Performance Brake Pads

Initial Review, 27,000 Miles on Tires
March 22, 2013

tires performed well for the low price when new and up to 25000 mi. with 27k on them i'm seeing my traction control light come on when pushing the car a little bit on AWD car. wet traction has gone to poor when cornering or accelerating. snow traction has gone to below average. had a little snow/ice mixture and car failed to make a careful turn, had no braking and mowed down a stop sign on the opposite corner at 15-20 mph. had to replace tires.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
April 20, 2013

Have 215/45/17 Michelin Pilot Super Sports on front of my '05 Honda S2000 and 245/40/17 PSS on the rear with about 3,500 miles on tires since new. Ordinary highway driving yields low noise levels with firm, but not quite punishing, ride in what is a firm riding car.

Tires respond immediately to steering inputs and have very tight "on-center" feel. Wet performance (Florida thunderstorms) is very good and wet and dry braking are among best I've experienced in almost 60 years of driving. Kuhmhos that were on car when I bought it were more comfortable but absolutely not the tire for hard driving in comparison to Michelin PSSs.

Just drove the "Tail OF THE DRAGON" in North Carolina (318 curves in 11 miles!) for 3 days in company of over 100 Honda S2000s during annual meeting of S2000 group S2KI. Very spirited and competitive driving - 20++ MPH over posted speeds in corners posted at 10-20 MPH. PSSs exhibited phenomenal grip on damp surface 1st day and dry the remainder. Early braking for corners followed by strong acceleration produced sensations of rear tires grabbing pavement and powering car out of corner under heavy throttle, closing gap with car ahead. Eyeball-crossing "G" sensations with no howling or indications of being anywhere near limits of this tire at 40 in 20 MPH curves. 50 MPH in 20 MPH curves would produce plenty of warning through slight slip angles with excellent steering control feel and sensations of "hooking up again" part way through corner while applying strong acceleration.

Conclusions: 1)I'll never drive the S2000 as fast as this tire allows, 2) Pilot Super Sports deserve #1 ranking, and, 3) worth the premium price if you drive hard, want a tire with no nasty surprise traits during hard driving, and want better than average tire life (for max performance type tires) nonetheless.

Initial Review, 35,000 Miles on Tires
February 13, 2013

This is a very impressive tire. It has great looks, performs well on and off road, and is even quiet.

I previously had different brand mud-terrain tire, which performed well off road, was very difficult to balance, and as the tread wore was horrible load. I have been pleasantly surprised at how quiet these tires are. It still has the traditional mud terrain hum, but the volume is turned way down. It's actually quieter than many AT tires out there.

I have driven this over ever terrain possible, and it performs admirably. The thing it does the worst on is wet pavement, and it still does that rather well. I have found that when it's rainy, I can expect a little loss of traction if I push it too much. But I have never felt unsafe. It certainly won't hydroplane with the tread depth on these tires.

Tread wear has been good, I think I will probably replace them at about 50,000 miles of use, which is far beyond most sticky mud terrain tires. One thing to note about these or most mud terrain tires, is that they are heavy. I upgraded my brake discs and pads to compensate for the extra weight these carry.

Overall I couldn't be happier!

Initial Review, 9,000 Miles on Tires
February 17, 2013

This was a replacement tire for the original OEM Goodyears that I replaced at just over 38,000 miles. To be honest I did not know what to expect as these replacement Bridgestones were around half the price of the OEM Goodyears. I was very suprised overall and continue to be with the wet braking performance in particular. They balanced up easily and the ride comfort is excellent. Although maybe not so off road capable as the original Goodyear Wranglers? they do have the same load rating. There is very little wear so far and it is uniform, I would not be suprised if these tires went welll over 40,000 too early to say of course! A very well balanced tire performance wise - in fact a delightful tire and made in USA! If you are mostly on-road do not hesitate to install these on your Land Rover or Range Rover!

