry and cold wet roads, but you want additional traction over an all season in snow/slush, the LM 60s are a very good choice.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 12, 2011

Definitely handles great in snow this past season. I drove from eastern side of PA into Pittsburgh many times during some storms with ease! Dry weather driving you can hear some road noise but it's not overly loud. You should expect some level of road noise from snow tires anyways. I would highly recommend these snow tires to anyone that wants to feel safe driving around during winter storms. I would most definitely purchase these tires again. I'm sure I'll get a few winter seasons out of them.

Initial Review, 9,000 Miles on Tires
November 28, 2012

We placed these tires on our car one day after picking it up at the dealer. We knew that the RFT (Dunlop SportMax) would be Very stiff and would be dangerous in winter, so we went with the Conti DWS. Excellent tire! Understand that it is not going to handle like the summer only performance tire... But it is easily 80% of the way there. Steering isn't the immediate harsh imput of a true summer performance tire but it is still very quick. They stick like glue in sharp turns. After 9000 miles the tires still looked like new with no noticeable tread wear. Our car was totaled by huricane Sandy and we ordered the identical car from BMW.... And we will be placing Conti DWS on the new one as well. Very Satisfied Customer.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
December 25, 2012

I have used an earlier version of this tire on my previous car, the 2005 G35 coupe. I remembered the amazing winter performance of this tire so when it came time to get dedicated snow set for my new BMW I went straight for the Bridgestone WS70. On the burn in I notice them wander some on dry 40F+ road while doing 75+ mph. Below those speeds they are more than acceptable in 'warmer' conditions, I expect them to improve with burn in. Last night I had a chance to experience them in below freezing conditions with 1+ inch of snow. They are amazing. You do have to be somewhat easy on the throttle though as any moderate acceleration will spin these tires with the 300 torque the 335i has. In New York, in the summer, Ultra performance summer tires are the way to go, in the winter stud-less ice and snow are the ticket. You will sacrifice quite a lot of the dry performance BUT! you will be unstoppable in the winter conditions. I have maneuvered around countless SUVs with there AWD and all-season tires while they are struggling to keep in straight line. I have had now 10 years of blizzak winter performance use, I have used winter sports tires in the past (dunlop m3 sport) and although they are better behaved in dry conditions, they do not measure up in bad winter weather.

Bridgestone WS70 ... like a boss.

Initial Review, 400 Miles on Tires
October 21, 2009

Having moved from San Diego to Seattle the ContiSportContact2 that came on my wife’s GTI just wasn't cutting it in the wet PNW. After doing a ton of research it came down the ExtremeContact DWS or the Dunlop PZeroNero All Season. I've had 3 sets of the Nero M&S on my BMW and was really happy with them, but in the end I thought I would go for the Conti's. I've only put on about 400 miles, but can give those considering these tires some stuff to think help. I'd say I'm a spirted driver, Seattle folks might call me aggressive, but come on the left lane is for passing and not for you to try and make us all obey the speed limit. Sorry I digress. The reviews I’ve read are right on, but moving from a summer tire to these All Seasons I’ve definitely noticed some performance loss. Mainly with a softer sidewall the tires flexes more than the previous tires. Not to bad, but noticeable. Wet is really where this tire shines, you feel completely planted like there isn't any rain or that the ground is even wet. I've only pushed it a little, but it gives you great confidence. Snow, last winter the summer tires couldn't even get through 3 inches of snow so I’m hoping for a big improvement. I also noticed the numb spot the test results were talking about and it happens most driving at freeway speeds, but I only really noticed it for a couple of days and I you get use to it. Bottom line, great tires for price and tread life is awesome. Btw, the ride is much smoother with the DWS and now a conversation can be heard without yelling on Seattle freeways. For those who have not been to Seattle, the freeways are horrible from people putting on studded tires. I’m sure they are the same drivers that won’t get over to the right, the LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
July 27, 2011

OEM tire on this 2010 Audi Q5. Ok for three seasons but the worst OEM tire I have owned for any winter driving.This is not for any ice or snow conditions. Bought some Scorpions and wow night and day difference.

Initial Review, 25 Miles on Tires
October 31, 2012

Less than 50 miles, too soon to provide any meaningful rating so will update as we accumulate mileage. But this is to provide a history, and no better place to start than at beginning.

About 12k mi/year, combined DC Metro beltway & city. My wife & toddler's car.

Day after hurricane Sandy...less than thrilled with wet traction on the OEM Bridgestone Duelers and replaced at 32K. Planned on getting new rubber anyway before winter arrives.

Came to tirerack.com first and reviewed and filtered and sorted everything out. Tire dealer didn't have my first choice (Goodyear Tripletreds) in stock so, like an impatient customer, went with second choice: Dunlop Signature CS. We immediately feel huge improvement in wet grip during constant rain. It's like night and day, however it is compared to poor factory OEMs. But already feel more confident.

Will update at meaningful intervals. Thank you.

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
November 21, 2012

I ran Falken summer tires for years for good dry traction. I got tired of worrying about an early season snowstorm, and plus I wanted better tire life and MPG. So, I tried these.

Pros:
They are much quieter than the summer tires, and the car rides noticeably better. I'm sure the tread life is better than the summer falken's by far. The deeper tread seemed to work well in rain storms so far. They have a rim guard, which I need since I parallel park daily. They do seem like a good value. These tires track better than my summer tires, an important consideration in any Sonata. These tires are bi-directional, and can be rotated about all four wheels. That should help tread life (hopefully)

Cons:
These tires had a noticeable dropoff in cornering traction . I was expecting a max performance all season to approach the dry handling characteristics of a summer tire... but I was wrong. They are not much better than the stock OEM hankook tire, disappointing. Don't get me wrong, they're still better than your typical all season V rated tourer. MPG no better than my summer tires (seriously?) and in fact seem worse. How is that?

I never drive these tires in snow, since I use winter tires. Too early to tell about tread life.

Initial Review, 60 Miles on Tires
December 14, 2012

Initial impression, which I will update... The tire, as other WRX owners have said, a noticeable difference in handling! However, it is a winter tire with lots of siping for hard snow/ice grip..it can't be as stiff as the original Dunlops. I also can't wait for my snow test! The ride is quiet..I'm running them at 42 PSI front, 40 PSI rear....seems like at that pressure you get just enough tread on the road..about 1/2 inch from the shoulder....

Purchased them on a set of TireRack private label wheels....Sport Edition. CANNOT BEAT THE PRICE and the wheel seems to be nicely finished! Seems like a lot of wheel weights which makes me wonder about the manufacturing...but..the balance seems perfect..up to 75.

TireRack is great...got them the NEXT DAY...mounted and balanced. I'll update this in a few weeks after some cold weather/snow miles!

Initial Review, 70,000 Miles on Tires
December 07, 2012

I purchased a set of these tires to replace my Dunlop's back in 2008. So far I have put about 75k miles on these with all types of driving conditions (city, highway, off-road, snow, rain, ice etc.)with great results. After 75k miles I still have a little bit of tread left. However, a slight suspension alignment problem has caused some uneven tire wear so I am going to replace them this winter. My overall opinion of these tires is positive. The only negative is that they produce a tiny bit more road noise than a regular tire would. However, this is due to the fact that they are an all terrain tire with pretty aggressive tread.