New Tires

[GQM45s]

So I went to discount tires today to get my tires rotated, they think my Continental Extreme Contact DWS might not last the full 50K warranty so by the time i i get them rotated again they might not be as good and will have to get new tires, currently i rolled 27,XXX miles on it.

my questions is should i get a new set of Continentals or go with a different set? I really like the quality of them but I also heard the new Nitto Motivo with a 60k warranty


Really into the road noise and grip quality

[EniGmA1987]

30K miles on them is not unheard of, many people get that much. The Continentals are pro-rated for their warranty life though so it will lower the cost of your next set. I always pick known quality tires that I like over trying something new, but thats just me. I dont like the idea of being stuck with something for a year or more and not like it, or the idea of wasting $800+ if I replace the tires soon after.

[moedawg140]

So I went to discount tires today to get my tires rotated, they think my Continental Extreme Contact DWS might not last the full 50K warranty so by the time i i get them rotated again they might not be as good and will have to get new tires, currently i rolled 27,XXX miles on it.

my questions is should i get a new set of Continentals or go with a different set? I really like the quality of them but I also heard the new Nitto Motivo with a 60k warranty


Really into the road noise and grip quality

I do like my Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110 tires, but you should look into getting the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. This will be my next set for sure!

[GQM45s]

I would get the Hankook but in Oklahoma where I live, the weather is so unpredictable... this past few days has been snow, sunny, sunny, snow, sunny and then snow today.... so i would prefer some all season

[EniGmA1987]

And the Hankook's (same for any summer tire) should never, ever get into temps below 32 degrees. Pretty sure Ohio winters can get below that.

[Ilya]

I have the DWS as well and am about to hit 25k. My fronts are getting pretty low at 2/32nd's and my rears are 6/32nd's.

These tires definitely do not last 50k. My first set of DWS's was 26k before I changed them to the current set (might have been able to hit 30k - but I bought wheels from TireRack and had them mounted and balanced at the same time).

Good tires as far as snow and rain goes...but they don't last long. And get noisy.

I might get a third set or try the Michelin Primacy MXM4.

[antzrus]

Yeah, the old Extreme Contacts didn't last over about 30k as I remember it. The DWS I have on have about 20k and are still looking quite good. Considering the safety/performance of the DWS in the definite all season environment I live in here in WA State, there is no better safe and performing tire in my book. After all, safe and performing are the name of the game because regardless of how you mod the beast, it all comes down to that little patch where the rubber meets the road.

[kluken]

I was looking at the DWS for my M37 and they were hard to get, but I would up settling on the General G-MAX AS-03 and must say they are very nice tires. I have 18K miles on them and they are at about 7/32. So I think I can get 40K out of them. The have a very aggressive tread for wet traction and they ride nice and handle very good. My only complaint and this is as much a fault of the M37 s the tire is road noise. The M37 does not have a very quiet cabin so any tire noise comes right in. That said the Potenzas that were on the car were just as loud, so Infiniti needs to step up the game with sound insulation. Other than that I highly recommend the Generals and they were less expensive than the DWS.

[Ilya]

Yeah, the old Extreme Contacts didn't last over about 30k as I remember it. The DWS I have on have about 20k and are still looking quite good. Considering the safety/performance of the DWS in the definite all season environment I live in here in WA State, there is no better safe and performing tire in my book. After all, safe and performing are the name of the game because regardless of how you mod the beast, it all comes down to that little patch where the rubber meets the road.

So this change (that another member on here - forget who - made a big stink about) resulted in a tire with better treadwear? So I should consider getting the DWS again?

[mexillis]

When I had 18"s I used goodyear eagle gt. They lasted 40k plus miles and provided good rim protection.

[antzrus]

Yeah, the old Extreme Contacts didn't last over about 30k as I remember it. The DWS I have on have about 20k and are still looking quite good. Considering the safety/performance of the DWS in the definite all season environment I live in here in WA State, there is no better safe and performing tire in my book. After all, safe and performing are the name of the game because regardless of how you mod the beast, it all comes down to that little patch where the rubber meets the road.

