Full review
This is a review of the Continental TerrainContact A/T, an all-terrain tire designed for pavement and everyday use while still retaining off-road capability.
We have researched the Continental TerrainContact A/T and compared it to others in its class.
During that research we listened to what users had to say about its performance and gathered test results and reviews from several different websites. You’ll find our conclusions compiled in this piece.
The Continental TerrainContact A/T is designed for pickups, Jeeps, SUVs, and other cars that can drive off-road but are mainly used for everyday chores such as driving to work and picking up the kids from school. These tires were designed with every day in mind, while still retaining off-road capabilities.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
In the rest of this review, we will cover the Continental TerrainContact A/T in more detail, including the conditions it was tested under, the tires it was compared to, and real user reviews covering what did and didn’t work for them.
Read on to learn more about the Continental TerrainContact A/T.
Overview
The Continental TerrainContact A/T is meant to be an all-terrain tire for everyday use. It focuses on out-performing other tires in its class for noise, handling, wet performance, and ride quality. Many people buy their pickups and crossovers for the option of off-roading but use their vehicles for mundane everyday tasks, and that is whom this tire is targeting.
Continental has put millions of hours into designing this tire and testing it in all weather conditions and road types, so it’s no surprise this tire is a standout in its category.
The Continental TerrainContact A/T offers a smooth ride and excellent handling over highway and pavement while giving its consumers the option to go off-road into gravel, dirt, and rocky terrain. It may not be as proficient as others in its class in snow and winter conditions, but it still offers great handling, and many users are impressed with its versatility.
It has a 60,000-mile warranty, fantastic for tires of this class, so you’re promised a long-living tire. It is pricey, but this is a premium tire, and its benefits are second to none.
Wherever you look, the Continental TerrainContact A/T tops its class in wet and dry conditions, handling, noise, and braking. In the areas it does trail, it’s not beaten by much, such as in snow and winter conditions and MPG rating. Overall, this is the best tire in its class and comes highly recommended by many users.
Performance
The Continental TerrainContact A/T is second to none in its handling and performance. According to TireRack.com’s tests, it’s responsive to the driver and delivers a good road feel, able to turn sharp corners without compromise, even when pushed to the limit.
It outperforms all others in its class in dry conditions, in categories such as braking distance, steering characteristics, corner traction, and handling and balance.
The Continental TerrainContact A/T also conquers all of these categories in wet conditions, making it one of the safest tires in its class to drive.
In the same test however, the tire does fall behind in winter conditions, however its handling is still excellent and comes recommended as a good winter tire by many users.
Its braking distance is ideal in all conditions, even if other tires outperform it in the snow. The Continental TerrainContact A/T is an all-around great tire for all types of weather.
Handling
Besides snow, the Continental TerrainContact is flawless in all road conditions. According to its review on TireRack.com, it’s firm ride gives drivers a good feel for the road, and it has good turning and traction. It has stellar handling even in sharp turns and quick evasive maneuvers. Its precise movement and good road feel gives drivers great handling for both on and off-road driving.
Noise and Comfort
These tires excel in this category as well. While its firm ride can be a turn-off for some drivers, its excellent handling and off-road capabilities more than make up for it. It’s quieter than many leading competitors, and what noise it does make is nonintrusive.
If you want a soft, quiet ride, these tires may not be what you’re looking for, but if you’re after performance, the Continental TerrainContact A/T is exactly what you need.
Durability
The Continental TerrainContact A/T has some of the best durability in its class. With a 60,000-mile warranty, these tires are long-lasting and tough, even on off-road surfaces. While it’s not meant for serious off-roading in deep mud and large rocks, its performance on gravel, dirt, and other off-road surfaces makes it perfect for those who only go off-road occasionally or live in somewhat remote areas.
User reviews rate it highly in durability when compared to other tires of the same class, making this tire one of the best in durability in its class.
Price
These are premium tires, and it shows in the price tag. Each tire runs about $200 depending on the dealership, so a full set costs around $800. But these tires are an investment, and with their long lifespan, they can be worth it in the long run. Their quality and durability make these a premium tire worth the extra money.
Recommendations and Conclusions
Recommendations
This is the best tire in its class, showing great results in performance, handling, noise, comfort, and durability. It comes highly recommended by users and is a great option if you want to go off-road occasionally, but mainly drive on pavement.
If you want a soft, quiet ride, it may be better to look at the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, which has a softer ride, but less performance.
And if you want a tire more specialized for winter weather, the Discoverer or the Dueler A/T Revo 3 both scored more than the Continental TerrainContact A/T in this category.
However, the Continental scored above them in most other conditions, and its winter handling is touted by many users.
Conclusion
The Continental TerrainContact A/T is the best in its class. It delivers all-terrain tires with good performance, comfort, and noise level on the highway and is ideal for the driver who only goes off-road occasionally.
While it underperforms in snowy conditions compared to the Dueler A/T Revo 3 or the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, many users still recommend it for winter weather.
In addition, while its price tag is fairly high, it’s still quite affordable compared to other all-terrain tires, but cheaper tires such as the Discoverer and Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus are available.
However, The Continental TerrainContact A/T is well worth the price, being the leading tire in its class.