Popular Science
What Makes an ‘Ultra High Performance’ Tire? These 3 Things
What makes an ‘Ultra High Performance’ tire? Popular Science finds out by testing Continental’s new ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus. Video presented by Continental. ► LEARN MORE about how tires work in winter: ► SUBSCRIBE! to Popular Science on YouTube: #Continental #ExtremeContactDWS06Plus #highperformance #science #engineering #tire #ContinentalTire #howtireswork #cars #trucks #suv #gripperformance #trackingstability #traction #breaking #howtireswork #howstuffworks…
ஆகாஷ் - AKASH. SIVAH.
February 15, 2021 at 8:45 pm
What are the shortcomings of this type of tire? Cost, wear?
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
February 15, 2021 at 8:45 pm
What are the shortcomings of this type of tire? Cost, wear?
Donovan Tyler
July 16, 2021 at 6:38 am
I don’t think they have a downside for normal driving. They aren’t made for track days or very high speed (115 mph was safe, I’d assume faster once I get the fronts which were on back order)
Dry: 8.5
Wet: 9
Snow: 7
Wear: (50k miles)
Light Weight: 22lbs
Comfort: 9
Noise 9
Braking 8W, 8D, 7S
5,000 mile break in period
I currently only have them on the rear of a staggered E350 265/35 18. But I agree with TyreReviews (YouTube Channel) they have a oversteer characteristic. Wet grip is very high, aquaplaning resistance is very high, wet handling is amazing but they do tend to lean toward oversteer. Dry handling is actually very good. TyreReviews has not tested the “DWS06 Plus” but they tested the out going “DWS06” vs the Michelin All Season 4 and they did exceptionally well beating them in wet and staying close in dry and snow although the All Season 4 were a lot better than the outgoing DWS06 in snow and overall. I’d assume the dry and snow handling/braking is better than before, so think about as good as the Michelin All Season 4 with better wet handling.
Everyone I know under inflates their tires, including shops. The door jam tire pressure is for “COLD TIRE PRESSURE”. If you warmed up your tires by driving to a service station for air you need to add +3psi or +4psi to the cold pressure rating and if you have a Mercedes the tire pressure rating is in the fuel door with instructions. Same rules apply for normal load and max load if warm. My old Honda SI manual said driving over 90mph for more than 10s you need +5psi over.
Hope this helps. TyreReviews is releasing a DWS06 Plus video in the next 2wks
Donovan Tyler
July 16, 2021 at 6:45 am
If there is a down side it’s dry and wet although they are excellent in both. A summer tire in warmer temps will still out perform this tire and all UHP All Season. The benefit is you can run them deep into winter months/temps unlike a summer tire. A winter tire is still better however if you get mostly cold rain like I do on the East Coast the DWS06 Plus is a better choice. I plan to run a square setup 245/40 18 Pirelli Sottozero 3 for winter mostly for temps, ice and steep hills. If you get real snow and your area doesn’t plow then get Winter tires.
Donovan
July 16, 2021 at 6:45 am
If there is a down side it’s dry and wet although they are excellent in both. A summer tire in warmer temps will still out perform this tire and all UHP All Season. The benefit is you can run them deep into winter months/temps unlike a summer tire. A winter tire is still better however if you get mostly cold rain like I do on the East Coast the DWS06 Plus is a better choice. I plan to run a square setup 245/40 18 Pirelli Sottozero 3 for winter mostly for temps, ice and steep hills. If you get real snow and your area doesn’t plow then get Winter tires.
Don
July 16, 2021 at 6:45 am
If there is a down side it’s dry and wet although they are excellent in both. A summer tire in warmer temps will still out perform this tire and all UHP All Season. The benefit is you can run them deep into winter months/temps unlike a summer tire. A winter tire is still better however if you get mostly cold rain like I do on the East Coast the DWS06 Plus is a better choice. I plan to run a square setup 245/40 18 Pirelli Sottozero 3 for winter mostly for temps, ice and steep hills. If you get real snow and your area doesn’t plow then get Winter tires.
Donovan Tyler
July 16, 2021 at 7:17 am
I give the DWS06 Plus a 7 for snow because I’d give the Pirelli Sottozero 3 a 8.5 for snow performance and lesser snow tires a 8 for snow performance.
