Full review

The GT PureContact LS all-season tire is worthy of a review and we are going to do just that.

We took a look at what Continental had to say about their product and also researched consumer reviews. Various car and tire digests provided data from road and lab tests.

Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.

In this review, we will be taking a deeper look into why the PureContact LS has received high marks from consumers and review digests. We’ll discuss how its unique tread design results in overall outstanding performance and take a brief look at the tire’s few drawbacks. 

Keep reading to find out all the information that matters about Continental PureContact LS.

Overview & Key Features

Continental’s PureContact LS is for drivers who desire a sporty performance from an all-season tire. The goal is to deliver a product that offers superior traction and long life without sacrificing handling and control.

The PureContact LS is an upgrade from Continental’s Pure Contact. It boasts about and delivers improvements in wet traction and wear, as well as a 50% noise reduction compared to its predecessor. 

The LS also has traction grooves meant to improve snow performance and quick view indicators that let the driver know when an alignment is in order or the tire isn’t performing optimally. 

Pricing for the Pure Contact LS remains competitive and is a great choice for a quality budget tire. 

Performance 

Wet

The PureContact LS is made with a temperature-sensitive polymer to improve traction on wet surfaces. Its stellar aquaplaning resistance comes from circumferential grooves and lateral sipes that channel water away. 

The improved feel and stability at higher speeds are due to the asymmetric tread design, the same design that enhances safety. 

Dry

Consumer reviews are consistent when it comes to dry conditions. The PureContact LS has excellent traction and grip in dry conditions. 

Drivers with more powerful cars will notice the random burnouts that happened with other tires don’t happen as often. Cornering control is excellent, but it falls a bit flat on responsiveness. 

Still, it remains a terrific GT tire. 

Snow 

In light snow, drivers can expect the PureContact LS to perform well. Siped shoulders and intermediate tread blocks create a tire that bites into snow creating solid traction while accelerating and driving in straight lines. 

The tire falters somewhat on ice and cornering, so drivers need to exercise caution in these conditions. All-season tires have their limitations, and this tire will begin to struggle in deep or heavy snow. 

Braking Distance 

The sticky compound in the PureContact LS results in shorter braking distances in all conditions. 

It’s important to remember that this is an all-season tire. Its performance in deep snow or extreme weather will be lower than in normal seasonal conditions. 

Handling 

Feel

The feeling of the PureContact LS is that of stability. It has excellent traction and responds well, thanks to its sticky polymer, without feeling sluggish. This tire has a wide central rib, and drivers will find it has a solid centered feel, and the tracking is a straight line. 

Highly responsive is a great way to describe this tire. It doesn’t feel like it’s lagging unless it’s in heavy, deep snow. 

Noise and Comfort

Continental’s Comfort Ride Technology is an underlay between the tread and the casing. It’s designed to isolate the tread and minimize vibrations that the vehicle’s occupants feel. 

This technology does a solid job by giving a smooth ride on roads that don’t present major obstacles like potholes and frost heaves.

However, on very rough roads there will be sharp, loud, disconcerting thumps. 

Compared to other GT tires, the PureContact LS isn’t as quiet. The tread growl on even slightly rough patches of the road is louder than competitors in the same price range. Drivers or passengers who are noise sensitive might find this difficult to endure. 

Occasionally, having a great sporty-like performance results in a bit of a trade-off in comfort.   

Durability

The quick view indicators on this tire are a helpful feature that lets drivers know if they are getting optimum performance.

 The letters D (dry), W (wet), and S (snow) are molded into the tread and begin to fade away with use. When the “S” disappears, the driver knows that the tire is no longer adequate for safe driving on snow. As the “W” fades away, it indicates that the tire will no longer perform as it should in wet conditions. And when the “D” disappears, it means that the tread has reached a point where the tire won’t function in dry conditions and needs replacing.

The PureContact LS also has an Alignment Verification System. Three triangles are molded on the outside of the tires directly across from each other. If the triangles don’t look the same, there is an alignment issue. 

The warranty on this tire isn’t top tier compared to competitors in the same class. Its 6-year, 70,000-mile warranty is better than some but not as good as others. 

However, its long tread wear makes up for its middle-of-the-road warranty. Customer reviews are consistently positive, and the tire is given almost full points in every category from handling to wear to performance. 

Price 

In our research, we discovered that customers overwhelmingly indicated that they would purchase this tire again. The PureContact LS can be found for as low as $120, which isn’t as expensive when comparing it to the competitors. 

As in any tire shopping, consumers will discover that this tire costs more than others and less than some.

Considering its performance and durability, the price for the PureContact LS is quite good. 

Recommendations and Conclusions 

Recommendations

Customers who don’t wish to sacrifice performance for cost will find that they will be happy with the PureContact LS. Reviews were positive on various sites like Amazon, eBay, and TireRack. 

The Pure Contact LS is a premium GT tire that performs very well in almost all weather conditions except in deep snow.

Conclusions

The Pure Contact LS scored high marks across the board in our research. Its price is competitive and its performance placed it firmly among the leaders of premium GT tires. The tire performs well in wet, dry, and light snowy conditions and provides high value for the dollar. 

Overall this tire should be on the top of the shopping list for drivers of luxury sedans and hatchbacks alike.