So this change (that another member on here - forget who - made a big stink about) resulted in a tire with better treadwear? So I should consider getting the DWS again?

Yeah, you're right. He did make a big stink that the newer Conti's coming out might be a DWS 2.0 and would it be as good as the 1.0. The specs have changed and it is the DWS 2.0 now. Is it for the better-for better wear? Get'em and let us know... :-))

For me specifically, the wear issue isn't why I buy them-as I noted above. Hell, your and your loved one's life rides on the damn things!

Reminds me of folks who go looking for the cheapest motorcycle helmit...

[The00Dustin]

So this change (that another member on here - forget who - made a big stink about) resulted in a tire with better treadwear? So I should consider getting the DWS again?

Remember who yet? For the record, I think Antz was referring to the ExtremeContact DW vs the ExtremeContact DWS, which didn't bother me at all, because there was obviously a change. A "2.0" wouldn't have bothered me either, or if tires had model years like cars, but tires don't have any of that and no one was ever able to give me any good information about the change, which is why I made the big stink.

Nonetheless, I think my four new Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS tires are MUCH better than the original ExtremeContact DWS. They are quieter , they stick better, and they don't squall every time I go around a corner. However, I should warn people who "want the cheapest motorcycle helmet" that I believe they literally dropped my mileage by 1MPG, and not because my driving changed. On dry pavement, I feel like I'm in an AWD instead of a RWD, and my downhill coasting gains in neutral dropped significantly.

Disclaimer: I did replace a very bad hub bearing right immediately before the tires, but one would think that would reduce rolling resistance, so I have to believe the tire is the source of the much more secure feeling ride. It is also possible that I filled up with winter fuel around same day I got the tires on, but I still thought I should mention the 1 MPG. I know there are people out there who wouldn't want to buy a tire that even might reduce their fuel mileage.

ETA: By new, I mean I have only put one season and 5000 miles on them (I don't drive as many miles as I used to), so I can't say anything on their wear (although I can say I got 45K on my DWS ExtremeContacts and two of them still partially had the S in DWS on the tread). I have driven them in rain and snow, though, because it has been quite the season, so when I say they are better than the ExtremeContact DWS, I am speaking from an experienced standpoint, and I don't think it's "new tire smell," because there wasn't much weather for quite a while before I switched tires, and I remember the DWS ExtremeContacts' newness well. Also, to qualify the quieter statement, they are much quieter on most surfaces, they are louder on one specific blacktop surface, but not enough to be annoying, and they are so much quieter on most concrete that it blows my mind.

[antzrus]

So this change (that another member on here - forget who - made a big stink about) resulted in a tire with better treadwear? So I should consider getting the DWS again?

Remember who yet? ...

OK, you were the stinker

[GQM45s]

I am thinking about just going back to the DWS... IMO they were worth it, this is my 2nd set, 1st set barely hit 12k before my old M35 was totalled.

[antzrus]

I am thinking about just going back to the DWS... IMO they were worth it, this is my 2nd set, 1st set barely hit 12k before my old M35 was totalled.

Don't think of it as " just going back to the DWS..." Rather think of it as "I'm going to get the same outstanding tire I've personally had experience with... that will wear out sooner than I'd like..."

But come to think of it, what in a person's life that we found especially really good didn't end a lot sooner than we would have wished...

[M35SFIREMEDIC]

Hey guys, I'll be in the market for new tires in a month or so. I have not heard a lot about the primacy michelin mxm4? Could this be because the tire is expensive or it doesn't have a very aggressive tread pattern? Is there no love for the michelins? My biggest problem is deciding between the mxm4 or pilot sport a/s plus. I'm in Memphis TN so not much snow around here, any members in Memphis with advice on tires or warm weather states members? All advice welcome.

