Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 05, 2012

I had two major goals when I replaced my OEM Yokohama Geolander G91A tires on my RAV4. First was to buy a tire that would last twice as long as the Yokes, which were pretty much worn by about 32,000 miles. Second was to purchase a tire that would give me much improved handling, especially in rain and snow, for those periodic winter ski trips. I don't mean to knock Yokohamas in general. I think they make some very good tires, and I have a set on another vehicle, but the G91As leave a lot to be desired.

In terms of stability and traction in light to medium snow, I rated the Continentals 10, because that is precisely the rating they deserve. They are excellent. I have never owned snow tires, but these give me so much confidence driving in snow, I cannot imagine them inspiring much more confidence than these tires. The Continentals are rated to 60 or 70 thousand, but I won't know how they do on that front for a few years.

I do not find any mileage (MPG) improvement with these tires, but that is comparing a brand new tread with worn out tread. Still, I think Tire Rack also found very little mileage gain, so I would not buy them for their "Eco technology."

These Continentals are Consumer Reports top-rated tires for cars and SUVs, tied with several Michelins. Save some money and buy these instead. Michelin makes a lot of excellent tires, but you pay for them. I highly recommend these tires, especially if you are interested in good traction, handling, and stability. There is a reason they have such a high reviewers' rating on Tire Rack (about 9 as I submit this review).