Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
November 03, 2010

Honestly, I think most of the reviews in here are either bias or people don’t bother and put 10 in every category in the survey. Hence the ratings are skewed to the positive side. I can't agree with most of the folks who surveyed here about the noise level and handling. It bothers the heck out of me when driving on highway. That "woooo & wannng " noises are very irritating. Trust me, it’s not the road. I have tried on both smooth tarmac and concrete roads. I had to turn up the radio to compensate for it.

Handling in the DRY is mediocre at its best. I think Continental should rename it to OWS instead (Only Wet & Snow). I am not very confident in turning the car at high speed when exiting off the ramp---the car feels like it is not responding to where I want it to point. I have set the suspension to Sport 2, so I am pretty sure it’s the tires’ problem.

I have nothing bad to say about the tire in wet and snow. Snow is where this tire shines. During the blizzard in the beginning of the year here in DC, this tire combined with the 4matic works like a snowmobile. I was passing most SUVs all day long. The only time I was stuck was when the car had no more clearance which was about 6-7 inches of snow.

I am also very happy with the warranty with Continental. Two months after the installation of the tires, the right front had 2 bubbles. I immediately contacted TireRack and asked for a replacement. Be aware that the manufacture only warrants the first 2/32” of usage. I believe I still had 10/32” (11/32” is new) at that point so I was good. The only thing I have to pay is the shipping back to TireRack.

Overall, I am happy with the tire, but don’t expect to use these tires to sprint through the slalom in the dry as they won’t be able to catch up your demand. Also, if you can ignore the road noise, I would say go for it.