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 26, 2013

I've been a long time skeptic of all season tires. Having spent a decade switching between dedicated summer and snow/winter wheel sets, I decided to give the DWS a try. My previous set of A/S tires, RE960 AS's were a huge disappointment. The dry weather in early January gave ample opportunities to test traction and stability and although the DWS' are a little less responsive than say the SportContacts it's certainly enough for a small AWD sedan. The snow storms in February/March however have made me a believer. Braking on snow is as expected. Ice performance is as well (since nothing is "great" on ice, "OK" performance is acceptable. The light/heavy snow traction though is what impressed me. This does have something to do with the fact that I drive an AWD with a manual transmission, but the tires rocked the snowy roads. I actually found myself detouring down unplowed streets just to keep the smile on my face!

Initial Review, 19,000 Miles on Tires
April 05, 2013

Not understanding all the hate for this tire. Most likely it's because they come standard on 2010 thru 2013 GTI's and drivers who never experience sub-zero temperatures and snow have no need for an A/S tire on a high-performance car. As a result, they compare this tire to either max or extreme performance summer tires.
However, comparing this tire to the Kumho ECSTA 4X A/S tires on my son's Mazda 3, I would rate them at least as equals, and probably a bit better when below zero.
Additionally, using a regular rotation period of 5k miles, these tires demonstrate fantastic wear resistance. Currently at 19k miles and less than 50% wear. Very quiet on the freeway as well. The only negative is the braking and cornering traction in the wet should be a little higher.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
February 10, 2013

Just yesterday we had a blizzard and this was my first opportunity to try out these winter tires. The roads were all covered with snow so it was Perfect to see if the tires are going to perform well in these conditions. First I started with starting and abrupt stopping. I was great! Tires kept grip well and stopped only after a minimal slip (the car had no ABS system). Next test was a hill. Next to exxon gas station across from pathmark. It was pretty steep. I stopped in the middle. Car was not sliding down, I started to step on gas pedal, it was difficult and tires were slipping but we made it! I'm sure I wouldn't make it with all season tires. It was impressive but also a very extreme effort. Next was an empty parking lot were I was slaloming in the snow trying to lose control and make the car fishtail. I failed. Tires did a great job! I couldnt believe it. The difference between all season and winter tires is huge. Last part was a long hill on Goerge Rd, I went uphill no problem, downhill I was hitting brakes to see what happens, every time tires made the car stop with minimal slip. Tires totally passed the test. I was amazed how well they performed and how safe they make you feel. I would totally recommend them. You may need them only a couple of times before they plough but they can make a huge difference when you need them and save you. I was so excited to try them out and I was not disappointed. Great tires for a good price. Buy buy buy!

Initial Review, 4,500 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

This is my first ever set of winter tires, so I can't really compare them to any other tire, except all-seasons. My first misconception was that the tires would make my car invincible in the snow - they didn't. You still have to be mindful of how you're driving. Having said that, I've only driven a handful of times in the snow with these tires, and I fully enjoyed all of them. I could drive twice the speed of the other cars, in a lane that was still snowed in and had barely any tracking. I've also played around in a parking lot with about 2-3 inches of fresh snow and the responsiveness of these tires is very good. You will still slide if you're braking too quickly or turning too sharply, but much less than with the all-season tires that I've had in the past. I had one experience with deep snow, and it wasn't a good one. I tried to plow through a foot of snow in my driveway and got stuck. Not really the tire's fault, but I did notice that FWD with an open differential is not very good for those instances. That's why I think that your drive train will play a big part in the overall performance of these tires. Last thoughts - they look nice and meaty, noise level is low, and ride comfort is great. Not recommended for spirited driving, but excellent for everyday use. I would like to compare these to the Bridgestone Blizzaks, if I ever get the opportunity. Snow tires are fun!

Initial Review, 2,500 Miles on Tires
March 02, 2010

This is more a review of these tires on my specific car.