Snow Winter Tires
Nokian 10 (Hakkapelitta)
Bridgestone 9 (Blizzak)
Pirelli 8.5 (Sottozero)
Snow tires still grip better, brake better and handle ice better. What these UHP All Seasons give you is the speed rating. They wear better than winter tires and perform better or just as good on wet and dry cold days. Quieter and better comfort. They cost about the same also.
Michelin 7 (All Season 4)
Continental 7 (DWS06 Plus)
I hear the Cross Climate 2 are really good but they have limited sizes, supply, expensive, and don’t have the speed rating for sports cars/sedans. V rating is enough for my E350. I think they have bad efficiency.
Donovan
July 16, 2021 at 7:17 am
I give the DWS06 Plus a 7 for snow because I’d give the Pirelli Sottozero 3 a 8.5 for snow performance and lesser snow tires a 8 for snow performance.
Snow Winter Tires
Nokian 10 (Hakkapelitta)
Bridgestone 9 (Blizzak)
Pirelli 8.5 (Sottozero)
Snow tires still grip better, brake better and handle ice better. What these UHP All Seasons give you is the speed rating. They wear better than winter tires and perform better or just as good on wet and dry cold days. Quieter and better comfort. They cost about the same also.
Michelin 7 (All Season 4)
Continental 7 (DWS06 Plus)
I hear the Cross Climate 2 are really good but they have limited sizes, supply, expensive, and don’t have the speed rating for sports cars/sedans. V rating is enough for my E350. I think they have bad efficiency.
Don
July 16, 2021 at 7:17 am
I give the DWS06 Plus a 7 for snow because I’d give the Pirelli Sottozero 3 a 8.5 for snow performance and lesser snow tires a 8 for snow performance.
Snow Winter Tires
Nokian 10 (Hakkapelitta)
Bridgestone 9 (Blizzak)
Pirelli 8.5 (Sottozero)
Snow tires still grip better, brake better and handle ice better. What these UHP All Seasons give you is the speed rating. They wear better than winter tires and perform better or just as good on wet and dry cold days. Quieter and better comfort. They cost about the same also.
Michelin 7 (All Season 4)
Continental 7 (DWS06 Plus)
I hear the Cross Climate 2 are really good but they have limited sizes, supply, expensive, and don’t have the speed rating for sports cars/sedans. V rating is enough for my E350. I think they have bad efficiency.
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 16, 2021 at 11:38 pm
@Donovan Tyler, I am so thankful for you taking the time to explain everything in detail. But I apologize that I’m am a noob when it comes to cars (or car tires) and unfortunately I am unable to understand most of what you shared.
The reason I asked that question is because I didn’t understand why the tires in the video are not used in common use. 🙂
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 16, 2021 at 11:38 pm
@Donovan, I am so thankful for you taking the time to explain everything in detail. But I apologize that I’m am a noob when it comes to cars (or car tires) and unfortunately I am unable to understand most of what you shared.
The reason I asked that question is because I didn’t understand why the tires in the video are not used in common use. 🙂
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 16, 2021 at 11:38 pm
@Don, I am so thankful for you taking the time to explain everything in detail. But I apologize that I’m am a noob when it comes to cars (or car tires) and unfortunately I am unable to understand most of what you shared.
The reason I asked that question is because I didn’t understand why the tires in the video are not used in common use. 🙂
Donovan Tyler
July 17, 2021 at 1:13 am
@SIVAH. AKASH. – ஆகாஷ் all tires have trade offs. No perfect tire exist. You choose what’s most important to you first as a driver with your regions environment and your driving style. You wouldn’t drive a track tire off-road.
For me wet handling is what I prefer. So I usually go with Continental tires. High Aquaplaning resistance, Wet handling and breaking are at the top of my list but I also like having a bit of cold and snow performance as seasons transition. So my preferred tire for my car is the DWS06 Plus. I drive a E350 sport package so my car calls for 97V or 97Y tires and because my rear tires are staggered (bigger than front) I have a limited selection of sizes which is what causes most of the decision making. Michelin doesn’t offer the Cross Climate 2 in my rear tire size. I literally only have 2 options for winter tires unless I switch to a square setup (all same size tires).
