The tires thread "So I need tires..."

[Sijray21]

I guess I forgot to update. Went with the Conti DWS tires right before winter. They worked friggen awesome. Got caught out a couple times in sleet->3"snow conditions, and felt really confident with these tires. Had a sidewall blow out of one this past weekend from a pothole in PA, so I am hoping the free tirerack protection works and I get a new one for free. Still going to be out though, because it was a Sunday, and of course nowhere that was open stocked Continental. Bought a cheap ass walmart tire to get home since I have no spare, and the DWS aren't runflat (which wouldnt have helped anyway)

Just providing some feedback on the DWSs since I had them on my car for a few years after my OEMs punctured/wore out. The first 20k miles are great in the snow. When they were new I was able to trek through deeper stuff (4-6") with only mild difficulty on fresh snow. The next 20-30k miles they're much less useful, but they can still manage; siping doesn't quite work as well, but it has edges inside the water channels that help to grab some of the winter stuff. Great hydroplane resistance and for the price I wouldn't hesitate to buy them if you need an all-season tire. The sidewalls aren't as stiff as the ProContacts, so I wouldn't advise them for auto-xing unless you like roll the car like a 2006 Buick Lacrosse (yes I driven one and have a direct comparison).

The Continental DW summer tires on the other hand are fantastic. I've had them on my GTI for about 10k miles now and they handle nicely for the price I paid. Oddly enough I feel they have less hydro resistence than the DWSs, but the sidewall is much improved so handling feels much more responsive. Initial grip is good once the temps get up, but when the weather dips below 40* or so I'm using my winter tires as traction fades a bit. I wouldn't hesitate to auto-x with these on the car. The sidewalls weren't quite as responsive as the ProContacts, feel a bit heavier, but they hold their traction well enough to not have an extra set of tires.