Great in the snow, absolutely great. The more snow the better, or so it seems. Braking is easily better than all-seasons, as is handling and acceleration. Wet snow is noticable more difficult to maintain control, however. Now for the bad news, seemingly terrible in the slush. Not sure if it is my car or the tires, but the car gets pushed around very easily by even small amounts of slush. I tend to believe it has more to do with my cars suspension, weight, and width to wheelbase ratio than the tires though. Easier to drive through 6 inches of snow than 1 inch of slush. Fun to have a car willing to rotate on dry roads, but not so much on wet winter slush.



Dry roads are mixed, as these things like to grab every little pebble and sand grain the road commission dumps on Michigan. Slip and control is well within tolerance though, and really only becomes an issue in spirited driving. It takes very little to spin the inside wheel accelerating through a tight corner if there is any sand, debris. Clean roads are great in the dry though. Some tire wandering above 65 mph, although determined mostly by road surface. Tires seem to move and stretch a noticable amount more above freezing temperatures, although this is only apparent driving back to back temperature differences.



Very quiet tire, almost as quiet as the non-OEM all-seasons that I had on before. (Coopers?) Much quieter than my father and bro-in-laws Blizzak Revo's. Stock wheels are 17", these are on 16", I notice more rebounding motion from the tires than stock, although small imperfections are slightly smoothed over versus stock. In retrospect, I should have gone with 17" as the extra sidewall can be felt in hard acceleration. Not sure on tread-wear yet.



In summary on my Mazda 6s, great on the snow, bad in slush, matches wet(rain) A/S performance, dependable dry weather performance and a very quiet ride for snow tires.

Initial Review, 4,200 Miles on Tires
March 16, 2013

This is my second review of this tire, and THIRD season of use. They continued to perform beyond what I expected from a winter tire. Braking on ice is completely drama-free. These tires stop right NOW when you want them to.
I would say the tire's worst performance occurs on rough unpacked "cruddy" snow. There, the directional stability becomes iffy and the car feels like it's just floating over the snow as opposed to digging through it. (This may be because my tires are 205 instead of the OEM 195, less weight per surface area)
I did a lot of highway driving with this tire and they made no annoying road noises at high speeds and had no problem standing up to warm highway use in terms of wear. In fact, the tires appear to have lost only 0.5mm of tread over 4200 miles (half of which was dry highway!) Wow!!
I love these tires and I will always use Michelin winter tires and recommend them to everyone I know.

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
March 11, 2013

I descided to purchased these tires based on their excellent customer reviews. Obviously something must have changed shortly before I bought them as I see the ratings have dropped considerably. On dry pavement I have had little issue cornering and braking seem excellent but get the road a little wet and performance begins to drop. Put a small amount of slush on the road and you can just about forget about accelerating, stopping or turning. They have very little bite in hard packed snow and almost none in soft snow. These are bar far one of the worst sets of tires I have ever owned. Living in Wisconsin I see all types of weather and I will without a doubt be running different tires come next winter. I will not put up with these horrible tires for another winter. I can only hope I can manage to wear these things out during the summers that I will be stuck using them.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
April 03, 2010

I purchased these to replace the OEM Goodyear Integra, which were average but slippery. I had hydroplaning issues with those and slid on acceleration from stops on wet pavement. However, these Fortera TripleTreds are AWESOME. I need a good all-weather tire for my Pilot that I could use in bad weather at high speed on the German autobahn. I put them on in October and have gone through the fall and winter with them happily. They provide outstanding traction and stability in all conditions. I first noticed that they didn't slip on wet leaves or paint stripes when driving in town in the fall. I have since riven them in heavy rain, ice, and snow in town and at over 105 MPH on the autobahn. They perform perfectly at all speeds and vehicle weights and give me total confidence. They brake well, corner well even when loaded, and they are sure-footed cat's paws even on ice and snow. Sure, every tire will slide some if you turn sharply on glazed ice or brake suddenly on black ice; but these grip better than anything I've ever driven, on any vehicle. I trust my family's safety with them even at very high speed. I have also done anti-terrorist performance driving training. These TripleTred tires are what I want on my vehicle for max performance that could literally save my family's life. Even with shipping, they were cheaper to buy from Tire Rack and ship to a military APO than to buy autobahn-capable SUV tires in Germany. I will definitely buy them again.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
January 31, 2013

Four of these tires with studs makes a front-wheel drive car a brilliant performer on ice!