The 2 winter tires I can choose are a Nokian brand and the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which is really the only winter tire for my car because the Nokian brand isn’t good on dry and wet warm roads. It’s really a snow tire for places that get hit hard by snow and ice. I live in Maryland where we get a wintery mix every year and a blizzard maybe once every 10 years. We get a lot of slush, some icy roads, wet cold roads but I’d say mostly dry salted cold roads.
The DWS06 Plus is perfect for my conditions except one problem. Staggered setups wear out the rear tires fast. So I have a decision to make come late fall this year. Buy a set of 4 DWS06 Plus. Buy only 2 front DWS06 Plus if my rears are in good condition to replace the original front tires. Lastly buy a set of 4 Pirelli Sottozero 3 in a square set up and stretch the rear slightly due to the bigger wheel which is ok by Mercedes-Benz as it’s in the manual for winter setup options on my car.
Having slimmer tires are better for wet and snowy roads. At least then I can rotate all 4 tires. As of now I can’t rotate my tires.
A normal front wheel drive car usually won’t need a high performance tire. Most common cars use a touring tire for long life and decent grip in all weather conditions. They normally are strong against pot holes and have good comfort and low noise. They are also cheaper and for Grand touring tires, they are a bit pricier but offer better all around performance usually for luxury and interstate cars.
Any car can have summer tires but they have less life. But they are the best for wet and dry roads above 40°/f.
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are for low temps on wet, and snowy roads. They are ok on dry roads but will wear faster if it gets warmer and they don’t have good dry handling.
Then you have something like the Cross Climate 2 by Michelin which is a new type of tire. It’s trying to do everything with as little negatives as possible. Michelin made them a summer tire first, so very good in warm temps on dry and wet roads. Then they added features to make it perform in snowy low temps while still having very good tread life, traction and breaking. So think of it as a Summer tire that can ride on snowy roads and as it wears they have different tread patterns the lower the tread gets so you get a lot more life than a summer tire say 3x more life than a typical summer tire (25k vs 60k miles). It’s a advanced All Season but because it’s trying to do everything they can’t get it to the high speed ratings UHP or High Performance summer tires achieve yet. As an example I think the Cross Climate 2 is better than the All Season Sport 4 for all weather conditions but if you have a sports car say a Corvette or Porche you’d need to look at UHP tires but if you have say a Honda Civic you’re better off with the Cross Climate 2 because it doesn’t have the power to warrant a UHP tire. It can have both but you’d just be wasting your money for very little gain.
Donovan
July 17, 2021 at 1:13 am
@SIVAH. AKASH. – ஆகாஷ் all tires have trade offs. No perfect tire exist. You choose what’s most important to you first as a driver with your regions environment and your driving style. You wouldn’t drive a track tire off-road.
For me wet handling is what I prefer. So I usually go with Continental tires. High Aquaplaning resistance, Wet handling and breaking are at the top of my list but I also like having a bit of cold and snow performance as seasons transition. So my preferred tire for my car is the DWS06 Plus. I drive a E350 sport package so my car calls for 97V or 97Y tires and because my rear tires are staggered (bigger than front) I have a limited selection of sizes which is what causes most of the decision making. Michelin doesn’t offer the Cross Climate 2 in my rear tire size. I literally only have 2 options for winter tires unless I switch to a square setup (all same size tires).
The 2 winter tires I can choose are a Nokian brand and the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which is really the only winter tire for my car because the Nokian brand isn’t good on dry and wet warm roads. It’s really a snow tire for places that get hit hard by snow and ice. I live in Maryland where we get a wintery mix every year and a blizzard maybe once every 10 years. We get a lot of slush, some icy roads, wet cold roads but I’d say mostly dry salted cold roads.
The DWS06 Plus is perfect for my conditions except one problem. Staggered setups wear out the rear tires fast. So I have a decision to make come late fall this year. Buy a set of 4 DWS06 Plus. Buy only 2 front DWS06 Plus if my rears are in good condition to replace the original front tires. Lastly buy a set of 4 Pirelli Sottozero 3 in a square set up and stretch the rear slightly due to the bigger wheel which is ok by Mercedes-Benz as it’s in the manual for winter setup options on my car.
