[Tire Review] Continental ContiExtremeContact
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[Tire Review] Continental ContiExtremeContact
Continental ContiExtremeContact
Manufacturer’s Page
TireRack Page
Vehicle
Subaru 2000 Legacy GT Wagon w/Light Suspension Modifications
Size Reviewed:
205/55/16 @ 38psi
Miles Reported:
7500 miles
Region:
Redmond, Washington (Puget Sound / Seattle Suburb)
Installed Price
$460 including Tax, Shipping, Mounting, Balancing, and Damage Replacement Warranty from Discount Tire.
Other Tires Used:
Bridgestone RE-92 (Subaru OEM) 205/55/16 @ 32psi
Dunlop Sport SP5000 205/55/16 @ 34psi
TireRack Description
The Continental ContiExtremeContact is an Ultra High Performance All-Season radial that was developed to satisfy the year-round driving needs of sports car, coupe, sedan and light truck drivers by blending dry and wet road performance with light snow and slush traction.
The ContiExtremeContact's silica-based, high-grip, all-season tread compound is molded into an independent tread block design that features Continental's "Tri-Net" and "Shark Fin Bio-Mechanics" technologies. Tri-Net's three networks result in a tread design that combines a strong network for dry road handling stability, a flexible network for wet grip, and a cold temp network for snow grip. The "Shark Fin Bio-Mechanics" directional tread design is inspired by the rounded edges of a shark's fin that allows for the smooth fluid flow that helps it glide smoothly through water with minimum friction. Internally, the ContiExtremeContact's twin steel belts are reinforced with spirally wound jointless nylon cap plies to provide long term integrity under high speed conditions while it reduces weight and helps provide more uniform ride quality.
My Review:
Dry Traction: Good
(SP5000: Very Good, RE92: Acceptable)
The ContiExtremeContacts (CECs) run pretty good in the dry. The sidewalls feel quite a bit stiffer than the SP5000s (and leaps and bounds beyond the RE92s), but how much that can be attributed to my tire pressures, I can’t really say without more testing. The CECs are very stable, and road noise is very quiet. I was surprised at first how much they chirped and squealed around corners that I was nowhere near the limit on, but that is in relation to the SP5000s that never “talked”. Braking is very good; the tires manage to grip quite quckly before the ABS took over and limit-control is very good. Overall, dry traction is not quite up to the standard that I was used to with the SP5000s, but well within what I would expect from a High-Performance All Season.
Wet Traction: Excellent
(SP5000: Excellent, RE92: Poor)
The CECs are very at home in the rain. I was very impressed with the water-clearing ability, and have not had a hint of aquaplaning at 50-70mph speeds in heavy rain. Cornering stability was amazing; under my normal driving habits I have not had the tires break loose in the rain. With some encouragement and a tight power-slide the tires handled themselves very well in a skid allowing accurate throttle-steer control without thinking about how the tires would react. Wet braking was also very accurate and predictable; the tires held-tight with ABS and allow for predictable control. Overall I am very pleased with wet traction of the CECs; they perform well within the standards set by the SP5000s and offer what I would expect for wet Puget Sound weather.
Overall: Very Good
(SP5000: Very Good, RE92: Poor)
Considering the price comparison of the CECs (~$75 each) to the SP5000s (~$100 each), the CECs are a clear competitor for the budget minded. Road noise is very quiet, but the squeal and chirps may preclude spirited driving where attention is not warranted. I was very happy with the overall lifetime of my SP5000s, and was sad to see them go, but my budget at the time excluded them as an option. The CECs have lived up to their relative price, and with a price/performance comparison that wins hands-down. These tires get a “suggested buy” in my opinion, and a definite “would buy again”.
Manufacturer’s Page
TireRack Page
Vehicle
Subaru 2000 Legacy GT Wagon w/Light Suspension Modifications
Size Reviewed:
205/55/16 @ 38psi
Miles Reported:
7500 miles
Region:
Redmond, Washington (Puget Sound / Seattle Suburb)
Installed Price
$460 including Tax, Shipping, Mounting, Balancing, and Damage Replacement Warranty from Discount Tire.
Other Tires Used:
Bridgestone RE-92 (Subaru OEM) 205/55/16 @ 32psi
Dunlop Sport SP5000 205/55/16 @ 34psi
TireRack Description
The Continental ContiExtremeContact is an Ultra High Performance All-Season radial that was developed to satisfy the year-round driving needs of sports car, coupe, sedan and light truck drivers by blending dry and wet road performance with light snow and slush traction.