We live on a gentle hill that became slick as snot after freezing rain last week. It was so slick that it was perilous to walk down the sidewalk. But with their studs, these tires did great -- going down the hill our Mazda 3 never lost any traction. Even when I tried stepping hard on the brake, these studded tires did not slip even a little.

Besides ice, we've driven on a couple of inches of snow and with a set of four we had no problem in our front-wheel drive Mazda 3.

I bought these from TireRack, who also installed the studs and mounted them on rims. What we received from TireRack was ready to mount on the car, which we did at a cost of $25 at the local tire shop at the beginning of the snowy season. This was a good customer experience.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
January 08, 2013

My wife drives the car primarily, but I get enough time behind the wheel both in city and on the highway. These tires seem to be wearing well so far. They are due for rotation, but haven't shown any significant disparity between the front and rear. They have been very competent in the wet weather especially under braking which was a key feature in choosing this tire for this area. Also very good value and the 205/55 x 15 is not as available of a size as it used to be. It allowed for a slight bump up in tread width from the stock 195/60. I'm glad Kumho offers it. I would buy this tire again based on value and above average performance.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2013

I live in Denver and with the changing conditions on a day to day basis that we experience here I knew I needed a good set of all season tires. I should mention that I don't like the cost and the pain of having a winter/summer set of tires.

So with much research and after reading all the reviews on the Continental DWS all season tire I knew they would be an excellent set of boots to strap to my RWD 2006 BMW 325i. Through the dry, rain and heavy snow they have not disappointed as of the first 1000 miles. (meaning I can't comment on tread life quite yet)

Prior to the Conti DWS I had a set of michelins and bridgestones on the front and back. While I can comment on my prior set of tires performance in the snow, I'd rather not. What I can say is the road noise and driving comfort were much improved with the DWS! Overall they offer supreme comfort and balance for city driving and elevated highway speeds.

As for the reason why everyone buys this tire: While not a full "winter" tire the DWS has yet to fail me and land me flat footed through 6-8 inches of snow we recently experienced. The car feels balanced and well planted with minimal oversteer and steering lock if I plant my foot down while entering a corner. But when the TC and DSC kick in my tires regain traction and the car regains its balance on corner exit and I'm off again to attack more snowy apex's! Which is something I can't say with the rear bridgestone tires that nearly landed me into the curb if it weren't for my cat-like car control reflexes earned during my karting days.

What I can say and what many reviewers fail to mention (as commented on above) is that even though the 325i is a RWD with the DWS tire and the addition of traction control and stability control the tires fare very well in snowy/icy conditions. I've been impressed with their grip under heavy acceleration as well as under heavy ABS activated braking. Road noise as mentioned is minimal for an all-season tire but I've also been impressed wit

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 08, 2013

I live in Ottawa, Canada where the average snowfall is measured in yards rather than inches. We have had freezing rain storms given the global warming and the Michelin X-i13 tires performed almost flawlessly in every situation. Their only weakness in my opinion is the softer sidewall designed and used for comfort rather than for immediate response on my Infiniti G37x sedan. It is a most worthy compromise because there is always secure traction and spirited driving is only done with controlled and very predictible power sliding. While this is not my ususal style of driving especially on congested streets, the tires always offered exceptional traction, control and feedback.
The best return on using these tires was during heavy snow and ice storms. Their comfort and positive traction only reinforced my confidence and security on the roads. This was very noticeable when arriving at stop signs and the glazed ice from other cars and trucks without proper and sensitive brake pressure. The X-i13 always provided greater traction during those stops and never with the worries of drifting into a busy intersection.
I greatly support and highly recommend these tires for any and every car driven in varying winter conditions and temperatures. The control and comfort are simply exceptional and a great improvement on my previous Michelin X-i12 and Blizzak tires used on my Nissan Maxima.
These are the best all-round winter tires on the market today.