Having slimmer tires are better for wet and snowy roads. At least then I can rotate all 4 tires. As of now I can’t rotate my tires.
A normal front wheel drive car usually won’t need a high performance tire. Most common cars use a touring tire for long life and decent grip in all weather conditions. They normally are strong against pot holes and have good comfort and low noise. They are also cheaper and for Grand touring tires, they are a bit pricier but offer better all around performance usually for luxury and interstate cars.
Any car can have summer tires but they have less life. But they are the best for wet and dry roads above 40°/f.
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are for low temps on wet, and snowy roads. They are ok on dry roads but will wear faster if it gets warmer and they don’t have good dry handling.
Then you have something like the Cross Climate 2 by Michelin which is a new type of tire. It’s trying to do everything with as little negatives as possible. Michelin made them a summer tire first, so very good in warm temps on dry and wet roads. Then they added features to make it perform in snowy low temps while still having very good tread life, traction and breaking. So think of it as a Summer tire that can ride on snowy roads and as it wears they have different tread patterns the lower the tread gets so you get a lot more life than a summer tire say 3x more life than a typical summer tire (25k vs 60k miles). It’s a advanced All Season but because it’s trying to do everything they can’t get it to the high speed ratings UHP or High Performance summer tires achieve yet. As an example I think the Cross Climate 2 is better than the All Season Sport 4 for all weather conditions but if you have a sports car say a Corvette or Porche you’d need to look at UHP tires but if you have say a Honda Civic you’re better off with the Cross Climate 2 because it doesn’t have the power to warrant a UHP tire. It can have both but you’d just be wasting your money for very little gain.
Don
July 17, 2021 at 1:13 am
@SIVAH. AKASH. – ஆகாஷ் all tires have trade offs. No perfect tire exist. You choose what’s most important to you first as a driver with your regions environment and your driving style. You wouldn’t drive a track tire off-road.
For me wet handling is what I prefer. So I usually go with Continental tires. High Aquaplaning resistance, Wet handling and breaking are at the top of my list but I also like having a bit of cold and snow performance as seasons transition. So my preferred tire for my car is the DWS06 Plus. I drive a E350 sport package so my car calls for 97V or 97Y tires and because my rear tires are staggered (bigger than front) I have a limited selection of sizes which is what causes most of the decision making. Michelin doesn’t offer the Cross Climate 2 in my rear tire size. I literally only have 2 options for winter tires unless I switch to a square setup (all same size tires).
The 2 winter tires I can choose are a Nokian brand and the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which is really the only winter tire for my car because the Nokian brand isn’t good on dry and wet warm roads. It’s really a snow tire for places that get hit hard by snow and ice. I live in Maryland where we get a wintery mix every year and a blizzard maybe once every 10 years. We get a lot of slush, some icy roads, wet cold roads but I’d say mostly dry salted cold roads.
The DWS06 Plus is perfect for my conditions except one problem. Staggered setups wear out the rear tires fast. So I have a decision to make come late fall this year. Buy a set of 4 DWS06 Plus. Buy only 2 front DWS06 Plus if my rears are in good condition to replace the original front tires. Lastly buy a set of 4 Pirelli Sottozero 3 in a square set up and stretch the rear slightly due to the bigger wheel which is ok by Mercedes-Benz as it’s in the manual for winter setup options on my car.
Having slimmer tires are better for wet and snowy roads. At least then I can rotate all 4 tires. As of now I can’t rotate my tires.
A normal front wheel drive car usually won’t need a high performance tire. Most common cars use a touring tire for long life and decent grip in all weather conditions. They normally are strong against pot holes and have good comfort and low noise. They are also cheaper and for Grand touring tires, they are a bit pricier but offer better all around performance usually for luxury and interstate cars.
Any car can have summer tires but they have less life. But they are the best for wet and dry roads above 40°/f.
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are for low temps on wet, and snowy roads. They are ok on dry roads but will wear faster if it gets warmer and they don’t have good dry handling.
