Continental ExtremeContact DWS

So I am the fellow from Seattle who wrote the review on these from Sept. 2010 below. Having put 30,000 miles on them I thought it was worth re-posting an update. All in all I have to say that some 14 months later I am still very satisfied with the Conti ExtremeContact DWS. I made it through a rainy and unseasonably snowy & cold 2010/2011 with no issues, mishaps or surprises. On the snowiest days I didn’t drive my MX-5 simply due to this car has no ground clearance. I did however drive it on lightly snowy roads and they beat my expectations. In the rain, they are wonderful. We are back in our rainy season and they still perform very well. I still view these as one of the best tire purchasing decisions I have made. I’ll be curious to see how they perform over the next year since in the US at least a tread warranty is not offered (or wasn’t when I bought them) which may mean their longevity is an unknown. For road trips and comfort, operate them at exactly the recommended inflation values for your vehicle. I tried overinflating them by ~3-5 psi which did improve cornering/sidewall firmness but also made the ride harsher.

I drive hard: used to rally, some autocross also. Due to my location, I always buy all-season tyres -- though I still expect HIGH performance. In the past I've had Bridgestone RE960AS and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. The DWS surpasses ALL tyres I've owned: greatest grip in dry, wet, and snow (especially wet and snow). HOWEVER, I initially disliked them for the FEELING when driving them at (and slightly beyond) the limit -- the sidewalls are VERY soft, which makes for a nice ride, and probably accounts for the grip in wet and snow, but eliminates anything resembling turn-in or precise handling. After greatly increasing pressures front and rear, they are now acceptable to me, but only just. Although they are spectacular tyres due to their incredibly high grip levels -- especially considering they're all-seasons -- I won't likely buy them again (though perhaps for my wife's car) since I miss the precise feeling of a true performance tyre.

I replaced a set of Federal Super Steel 505 tires that came on the used 06 Mazda MX-5 I purchased in March. Read the reviews posted elsewhere on this site. I concur. They are abysmal. I live in the Seattle, WA area and due to lots of rain I elected to purchase the Conti DSW's. Great improvement in all conditions except dry cornering.I finally feel safe again.Its Sept and the rain has started. So far, so good. Great on corners and absolutely no hydroplaning.