The ContiExtremeContact's silica-based, high-grip, all-season tread compound is molded into an independent tread block design that features Continental's "Tri-Net" and "Shark Fin Bio-Mechanics" technologies. Tri-Net's three networks result in a tread design that combines a strong network for dry road handling stability, a flexible network for wet grip, and a cold temp network for snow grip. The "Shark Fin Bio-Mechanics" directional tread design is inspired by the rounded edges of a shark's fin that allows for the smooth fluid flow that helps it glide smoothly through water with minimum friction. Internally, the ContiExtremeContact's twin steel belts are reinforced with spirally wound jointless nylon cap plies to provide long term integrity under high speed conditions while it reduces weight and helps provide more uniform ride quality.
My Review:
Dry Traction: Good
(SP5000: Very Good, RE92: Acceptable)
The ContiExtremeContacts (CECs) run pretty good in the dry. The sidewalls feel quite a bit stiffer than the SP5000s (and leaps and bounds beyond the RE92s), but how much that can be attributed to my tire pressures, I can’t really say without more testing. The CECs are very stable, and road noise is very quiet. I was surprised at first how much they chirped and squealed around corners that I was nowhere near the limit on, but that is in relation to the SP5000s that never “talked”. Braking is very good; the tires manage to grip quite quckly before the ABS took over and limit-control is very good. Overall, dry traction is not quite up to the standard that I was used to with the SP5000s, but well within what I would expect from a High-Performance All Season.
Wet Traction: Excellent
(SP5000: Excellent, RE92: Poor)
The CECs are very at home in the rain. I was very impressed with the water-clearing ability, and have not had a hint of aquaplaning at 50-70mph speeds in heavy rain. Cornering stability was amazing; under my normal driving habits I have not had the tires break loose in the rain. With some encouragement and a tight power-slide the tires handled themselves very well in a skid allowing accurate throttle-steer control without thinking about how the tires would react. Wet braking was also very accurate and predictable; the tires held-tight with ABS and allow for predictable control. Overall I am very pleased with wet traction of the CECs; they perform well within the standards set by the SP5000s and offer what I would expect for wet Puget Sound weather.
Overall: Very Good
(SP5000: Very Good, RE92: Poor)
Considering the price comparison of the CECs (~$75 each) to the SP5000s (~$100 each), the CECs are a clear competitor for the budget minded. Road noise is very quiet, but the squeal and chirps may preclude spirited driving where attention is not warranted. I was very happy with the overall lifetime of my SP5000s, and was sad to see them go, but my budget at the time excluded them as an option. The CECs have lived up to their relative price, and with a price/performance comparison that wins hands-down. These tires get a “suggested buy” in my opinion, and a definite “would buy again”.
Last edited by RandyF; Sep 16, 2003 at 11:42 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 792
From: Washington State, Car: 2000 Impreza Coupe RS-T T
Car Info: 2000 Impreza Coupe RS-T Tec3/Vishnu turbo Color: B
I noticed the weak sidewall responce and quiet break away under heavy cornering at 32-34 psi with the SP5000 also. Since I have now bumped them up to 40 psi front and 38 rear, sidewall responce is way better.
Nice to know the CES's have a good sidewall feel.
Nice to know the CES's have a good sidewall feel.
Last edited by david2z4; Sep 17, 2003 at 10:12 AM.
Registered User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 164
From: Seattle, WA
Car Info: '02 Legacy GT - no mods
I've got 6000+ miles on my Contis now. It's easy to find info about wet and dry performance, but I had a b!tch of a time finding reviews on snow performance. Well the past few weeks have given me plenty of opportunity to put them through their paces.
I've seen wet and dry snow, ice, slush and everything in between. The tires do quite well in all of these conditions and I pushed the limits of them when I could safely do so. For winter performance, on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the RE92's and 5 being dedicated snow tires, the Contis are a 3. They are definitely better than RE92's in all ways, acceleration, braking, lateral traction. But of course they're not as good as true snow tires. I bet siping them would get them a lot closer.
If you only want one set of tires and you want better performance than the OEM's in all seasons, these are a great choice.
I've seen wet and dry snow, ice, slush and everything in between. The tires do quite well in all of these conditions and I pushed the limits of them when I could safely do so. For winter performance, on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the RE92's and 5 being dedicated snow tires, the Contis are a 3. They are definitely better than RE92's in all ways, acceleration, braking, lateral traction. But of course they're not as good as true snow tires. I bet siping them would get them a lot closer.
If you only want one set of tires and you want better performance than the OEM's in all seasons, these are a great choice.
Registered User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 164
From: Seattle, WA
Car Info: '02 Legacy GT - no mods
Not sure, the OEM's and Conti's are the only ones I've had on my car. I was just trying to indicate that the Conti's give you more snow grip than OEM's, while giving you more performance than dedicated snows. Not that the OEM side of the scale is all performance. Know what I'm saying?
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 101
From: Philly PA-UARTS
Car Info: black 2003 WRX
im really happy with the 225 45 17 conti extremes, they are great they stick to the ground after my 215 45 17 kumho ecsta mxs since its usually around 30 degrees, i think the contis would be too soft for summer use tho
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