Then you have something like the Cross Climate 2 by Michelin which is a new type of tire. It’s trying to do everything with as little negatives as possible. Michelin made them a summer tire first, so very good in warm temps on dry and wet roads. Then they added features to make it perform in snowy low temps while still having very good tread life, traction and breaking. So think of it as a Summer tire that can ride on snowy roads and as it wears they have different tread patterns the lower the tread gets so you get a lot more life than a summer tire say 3x more life than a typical summer tire (25k vs 60k miles). It’s a advanced All Season but because it’s trying to do everything they can’t get it to the high speed ratings UHP or High Performance summer tires achieve yet. As an example I think the Cross Climate 2 is better than the All Season Sport 4 for all weather conditions but if you have a sports car say a Corvette or Porche you’d need to look at UHP tires but if you have say a Honda Civic you’re better off with the Cross Climate 2 because it doesn’t have the power to warrant a UHP tire. It can have both but you’d just be wasting your money for very little gain.
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 17, 2021 at 1:34 am
@Donovan Tyler, oh thanks again. 🙂
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 17, 2021 at 1:34 am
@Donovan, oh thanks again. 🙂
SIVAH. AKASH. - ஆகாஷ்
July 17, 2021 at 1:34 am
@Don, oh thanks again. 🙂
@Sivah_Akash
February 15, 2021 at 3:45 pm
What are the shortcomings of this type of tire? Cost, wear?
@dct124
July 16, 2021 at 2:38 am
I don’t think they have a downside for normal driving. They aren’t made for track days or very high speed (115 mph was safe, I’d assume faster once I get the fronts which were on back order)
Dry: 8.5
Wet: 9
Snow: 7
Wear: (50k miles)
Light Weight: 22lbs
Comfort: 9
Noise 9
Braking 8W, 8D, 7S
5,000 mile break in period
I currently only have them on the rear of a staggered E350 265/35 18. But I agree with TyreReviews (YouTube Channel) they have a oversteer characteristic. Wet grip is very high, aquaplaning resistance is very high, wet handling is amazing but they do tend to lean toward oversteer. Dry handling is actually very good. TyreReviews has not tested the “DWS06 Plus” but they tested the out going “DWS06” vs the Michelin All Season 4 and they did exceptionally well beating them in wet and staying close in dry and snow although the All Season 4 were a lot better than the outgoing DWS06 in snow and overall. I’d assume the dry and snow handling/braking is better than before, so think about as good as the Michelin All Season 4 with better wet handling.
Everyone I know under inflates their tires, including shops. The door jam tire pressure is for “COLD TIRE PRESSURE”. If you warmed up your tires by driving to a service station for air you need to add +3psi or +4psi to the cold pressure rating and if you have a Mercedes the tire pressure rating is in the fuel door with instructions. Same rules apply for normal load and max load if warm. My old Honda SI manual said driving over 90mph for more than 10s you need +5psi over.
Hope this helps. TyreReviews is releasing a DWS06 Plus video in the next 2wks
@dct124
July 16, 2021 at 2:45 am
If there is a down side it’s dry and wet although they are excellent in both. A summer tire in warmer temps will still out perform this tire and all UHP All Season. The benefit is you can run them deep into winter months/temps unlike a summer tire. A winter tire is still better however if you get mostly cold rain like I do on the East Coast the DWS06 Plus is a better choice. I plan to run a square setup 245/40 18 Pirelli Sottozero 3 for winter mostly for temps, ice and steep hills. If you get real snow and your area doesn’t plow then get Winter tires.
@dct124
July 16, 2021 at 3:17 am
I give the DWS06 Plus a 7 for snow because I’d give the Pirelli Sottozero 3 a 8.5 for snow performance and lesser snow tires a 8 for snow performance.
Snow Winter Tires
Nokian 10 (Hakkapelitta)
Bridgestone 9 (Blizzak)
Pirelli 8.5 (Sottozero)
Snow tires still grip better, brake better and handle ice better. What these UHP All Seasons give you is the speed rating. They wear better than winter tires and perform better or just as good on wet and dry cold days. Quieter and better comfort. They cost about the same also.