[GQM45s]

Hey guys, I'll be in the market for new tires in a month or so. I have not heard a lot about the primacy michelin mxm4? Could this be because the tire is expensive or it doesn't have a very aggressive tread pattern? Is there no love for the michelins? My biggest problem is deciding between the mxm4 or pilot sport a/s plus. I'm in Memphis TN so not much snow around here, any members in Memphis with advice on tires or warm weather states members? All advice welcome.

I love my conti dws was considering switching to test the waters but like Antz said, I am going to stick with them. They are great tires and Michelin aee a bit high dollar. But I would consider the conti DW if you don't get snow or go with the summer hankook v12. I had those stock when I got my car. They were great but I needed all season for where I live.

[M35SFIREMEDIC]

I'll look at the conti d/w and hankook v12 and do a comparison with the Michelin's. I will post again when I decide. Thanks guys. hey one more thing, how about noise are these tires loud??

[EniGmA1987]

I'll look at the conti d/w and hankook v12 and do a comparison with the Michelin's. I will post again when I decide. Thanks guys. hey one more thing, how about noise are these tires loud??

The Hankook's are not loud IMO. The Conti DWS' are not loud at first either but are known to get loud past 20k miles or so. At least the old ones are known to, no one has enough experience with the new designed ones. Car and driver tested the Hankook's against the top rated Michelin Pilot Spot PS2, you can read it here if you want. It finished as the runner up tire in the whole list (above the PS2's):

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons ... ps2-page-2
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons ... vo-page-10

and the Conti DW tire:
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons ... -dw-page-6

I wish I could try those Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires, but they arent made (at least on TireRack and DiscountTire) in 19" sizes And they are also 50% more in cost than the Hankook's so I guess ill just keep sticking with them. As Antz said:

"I'm going to get the same outstanding tire I've personally had experience with... that will wear out sooner than I'd like..."

[The00Dustin]

I'll look at the conti d/w and hankook v12 and do a comparison with the Michelin's. I will post again when I decide. Thanks guys. hey one more thing, how about noise are these tires loud??

IMO, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus have better traction than the Continental DWS ExtremeContact in all conditions, but are much louder, which is why I switched away from them to Contis. Now I'm on Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS and loving them, I find their traction to also be better than the Continental DWS ExtremeContact set that I had and they're just as quiet on average (quieter on concrete and slightly louder [but still not very loud] on one specific stretch of blacktop).

[Ilya]

Aren't the Potentza's what the dealer installs when the car is new? I heard those tires were worse than crap and track like CRAZY (this car tracks naturally)?

[Larz]

I have Michelin Pilot Sport Plus A/S 245/45/18's and they peform perfectly. They grab well, track well, and in Florida (the puddle state) they work great on wet roads. Only draw back is road noise but it's no where near 'loud' - just noticeable.

I am told that the Michelin Primacy MXM4 Grand Touring has almost the same performance as the Pilot, but less noise. Tire Rack website - for comfort and noise the MXM4's list at 6.9 much lower than mine at 8.0, BUT 'would you buy again' lists MXM4 at "probably NOT - 3.5" while mine list at "probably-7.7" also the wet traction is lower on the Primacy MXM4. I highly recommend the Pilot Sport Plus !

Only tires I have ever bought and been completely unsatisfied with are Coopers. The all season is as noisy as a standard snow tire (maybe louder) and in my humble-hard-headed opinion they should change the company name from Cooper to Crapper. Costs less, but ARE less.

I have NEVER had a problem, wear issue, or handling issue with Michelins having them on previous cars (Cadillac, Lincoln, and an Expedition SUV, so I always lean towards them.

Does anyone else have a brand they are so loyal to?

[antzrus]

...

Does anyone else have a brand they are so loyal to?

I believe Michelin tires are excellent, and have always had them exclusively on my machines (now on my wife's Suburban) with no regrets over the past 40 years. However, when I bought my '06 M with 32k miles on it and the Goodyear RSA's about half gone I thought I had made a really good deal.

