I'll be looking for new tires for my daily driver Alltrack in the next few months or so. In the past, my go to tire was the Conti DWS06, but the last set I had failed within 20k miles (broken belts-not alignment related). Everything was taken care of, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not opposed to getting another set of DWS06, but wanted to see if there were any good alternatives. The car's currently on some Vredestein Quatrac Pros, which I've been pleasantly surprised by, and I've also been looking at the BFG Gforce Comp 2. Anything else I should be looking at?
A few other things to note
-I'll have a set of dedicated winter/snow tires (looking for recommendations here also)
-My commute is about 100 mi/day, 5 days per week. Mix of backroads and highway.
84FSP
UberDork
7/6/23 9:19 a.m.
I like the Sport Comps but they are old tech. Take a look at the Indy Firehawks as the newer better all season fun answer. There are probably even better options at higher price points.
I opted for Michelin Pilot 2 All Season, because it rains a lot here, and I didn't plan to do track on that set of wheels. 540 treadwear might seem hard, but not if you want to achieve miles of use. The TW 300s that were on the car before were used up at 11,000 miles.
I have a friend with Pilot Sport 4 Seasons, but they won't last 10,000 miles i fear.
YMMV
I've had good luck with the Continentals, myself. I was coming here to recommend.
dps214
SuperDork
7/6/23 2:55 p.m.
The Michelin pilot sport all season 4 has a rebate right now that should close most of the price gap from the dws06+. That's about the only tire I would expect to be as good or better than the continental.
The E39 is wearing Michelin PS4 All Seasons. Good tire. They might make it to 30k miles. Someone has been enjoying their cornering grip.
Funny the OP mentions the Vredestein Quatrac Pros. I did a fair bit of research before replacing the Yokohama Geolandars on the CX-9, and I couldn't find a reason not to try them. The Vredestein product reviews very well, and it's crazy cheap. I've got several thousand miles on mine. A better tire than I expected. Quiet, good grip, cheap. Perfect for the DD.
I'm running Crossclimate2 on my Civic Si and the wife's Jetta Sportwagon. I'm a fan. I used to run the DWS, but these were cheaper at the time and I liked my pilot SS so went Michelin.
Duke
MegaDork
7/6/23 3:44 p.m.
In reply to Turbine :
I've had at least 4 sets of the DWS with no issues, so that's what I'd recommend, but I understand your concern.
Anything but Pirellis. I've had no luck with any OE Pirellis.
NickD
MegaDork
7/6/23 4:12 p.m.
Tony Sestito said:
I've had many of them over the years, but my favorites were the Continental DWS's. Since those are out, I've heard really good things about the Michelin CrossClimates. They have an interesting tread pattern that reminds me of old Yokohama performance tires from the early 00's, but apparently they work well.
Any time I see these tires on a customer vehicle, they look like they ought to be noiser than hell going down the road. They aren't but they look like it.
For overall balanced grip in dry/rain/slush/snow: Vredestein Quatrac Pros
For what I felt was the best "performance" all season tire with some remnants of snow grip: Conti DWS06
Thanks for all the suggestions so far! Definitely helps narrow down the field a bit.
Kind of a shame to hear the lack of love for the Sport Comps since they look so cool lol
For the record. I'm not totally opposed to another set of DWS06, just exploring some alternatives. I'd had three sets prior to the set that failed and loved them, and it's not unlikely I'll end up with another set when this is all said and done.
Also, I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy for being impressed by the Vredesteins!
I just fit the Falken Azenis FK460 A/S to our Civic Si. More to come (because we like just fit them.)
If you're shopping in a somewhat lower-rent district than the Conti / Michelin neighborhood, I've been pretty happy with the Kumho Ecsta PA51, although the 500 treadwear rating seems ... generous.
This is on Merc 190E that gets plenty of spirited driving miles, but obviously a very light vehicle by today's standards, and I never drive it in snow due to the salt threat (which is sorta depressing, I'm sure it'd be a riot in snow) so your results may vary.
I wanted the Contis but ended up with the new Bridgestones re980 due to availability. They have been quite good for 15,000 or so miles so far. I get to drive in lots of wet and dry on winding rural roads and highways.
I came here to suggest the Conti DWS06. Been running those on daily drivers since they were just "DWS".
That sucks about the Conti's, I've had multiple sets, but all sporty ones.
That's making me rethink, the DWS06s since we need to get a new set of tires for the fiance's Mazda 3 before winter.
I believe the Sport Comps have had an update, like Sport Comp Plus or something. Not sure how much was changed from the old tech, but they do well in the TR tests. Just FYI.
When I read your thread title, I immediately went to the Continental DWS06+, which from what I understand is a big improvement over the previous DWS tire. If you don't mind spending more, the Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 is phenomenal.
Budget-wise, the General G-Max AS05 is amazing. I ran those on a previous BMW, and the treadwear was great, grip was great and they were pretty quiet as well. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.
kanaric
SuperDork
7/7/23 10:51 a.m.
I was using the Continentals last time now I got Yokohama Advan Apex and they also work well for me.
Here's a screenshot from Continental's website that shows the improvement of the DWS06+ over its predecessor.
From everything I've read and viewed (Tire Rack, YouTuber Tyre Reviews, etc.) you can basically through a blanket over the top competitors in the UHP All Season category. "UHP" and "All Season" isn't the oxymoron it used to be. And as others have mentioned, there are some very good choices that are more budget-friendly.
I'll add that TireRack's YouTube channel features a segment called TJ Talking, and TJ spoke to the guys in charge at Michelin and Continental a couple of years ago about their new UHP AS tires. Worth a listen if you can find them ... and if you get into this stuff like (embarrassingly) I apparently do.
David S. Wallens said:
I just fit the Falken Azenis FK460 A/S to our Civic Si. More to come (because we like just fit them.)
I've seen these advertised in the GRM mag. Looking forward to it.
NITTO NT421Q my first set ever... the kickers were the mileage warranty .....the tread pattern way acceptable for wet weather IMHO......oh and they were wait for it................AVAILABLE .....what is up in this country???? glad I got them.....more later back n forth on I-20 from Htown TX to B'ham AL be safe Y'all....