Michelin 7 (All Season 4)
Continental 7 (DWS06 Plus)
I hear the Cross Climate 2 are really good but they have limited sizes, supply, expensive, and don’t have the speed rating for sports cars/sedans. V rating is enough for my E350. I think they have bad efficiency.
@Sivah_Akash
July 16, 2021 at 7:38 pm
@@dct124, I am so thankful for you taking the time to explain everything in detail. But I apologize that I’m am a noob when it comes to cars (or car tires) and unfortunately I am unable to understand most of what you shared.
The reason I asked that question is because I didn’t understand why the tires in the video are not used in common use. 🙂
@Sivah_Akash
July 16, 2021 at 7:38 pm
@Donovan Tyler, I am so thankful for you taking the time to explain everything in detail. But I apologize that I’m am a noob when it comes to cars (or car tires) and unfortunately I am unable to understand most of what you shared.
The reason I asked that question is because I didn’t understand why the tires in the video are not used in common use. 🙂
@dct124
July 16, 2021 at 9:13 pm
@@Sivah_Akash all tires have trade offs. No perfect tire exist. You choose what’s most important to you first as a driver with your regions environment and your driving style. You wouldn’t drive a track tire off-road.
For me wet handling is what I prefer. So I usually go with Continental tires. High Aquaplaning resistance, Wet handling and breaking are at the top of my list but I also like having a bit of cold and snow performance as seasons transition. So my preferred tire for my car is the DWS06 Plus. I drive a E350 sport package so my car calls for 97V or 97Y tires and because my rear tires are staggered (bigger than front) I have a limited selection of sizes which is what causes most of the decision making. Michelin doesn’t offer the Cross Climate 2 in my rear tire size. I literally only have 2 options for winter tires unless I switch to a square setup (all same size tires).
The 2 winter tires I can choose are a Nokian brand and the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which is really the only winter tire for my car because the Nokian brand isn’t good on dry and wet warm roads. It’s really a snow tire for places that get hit hard by snow and ice. I live in Maryland where we get a wintery mix every year and a blizzard maybe once every 10 years. We get a lot of slush, some icy roads, wet cold roads but I’d say mostly dry salted cold roads.
The DWS06 Plus is perfect for my conditions except one problem. Staggered setups wear out the rear tires fast. So I have a decision to make come late fall this year. Buy a set of 4 DWS06 Plus. Buy only 2 front DWS06 Plus if my rears are in good condition to replace the original front tires. Lastly buy a set of 4 Pirelli Sottozero 3 in a square set up and stretch the rear slightly due to the bigger wheel which is ok by Mercedes-Benz as it’s in the manual for winter setup options on my car.
Having slimmer tires are better for wet and snowy roads. At least then I can rotate all 4 tires. As of now I can’t rotate my tires.
A normal front wheel drive car usually won’t need a high performance tire. Most common cars use a touring tire for long life and decent grip in all weather conditions. They normally are strong against pot holes and have good comfort and low noise. They are also cheaper and for Grand touring tires, they are a bit pricier but offer better all around performance usually for luxury and interstate cars.
Any car can have summer tires but they have less life. But they are the best for wet and dry roads above 40°/f.
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are for low temps on wet, and snowy roads. They are ok on dry roads but will wear faster if it gets warmer and they don’t have good dry handling.
Then you have something like the Cross Climate 2 by Michelin which is a new type of tire. It’s trying to do everything with as little negatives as possible. Michelin made them a summer tire first, so very good in warm temps on dry and wet roads. Then they added features to make it perform in snowy low temps while still having very good tread life, traction and breaking. So think of it as a Summer tire that can ride on snowy roads and as it wears they have different tread patterns the lower the tread gets so you get a lot more life than a summer tire say 3x more life than a typical summer tire (25k vs 60k miles). It’s a advanced All Season but because it’s trying to do everything they can’t get it to the high speed ratings UHP or High Performance summer tires achieve yet. As an example I think the Cross Climate 2 is better than the All Season Sport 4 for all weather conditions but if you have a sports car say a Corvette or Porche you’d need to look at UHP tires but if you have say a Honda Civic you’re better off with the Cross Climate 2 because it doesn’t have the power to warrant a UHP tire. It can have both but you’d just be wasting your money for very little gain.