However, the machine tramlined like it was doing the Texas two-step and whined like an F-16 on afterburners. I was astonished-that such a well thought out machine would perform so poorly.

I joined this and another enthusiasts list and went searching for answers. There was all kinds of buzz about a defective steering rack and anything else the dealers could profit by, by repairing and still having the repairs not fix the problem.

A couple of posters back there in '07 & '08 noted that changing the tires to this new ContiExtremeContact eliminated the problem. But they were drowned out by the loud masses screaming of some design fault of Infiniti's.

Well, I gave it a shot-four new Conti's back in early '08 and I haven't looked back since. Not only tramlining, but the tires made the M's performance a whole new thing for me. I once even had a fellow I met on this list try out my tires while both of us were up on lifts for repairs in Seattle at the same place and time! Solved his problem too-before they did extensive "repair work" on his M. Got a nice bottle of wine for my trouble.

Since then I have written extensively about my success with tramlining, general performance and especially snow handling with the Conti's herein. By gawd-Conti should have me on retainer!!

Michelin is a premium tire in my perception. But specifically with the M and the Conti's, why try and fix something that ain't broken?

[GQM45s]

I found a really good price for some Conti's DWS, you can take it to any local Discount Tires and price match them!

$217.99

http://www.bigbrandtire.com/tires/CONTI ... -40R19S94Y

$224.22

http://www.performancetread.com/contine ... 19-sl.html

[InfinM3506]

Get some Nitto Invos. I love them they feel great.

[The00Dustin]

Aren't the Potentza's what the dealer installs when the car is new? I heard those tires were worse than crap and track like CRAZY (this car tracks naturally)?

In 2006, the OEM tire was a Goodyear RSA, and it tramlined something horrible. There is more than one Goodyear RSA, and there is more than one Bridgestone Potenza. I assure you the tires I am raving about are by far the best A/S tires I have had on my 06 M45. They are directional, though (as are the Pilot Sport A/S Plus); some people like that the contis aren't.

[antzrus]

Aren't the Potentza's what the dealer installs when the car is new? I heard those tires were worse than crap and track like CRAZY (this car tracks naturally)?

In 2006, the OEM tire was a Goodyear RSA, and it tramlined something horrible. There is more than one Goodyear RSA, and there is more than one Bridgestone Potenza. I assure you the tires I am raving about are by far the best A/S tires I have had on my 06 M45. They are directional, though (as are the Pilot Sport A/S Plus); some people like that the contis aren't.

The Conti's are directional as well. Hey, as I said, in my own experience the Conti's are excellent. If they are excellent for you-why go with a tire you haven't experienced personally as so. Your tires you rave about are the same for you. So what makes one recommendation better than the other?

It must be my well earned gravitas and long term respectability I've always displayed so well on this list...

[szh]

My last two sets of tires, I used the Continental Extreme Contact DWS (first generation), after having used Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (previous generation model - not the current A/S Plus) just prior to that. I have written up my comparison in another thread somewhere.

Both times, the DWS have lasted much less than their rated 50k miles. This second set lasted for 31k miles down to the 3/32" tread wear point - a bit better than the first set.

So, this last tire change (just this morning! ), I decided to go back to a true Summer tire, instead of All-Seasons that I have been using for some years now. Now, as of a few hours ago, my car is running on Michelin Pilot Super Sport in a 245/45-18XL size with a 100Y load/speed rating. I particularly like the 100 load index - means a stronger tire than a 96Y. The Y speed rating is, of course, needed for our fast cars (it is also a general - albeit minor - indication of a stronger tire).

After the tires were installed, I drove up from San Jose to San Francisco - over 60 miles - and can already tell that this is a significantly better tire! I'd go from my previous 8.5 out of 10 rating for the DWS to well over 9.5 out of 10 rating for the Super Sport.

