With the Continental ExtremeContact DW tire, you can expect a well-rounded Max Performance summer tire that delivers a quiet, comfortable ride with good grip in both dry and wet conditions. After all, the DW in the name stands for dry and wet! Since the tire doesn’t cater to dry or wet roads specifically, don’t expect it to have the best grip or handling in terms of performance – it is a pretty standard, middle of the road tire for everyday driving. If you’re looking for an overall reliable tire that comes without all the extra bells and whistles, the Continental ExtremeContact DW tire should do the trick.
Pros
- Little road noise – the Continental ExtremeContact DW is very quiet
- Favourable tread pattern – unique design, enhanced wet traction
- Well-designed sidewalls – well-rounded, not stretched out
- Extremely robust – 96Y load index, XL load range, and ZR rating – can support heavier cars at very fast speeds
- Comfortable – very smooth ride (especially for a low profile tire)
- Steering and handling is very good
- Great wet and dry traction
Cons
- Side walls too soft and squishy
- Mediocre treadlife
- Cupping and tracking issues – issues with stability and alignment
- Reported instances of melting/falling apart on the track
Features
- Indicative treadlife
- Great cornering stability
- Impressive steering response
- Massive circumferential sipes that go around the tire to prevent hydroplaning
Continental Extremecontact DW Performance Review
Treadwear and Durability
As these tires are quite soft, they aren’t the most durable and likely won’t last as long as you’d like them to. A neat feature about the Continental ExtremeContact DW is that it has indicators on it that make it clear how quickly the tire is wearing. If it is wearing quickly, you might want to change your driving habits to prolong its treadlife. As the treads starts to fade away, you will notice the “W” in the tire will also fade away, and overtime will become a “D” – indicating that it is time to get new tires!
Dry Performance
Mentioned in the name itself, the Continental ExtremeContact DW is designed to perform well on dry roads. As you can imagine, this high performance summer tire isn’t meant to be driven in snowy or icy conditions, but are designed to deliver adequate dry traction.
Wet Performance
Just like on dry roads, this summer tire also performs well in the rain or on wet roads. The tread design enables for impressive wet traction – in fact, when driven hard, the ExtremeContact DW tires actually provide just about the same traction on dry and wet roads. Hydroplaning resistance is quite good when driving at low speeds and is still reliable at higher speeds.The reason why the wet traction is so good is that the ExtremeContact DW tires have massive circumferential sipes surrounding the tire which are large gaps that channel out the water as your tires hit the road.
It’s no secret that these tires are a solid all-around choice for a high-performing sports coupe or sedan that is used as an everyday vehicle. While the tire doesn’t deliver much above standard, this Max Performance Summer Tire provides a decent amount of grip, even in the rain.
Snow Traction and Braking Performance
As expected, these Summer Performance tires are not to be driven in snow or ice. If you live in a colder climate that experiences intense winter conditions, you will need to swap out the tires.
Comfort & Noise
As an average tire, the Continental ExtremeContact DW doesn’t fail to deliver a quiet and comfortable ride. It is actually quite comparable to a touring tire in terms of comfort. In terms of noise, the tread is okay. It’s definitely not noisy but also isn’t silent. Being such a soft tire that sticks to the road, you have to expect there to be a little bit of noise.
Tire Sizes & Specifications
Tire sizes available
16″
205/50ZR16 87W BSW
205/55ZR16 91W BSW
215/55ZR16 93W BSW
225/50ZR16 92W BSW
225/55ZR16 95W BSW
17″
205/45ZR17 88W BSW
205/50ZR17 93W BSW
215/45ZR17 91W BSW
215/50ZR17 95W BSW
225/45ZR17 91W BSW
225/50ZR17 94W BSW
235/45ZR17 94W BSW
235/50ZR17 96W BSW
245/40ZR17 91W BSW
245/45ZR17 95Y BSW
245/45ZR17 95W BSW
255/40ZR17 94W BSW
255/45ZR17 98W BSW
275/40ZR17 98W BSW
285/40ZR17 100W BSW
18″
215/40ZR18 89Y BSW
225/40ZR18 XL 92Y BSW
225/45ZR18 91Y BSW
235/40ZR18 95Y BSW
235/50ZR18 97Y BSW
245/35ZR18 88Y BSW
245/40ZR18 97Y BSW
245/45ZR18 96Y BSW
255/35ZR18 94Y BSW
255/40ZR18 99Y BSW
255/45ZR18 103Y BSW
265/35ZR18 97Y BSW
265/40ZR18 101Y BSW
275/35ZR18 95Y BSW
285/30ZR18 93Y BSW
285/35ZR18 101Y BSW
285/40ZR18 101Y BSW
295/35ZR18 99Y BSW
19″
225/40ZR19 93Y BSW
235/35ZR19 91Y BSW
245/35ZR19 93Y BSW
245/40ZR19 98Y BSW
245/40ZR19 94Y BSW
245/45ZR19 98Y BSW
255/35ZR19 96Y BSW
255/40ZR19 100Y BSW
265/30ZR19 93Y BSW
265/35ZR19 94Y BSW
275/30ZR19 XL 96Y BSW
275/35ZR19 100Y BSW
275/40ZR19 101Y BSW
285/35ZR19 99Y BSW
20″
245/35ZR20 95Y BSW
245/40ZR20 99Y BSW
255/35ZR20 97Y BSW
265/35ZR20 99Y BSW
275/35ZR20 102Y BSW
295/25ZR20 95Y BSW
21″
245/35R21 XL 96Y BSW
Tire Warranty
Treadlife Warranty: No (Standard with high performance tires)
Uniformity Warranty: One Year or first 2/32″ of tread wear
Workmanship & Materials Warranty: 6 Years – Free replacement first year or 2/32″ of wear, then prorated until 2/32″ remaining depth
Manufacturer’s Road Hazard Warranty: 1 Year / first 2/32″ of wear
Manufacturer Special Warranty: 60 Day Customer Satisfaction Trial
What vehicles will the Continental ExtremeContact DW fit?
Some of the vehicles that the Continental ExtremeContact DW will fit include:
- Audi A3, A4, A6, TT
- BMW 328i, 525i, Z4, 323Ci, X1, 650i, M3
- Chevrolet Corvette, Cobalt, Malibu
- Ford Mustang, Fusion
- Honda Civic Si, Fit Sport, Accord, S2000
- Hyundai Sonata, Genesis
- Infinity G35
- Lexus SC400, SC430, IS F
- Mazda6, MX-5, Miata, 3
- Mercedes-Benz C230, S65, CLS550
- Mini Cooper
- Nissan 350Z, Altima, 370Z
- Porsche Boxter, 944 S2, Cayman
- Subaru Impreza WRX, Legacy, Outback
- Toyota Corolla, Celica GT
- Volkswagen GTI, R32
- Volvo 850, V70 R
- And more!
Conclusion
The Continental ExtremeContact DW is a good all around high performance summer tire. When toggling back and forth on the track it did take the tires a moment to catch up, but they did not slip. Traction was good in all conditions we tested. If you are looking for a fun tire to drive and don’t need winter traction the ExtremeContact DW’s are a great choice. Prices start at $95 per tire depending on size, which is a great value for a maximum performance tire.