@dct124
July 16, 2021 at 9:13 pm
@SIVAH. AKASH. – ஆகாஷ் all tires have trade offs. No perfect tire exist. You choose what’s most important to you first as a driver with your regions environment and your driving style. You wouldn’t drive a track tire off-road.
For me wet handling is what I prefer. So I usually go with Continental tires. High Aquaplaning resistance, Wet handling and breaking are at the top of my list but I also like having a bit of cold and snow performance as seasons transition. So my preferred tire for my car is the DWS06 Plus. I drive a E350 sport package so my car calls for 97V or 97Y tires and because my rear tires are staggered (bigger than front) I have a limited selection of sizes which is what causes most of the decision making. Michelin doesn’t offer the Cross Climate 2 in my rear tire size. I literally only have 2 options for winter tires unless I switch to a square setup (all same size tires).
The 2 winter tires I can choose are a Nokian brand and the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which is really the only winter tire for my car because the Nokian brand isn’t good on dry and wet warm roads. It’s really a snow tire for places that get hit hard by snow and ice. I live in Maryland where we get a wintery mix every year and a blizzard maybe once every 10 years. We get a lot of slush, some icy roads, wet cold roads but I’d say mostly dry salted cold roads.
The DWS06 Plus is perfect for my conditions except one problem. Staggered setups wear out the rear tires fast. So I have a decision to make come late fall this year. Buy a set of 4 DWS06 Plus. Buy only 2 front DWS06 Plus if my rears are in good condition to replace the original front tires. Lastly buy a set of 4 Pirelli Sottozero 3 in a square set up and stretch the rear slightly due to the bigger wheel which is ok by Mercedes-Benz as it’s in the manual for winter setup options on my car.
Having slimmer tires are better for wet and snowy roads. At least then I can rotate all 4 tires. As of now I can’t rotate my tires.
A normal front wheel drive car usually won’t need a high performance tire. Most common cars use a touring tire for long life and decent grip in all weather conditions. They normally are strong against pot holes and have good comfort and low noise. They are also cheaper and for Grand touring tires, they are a bit pricier but offer better all around performance usually for luxury and interstate cars.
Any car can have summer tires but they have less life. But they are the best for wet and dry roads above 40°/f.
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are for low temps on wet, and snowy roads. They are ok on dry roads but will wear faster if it gets warmer and they don’t have good dry handling.
Then you have something like the Cross Climate 2 by Michelin which is a new type of tire. It’s trying to do everything with as little negatives as possible. Michelin made them a summer tire first, so very good in warm temps on dry and wet roads. Then they added features to make it perform in snowy low temps while still having very good tread life, traction and breaking. So think of it as a Summer tire that can ride on snowy roads and as it wears they have different tread patterns the lower the tread gets so you get a lot more life than a summer tire say 3x more life than a typical summer tire (25k vs 60k miles). It’s a advanced All Season but because it’s trying to do everything they can’t get it to the high speed ratings UHP or High Performance summer tires achieve yet. As an example I think the Cross Climate 2 is better than the All Season Sport 4 for all weather conditions but if you have a sports car say a Corvette or Porche you’d need to look at UHP tires but if you have say a Honda Civic you’re better off with the Cross Climate 2 because it doesn’t have the power to warrant a UHP tire. It can have both but you’d just be wasting your money for very little gain.
Alex Shih
February 16, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Youtube commercials now masking as videos
ஆகாஷ் - AKASH. SIVAH.
February 17, 2021 at 3:38 pm
I thought it was some collab.
Camilo Rojas
February 17, 2021 at 5:08 am
I don’t even remember being subscribed to this channel
MrLips635
February 18, 2021 at 7:43 am
Trying to chose between these and the Michelin Cross Climate 2.
@MrLips635
February 18, 2021 at 2:43 am
Trying to chose between these and the Michelin Cross Climate 2.
schmitty8225
February 20, 2021 at 5:14 pm
What a commercial. I guess until actual reviews come out this will give a little bit more information about the tire.
@schmitty8225
February 20, 2021 at 12:14 pm
What a commercial. I guess until actual reviews come out this will give a little bit more information about the tire.