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Continental or Michelin?


SnowBound BP5

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Hi guys, haven't been back on here for a few years. It's really time for me to purchase a new set of tires...I can't put it off any longer. I currently have Continental Extreme Contact DWS 235/40 18 on 18x8 wheels. Trying to figure out whether I should just get the same thing again or try their new Extreme Contact DWS 06 (only about $10 more) or the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 that a lot of people seem to rave about. Or how about Bridgestone's Potenza RE970 AS Pole Position? Pros and Cons?

 

I like spirited driving but I've calmed down a lot. :lol: It's mostly going to be street/highway. I do go up to the mountains in the winter quite often as my handle name suggests. My experience with the Extreme Contact DWS overall has been all right. Maybe it's because I originally came from a sports car background I couldn't help but feel the tires can use more grip. And I felt maybe the road noise can be a bit loud at times. Or maybe it's just because I'm still on original shocks and they're completely dead. They have lasted me for almost 5 years! (with plenty of alignment visits)

 

My thanks in advance for your feedbacks.

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Michelin supersports. call it done. Get chains for your mtn trips. Or cheap snow tires.

 

I'm aware that the Michelins are the best for dry handling. The thing is I do not wish to mess w/ chains or an additional set of studless tires. That's actually one of the main reasons I chose a Subaru...yeah I'm lazy. :lol:

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Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 are supposedly very poor in snow.

Extreme Contact DWS 06 should be better in winter conditions.

 

Michelin PSS are very good in dry and wet, just not cold, icy or snowy.

 

You might have bought Subaru for wrong reasons and SoCal with mountain trips in the winter is probably the worst possible scenario for any driving.

 

If going to the mountains, especially if it snows, is your thing then nothing beats dedicated winter tires. Any all season may not be up to task. If you can wait for roads to be plowed then Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 may be good enough and provide decent performance on ocean level too.

If you will be driving with snow on the ground consider second set of wheels with winter performance tires (H or V rated) like Dunlop 4D, Michelin Pilot Alpin, Pirelli Sotto Zero.

 

I bet they are cheaper than you insurance deductible.

 

Krzys

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Please see my profile photo. ;) As mentioned in the original post I do go up to the snowy mountains quite a bit during winter months.

 

One all-season/all-weather tire that is biased towards winter performance is the Nokian WRG3.

 

http://www.nokiantires.com/summer-tires/nokian-wrg3/

 

http://www.wheels.ca/news/all-weather-tires-are-not-the-same-as-all-season-and-heres-why/

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Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 are supposedly very poor in snow.

Extreme Contact DWS 06 should be better in winter conditions.

 

Michelin PSS are very good in dry and wet, just not cold, icy or snowy.

 

You might have bought Subaru for wrong reasons and SoCal with mountain trips in the winter is probably the worst possible scenario for any driving.

 

If going to the mountains, especially if it snows, is your thing then nothing beats dedicated winter tires. Any all season may not be up to task. If you can wait for roads to be plowed then Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 may be good enough and provide decent performance on ocean level too.

If you will be driving with snow on the ground consider second set of wheels with winter performance tires (H or V rated) like Dunlop 4D, Michelin Pilot Alpin, Pirelli Sotto Zero.

 

I bet they are cheaper than you insurance deductible.

 

Krzys

 

I know, I know. But the money's VERY tight and I'm trying to find a compromise. :redface: If it's any consolation I've at least had enough experience driving on snowy roads. And I love my BP wagon...so glad I chose this car over Audi A3/A4. Can't picture selling it even if I pick up another DD in the future. Yes, even in SoCal! :)

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The AWD will get you going, but awd isn't going to help you stop.

 

That is very true. I've learned to start braking super early and modulate very carefully.

 

The dilemma is that although I do head up to the mountains quite a bit during winter, the majority of the time the roads are pretty clear and I know studless are actually worse in the rain, terrible on dry pavement and wear out much faster. Hence my decision to go with all season tires.

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All the times I've been up to Big Bear, the roads are mostly plowed and cleared.

 

I use the Falken PT722 A/S tires on mine, buy some stupid cable so the CHP would lets me go, and my car is definitely not very "winter friendly"

They did fine for me while I saw others slipping and etc. I could spin these tires in the rain in 2nd gear...but how often does it rain here?

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All the times I've been up to Big Bear, the roads are mostly plowed and cleared.

 

I use the Falken PT722 A/S tires on mine, buy some stupid cable so the CHP would lets me go, and my car is definitely not very "winter friendly"

They did fine for me while I saw others slipping and etc. I could spin these tires in the rain in 2nd gear...but how often does it rain here?

 

That's what I mean. For the most part Hwy 18 stays pretty clear even during the winter months, especially these past 3 seasons due to lack of snowfall. :icon_frow But I just don't feel comfortable slapping on summer tires and run them all year round. I do make Mammoth runs quite often and that's a different story. Things can get real gnarly in a heartbeat up there! :lol:

 

Those CHP nazis are impossible to deal with. It used to be that if you showed them that dummy box of chains in the trunk they'd let you pass but from my experience they've changed their policy. Now they insist you put the chains on in front of them even if you've got an AWD. I'm like seriously officer? I've been a Mammoth vet for over 10 years I'd like to think I know a thing or two about driving in the snow! But I understand their reason for being so strict cuz overall the general SoCal population can't drive worth a damn in foul weather. :mad:

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This past fall I was in need of new tire. My Conti DWS's were not going to make it thru winter, so I found a dirt cheap set of steelies and got the General Artimax Arctic snow tires.

 

Yeah baby!! My Subie was a little billy goat. I went up hills the local PD couldn't get up in their big bad Dodge Durango. I think we had 10in of snow that day. A week later the same officer saw me and commented how well my Subaru does in the snow. He was extremely impressed.

 

I'm hooked on snow tires on my Subie!!

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  • 4 weeks later...
I used the AS3's and loved them. I am installing the Pilot Super Sports tomorrow b/c I live n GA and there's no need for anything else. The AS3's are really the best of all worlds IMO.

 

If you think that about AS3's, the SuperSports will blow your mind. I went from SuperSports to AS3 and almost cried at how poorly the wagon handled, so much less grip.

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if the re970 are like the 960 they do not cut through water as well as the pilot sports a/s do. a/s+ and a/s3 are both better in water.

 

sidewalls on the 960 were decent. the as+ needs some help the a/s 3 is a little better than a/s+.

 

ive heard numerous times the dws has soft sidewalls. i had proxes 4 in the past. tire was grippy as can be but soft sidewalls. i take the trade of ultimate grip for stiffer walls.

 

an alignment is pretty important too.

 

snow? im not sure. never got stuck. hehe. here in WA its the other drivers backing up the roads. you will be limited by them. on the highways the suv will be "racing" everyone. its strange that they drive worse in the snow roads than rainy ones though.

 

im not sure the lateral grip on the a/s3 is as solid as the models before it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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