Full review
You have come to the right place if you are looking for an unbiased review of the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06. We have analyzed countless professional and user reviews on key metrics such as dry and wet weather performance, snow traction, and braking distance to help you determine if this is the right tire for your vehicle.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
The ultra high performance (UHP) category is one of the most competitive for tire manufacturers, and it represents the latest and greatest they have to offer. Likewise, many tires focus on certain aspects such as ride quality, handling, and tread life, with improvements in one area coming at the expense of another. As such, only a few manage to strike a balance between them, with the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 being among them.
- Overview
- Performance Break Down
- Recommendations & Conclusions
Are you ready to see how the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 stacks up to the competition? If so, read on.
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Overview
Like its French rival Michelin, Continental is one of the oldest tire manufacturers in the world. As such, they produce a wide range of products from SUV, performance, and original equipment tires, with the ExtremeContact DWS06 being their premium all-season ultra-high performance offering.
First, we will define what is considered an all-season UHP tire. For starters, they are not dry and wet weather tires (often referred to as summer tires) and can be driven year-round. A true all-season UHP tire can handle some snow, although it should be noted they are average at best in said conditions.
Likewise, all-seasons prioritize tread life and a smoother ride instead of all-out handling and traction, unlike their dry and wet weather counterparts. As such (and for the sake of comparisons), this review will focus on all-season tires only.
With that said, the ExtremeContact DWS06 is available in a W or Y rating (more on that later) and has a 560 UTQG tread rating. The latter is on the higher end and suggests the DWS06 was constructed with durability and long life in mind. The treadwear warranty of 50,000 miles is decent and similar to other premium UHP tires.
Unlike some of its rivals that prioritize handling or wet and dry traction, the ExtremeContact DWS06 delivers consistent performance in all conditions as implied by the DWS moniker, which stands for Dry, Wet, and Snow.
So let’s break down some of the key metrics and see how it stacks up to the competition.
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Performance Break Down
Performance
The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is an all-season ultra-high performance tire designed for sports cars and sportier sedans such as the Corvette, WRX, and BMW sedans. It is available in a W or Y rating, which translates to a maximum sustained speed of 168 mph or 186 mph, respectively. Likewise, the AA traction and A temperature ratings are the norms for all tires in this category. In other words, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 offers everything you would expect from an all-season UHP tire.
Wet
Helped along by the advanced silica-enhanced compounds, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is a tire that inspires confidence in wet weather. While it may not be the best performer in this category, it will provide crisp and predictable handling. Suffice to say, it will not make you cringe when it starts raining.
As noted above, it received an average score on a Tirerack.com test, although again, it was not far behind its rivals. However, many users have commented that wet traction is one of this tire’s best attributes, so we would hardly consider it bad by any means.
Dry
Unlike some of its competitors, the ExtremeContact DWS06 prioritizes consistency and predictability in all weather conditions. It was not designed with all-out performance in mind and is certainly not at the top of its class in this category. However, it only trails by a small margin, and you would be hard-pressed to notice the difference between most UHP tires unless you push your car to the limits.
With that said, if you value wet and dry performance, there are some better (and cheaper) options out there.
Snow
While most all-season UHP tires can be driven in the snow, none of them do it exceptionally well. However, the same can be said for many sports cars and sportier sedans in these conditions. Keeping that in mind, the Continental ExtremeContact fared better than average when compared to other UHP tires in a TireRack.com test on snow-covered roads.
Keeping that in mind, if you live in an area where it snows frequently, we would highly recommend a dedicated set of snow tires as they will provide better traction than any UHP tire.
Braking Distance
Given the scores in wet and dry weather, you would be correct in assuming that the same can be said when braking in the same conditions. The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is decent and trails the class leader by a small margin. This should not be surprising since Continental was more focused on all-around performance instead of prioritizing some qualities at the expense of others. Suffice to say, the ExtremeContact DWS06 does what it was intended to do, deliver confidence and predictability.
Handling
As for handling, there is room for improvement, but again, the ExtremeContact DWS06 is not bad by any means. Even though some of its lower-priced rivals get higher marks in this category, it has more to do with the no-compromises approach than a fault with the tire itself. Likewise, this is an aspect that most drivers will not notice unless they are pushing their cars to the limits around every turn. However, if you are the type that prioritizes handling, we can say there are some better and cheaper options out there.
Noise and comfort
In contrast to handling, many users and tests confirm that the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is one of the smoothest and quietest riding UHP tires you can buy. As such, it is popular with sedan owners who prefer ride quality but don’t want to give up too much in terms of performance. In fact, this is one of the tire’s main selling points and why it is so popular despite the high price.
Durability
Given the 560 UTQG treadwear rating, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 was designed with longevity in mind and is backed up by a 50,000-mile tread warranty. This is a reasonable figure and can be achieved with proper tire and vehicle maintenance.
Price & Value
While the handling could be better, the main drawback to the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is the cost. It is one of the most expensive all-season UHP tires with a price that ranges between $100 to $250, depending on the size. However, the DWS06 is among a few that can do it all and is worth the money.
Competition
Here are some close competitors to the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06.
- Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
- Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
- Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Recommendations & Conclusions
While some tires have better traction around a curve or in the rain, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 really only stands out in terms of low road noise and ride comfort. Basically, it is not a leader in any particular category, but at the same time, it is not far behind. Likewise, there are no significant flaws to suggest that you should steer clear of it. What the ExtremeContact DWS06 does is deliver good all-around performance with few compromises.
With that said, if you prefer attributes like handling or traction, there are better and similarly priced options out there, such as the Goodyear Exhilarate and Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS. As mentioned earlier, many tires make compromises, such as the poor snow traction of the latter. Keeping that in mind (and when buying tires), it comes down to matching them to the vehicle, how you drive, and what is more important (better handling, a quiet ride, and tread life, to name a few).
If you want an all-around tire that balances the attributes mentioned above, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 will not disappoint. In fact, the only real complaint has to do with the price, which puts it on the same level as the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+.
When comparing the two, the Michelin is simply a better all-around tire in just about every aspect and probably the best all-season UHP tire you can buy. Unless you can get the Continental ExtremeContact DSW06 at a discount, we would opt for the Pilot Sport A/S 3+.