The Super Sport is much quieter on the highway, much better tracking in the lanes (including the "grooved rain" asphalt section on Highway 101) and feels more sure-footed and nimble without any dartiness. Plus, high-performance summer tires are usually much better than all-seasons in the wet (but this needs to wait for rain to check) for braking and handling.

With the DWS (after just over 20k miles - eight months ago), I was unable to keep them from vibrating when braking, after a few hundred to thousand miles after balance. This usually means that the tire as failed internally in some form or fashion - some belt has snapped or frayed and is now "moving" a bit ... enough to unbalance the tire after some miles. This started happening when the DWS still had about 6/32" to 5/32" tread left.

This vibration is often mistaken for "rotor warp"!

Whenever I hear somebody complain about rotor warp, I often recommend that they do a good tire balance and this will often remove all vibration.

This last time too, when I drove into the tire place, significant vibration while braking was present - it had gone away about 2k miles ago when the DWS's had last been balanced. After the new Super Sports were installed, the car is braking and handling beautifully - without even a hint of vibration!

Since the Super Sport is a strong tire (given the 100 load index), I predict/believe that it will do much better than the DWS over time and miles! However, please do note that the old DWS has recently been replaced by a new DWS which is also a 100Y tire ... it may well be stronger too, but I do not know this.

The best observation of all? At America's Tire, the price of the Super Sport at $226 was not much more than the DWS at $197. Given that the Super Sports also provided me with a $100 Visa rebate card, the price is essentially the same.

Of course, the DWS claims to be a 50k mile tire while the Super Sport is a 30k mile tire. So, the cost per mile difference appears large at first blush ... but since this last set of DWS only lasted 31k miles (more than the first set) and IF the Super Sport goes for 30k miles as advertised, this difference may become much less significant.

Overall, my rating (without having driven in wet yet) would be:

DWS: 8.5 out of 10
Super Sport: 9.5+ out of 10

Two things remain to check: how the Super Sport handles/brakes in wet weather, and a fast drive on a curvy hill near my house to see if the handling and tracking I am seeing gives me more confidence at higher speeds.

Z

[szh]

It must be my well earned gravitas and long term respectability I've always displayed so well on this list... [/b][/i][/color]

Z

[The00Dustin]

The Conti's are directional as well.

In case I am misusing the term "directional", the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS (and the Michelin A/S Sport Plus) both have an arrow on each sidewall that says "rotation" and indicates which way the tire should spin when driving forward. This is means they can't be cross-rotated without being remounted, and is what I am calling "directional." This arrow can be seen on TireRack's supersize picture of the RE970AS. I can't see such an arrow on TireRack's supersize picture of the DWS, and seem to recall one specific tread block needing to be out when I had those tires, meaning they could be cross-rotated without being remounted. If my memory is correct, then I would argue that these are not "directional," and they would have said something like "this side out" on one sidewall only. In fact, IIRC, the supersize picture of the DWS on TireRack may actually have the rim "mounted" backwards (quotes because I assume it's computer generated), explaining why I can't see the exact text I am referring to on that picture. In either case, perhaps, whether it is the correct term in a tire shop or not, you would prefer I refer to the RE970AS as "Unidirectional" and the DWS as "Bidirectional." Regardless, some people have a preference toward one of those types of tread patterns or the other (usually because they want to be able to cross-rotate without remounting or they think the "unidirectional" tread is louder, which it may typically be [but isn't in this case]).

Hey, as I said, in my own experience the Conti's are excellent. If they are excellent for you-why go with a tire you haven't experienced personally as so. Your tires you rave about are the same for you. So what makes one recommendation better than the other?

It must be my well earned gravitas and long term respectability I've always displayed so well on this list...

Well, I didn't say my recommendation was better, and I appreciate the humor in your last comment, but if I were going to argue that my recommendation was better, it would be because I have used both tires (in the same sense that you are sticking with what you know, anyway). I have mentioned the minor differences that people might care about so they can make their own decision, though (volume, sidewall firmness, tread style, my perception of traction across all conditions).