Great Tire, dopey name.
Written: Dec 23 '03 (Updated Feb 19 '04)
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Pros: Excellent all-seasons grip, excellent road feel, great looks, great price.
Cons: Embarrassingly trendy name.
The Bottom Line: Excellent tires, great grip in all weather. Good looking, and at an affordable price.
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| fritz_t_coyote's Full Review: Continental ContiExtremeContact |
Way back in March of 03, I finally had enough with the factory rubber on my PT Cruiser. (I bet you can find that review if you want to.) A study of replacements led me to these:
The Brand:
Continental has a lot of respect in certain circles, mostly old-school sports car nuts and sports bike riders.
I had experience with their rubber on my old Yamaha, and was quite happy with it.
The Tires:
The “ExtremeContacts” are a very high performance all season tire. They have great road feel and tenacious grip on dry roads and wet roads; They also have decent traction in snow, slush, hardpack and ice. They have a cool-looking, aggressive tread pattern, which is very effective; and provide excellent performance for people who live north of the Mason-Dixon, or anywhere else where snow happens.
They also are a great value, with very good wear characteristics for a high-performance tire.
Road noise:
The aggressive tread pattern can make some interesting rhythms on some surfaces, but nothing too excessive (except on metal-deck bridges, which positively Sing).
Ride:
The ride is comfortable, but the good road feel is a two-edged sword. You will be more aware of rough textures. The ride is not harsh, but if you are looking for a plush ride for your boulevard cruiser, you probably should find a less ‘extreme’ tire.
Ruggedness:
Continental has a 1 year road hazard warrantee. Think about that for a moment, and see how many other moderately priced 50 series tires offer that?
There is even a ‘rim protector’ rubber rib on the sidewalls, to prevent bending the rims in the event of a Nasty pothole. This also protects the sidewalls from bruising in the same situations. These tires even survive NYC’s killer potholes and Chisel-Edged Curbstones(tm).
Treadwear (in 12000 miles, mostly highway) is excellent.
Handling (The Important Stuff!)
Braking feel is excellent. With care, I can keep the ABS from activating even when stopping on Snow.
Dry roads:
Good grip, good behavior, and they only screech just before breakaway (and you have to push them Really Hard to do that).
Wet roads:
Handling and braking is precise and confident. Very resistant to hydroplaning.
Snow/Ice/Slush/Sleet: (Real All-Seasons weather)
So far, until last week, I was impressed by the 3 season behavior of these tires.
Then I found myself driving home from Upstate NY to NYC during a Genuine Nor’easter. Hundreds of miles in driving, drifting snow… and the Continentals performed Brilliantly! In deep snow there was a bit of wheel spin on startup, but the tires would dig in and pull us right along. On hardpack braking and steering were tricky, but manageable. The tires had grip, so I was able to steer, stop and start with confidence. At highway speeds (ok, 30-40 mph in the snow… I’m driving a FWD econobox, not an AWD pro-rally car) steering and control were reliable and predictable. Overall it was a rather boring trip. I passed a lot of cars that had spun off the road and got stuck, but I never had a problem controlling the car in various slippery conditions. I could feel how the tires were gripping, and it was a great, comforting feeling.
As I got further south the weather got warmer, and wetter. Soggy snow under fresh sleet was the only condition that made me nervous, as it was the only time the tires had problems gripping, it felt squirrelly, and vague, but it still remained predictable and detectable through the steering wheel. It was nice to feel the way the tires were biting, and drive accordingly, which made it easy to keep in control.
The Drawback:
The only thing wrong with these tires is that the name ‘ContiExtremeContact’ may be embarrassing to anyone who does not have tribal tats and multiple piercings. I guess Continental is trying to get some, um, traction with the sport compact crowd and youth market.
Or, if you are planning to do crimes with your car, you might want a less distinctive tread pattern.
Oh, and if you don’t know what road feel is good for, you probably want something softer to ride on. If so, please keep a large distance between your car and mine, thanks.
Overall:
Excellent! I would recommend these tires to anyone who needs reliable, good wearing all season tires. The excellent traction and cool looks are a nice bonus.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79 ea m b
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Epinions.com ID:
fritz_t_coyote
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Member: Fritz Coyote
Location: New York, NY, USA
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Computer tech. Gearhead. SF 'fan'.
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