Best Reviewed
Tires
- Best all-season tires Goodyear Assurance TripleTred *Est. $140
- Budget all-season tires Hankook Optimo H727 *Est. $90
- All-season tires for performance cars Continental ExtremeContact DWS *Est. $155
- Budget high-performance all-season tires Sumitomo HTR A/S P01 *Est. $115
- Max-performance summer tires Continental ExtremeContact DW *Est. $160
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- Low price
- Excellent traction on winter roads
- Low rolling resistance
- No tread-wear warranty
- Average performance on wet and dry roads
- New ExtremeContact DWS rates better
Critics' former favorite all-season tire for high performance on a budget, the Continental ContiExtremeContact, has been supplanted by the newer Continental ExtremeContact DWS (*Est. $155). Both tires are still on the market, but expert tests and owner feedback indicate that the ExtremeContact DWS grips winter roads even better than its predecessor -- and it gets extremely high marks for comfort, performance on wet and dry roads and tread life.
The ContiExtremeContact gets high marks for tread life in expert tests and owner ratings, but (like most high-performance tires) it has no tread-wear warranty. On the other hand, the new ExtremeContact DWS includes a 50,000-mile warranty. The ContiExtremeContact displays a low rolling resistance in one top test, which can translate into better gas mileage; we found no independent tests of the ExtremeContact DWS's rolling resistance.
ConsumerReports.org has the best comparison test of the Continental ContiExtremeContact, ranking it against 14 other ultra-high-performance all-season tires. TireRack.com's expert test compares the ContiExtremeContact with only three other tires, but it includes much more narrative detail than ConsumerReports.org's analysis. TireRack.com is also by far the best source for owner-written reviews; only a handful of owner reviews for the ContiExtremeContact are posted at Epinions.com, and several of those are dated. Manufacturers' official tread-wear, traction and heat-resistance ratings are posted at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
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| Featured Stores | Store Rating | Notes | Total Price | |
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 |  7 store reviews | In Stock. | $81.00 | See It |
 |  40 store reviews | In Stock. | $113.27 | See It |
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Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org tests the Continental ContiExtremeContact alongside other ultra-high-performance all-season tires. Editors rank the tires based on their scores in several categories, including wet, dry and winter performance, rolling resistance, comfort and tread wear.
Review: Ultra-High-Performance All-Season Tire Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
2. Tire Rack
The Continental ContiExtremeContact ties for third in this test of four high-performance all-season tires by staff members at TireRack.com, a retail site. Although the review notes the ContiExtremeContact's "reputation for best-in-class winter traction," this tire doesn't perform as well as some others on wet and dry roads.
Review: Goodyear Reinvents an Icon, Editors of TireRack.com, July 23, 2008
3. Tire Rack
Owners have posted nearly 2,700 ratings for the Continental ContiExtremeContact at this retail site. Several users -- including some from snowy Minnesota and Buffalo, N.Y. -- praise its winter performance. However, the new Continental ExtremeContact DWS now gets the highest customer ratings among ultra-high-performance all-season tires here.
Review: Continental ContiExtremeContact, Contributors to TireRack.com
4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
By law, manufacturers must test their tires for tread wear, traction and heat resistance, and label the tires with these ratings. Consumers can also find the ratings at SaferCar.gov. The Continental ContiExtremeContact gets a lower tread-wear score than some competing tires, but it rates an A in both traction and heat resistance.
Review: Tire Rating Lookup, Editors of SaferCar.gov
5. Epinions.com
Fewer than 20 owners have posted reviews here for the Continental ContiExtremeContact, but its ratings are very good. One user finds the tread wear disappointing.
Review: Continental ContiExtremeContact, Contributors to Epinions.com
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