The Continental WinterContact SI tires move your vehicle reliably and easily across tough winter terrain with many new technical features, if you’re in the market for durable winter tires.
Using trademark PolarPlus technology, these tires offer advanced traction and flexibility. These were designed for driving in winter, but not the warm seasons. They were built to work more safely and efficiently than other winter tires. With special patented designs like their PolarPlus technology, the Continental WinterContact SI series of tires have many practical features that are useful whatever the weather or road.
The tread design on winter tires is meant to provide extra grip. This is done through particular tread designs that don’t clog up with material like mud and ice and will be able to keep to the ground more easily. Likewise, the chemical makeup of these winter tires is made for colder temperatures without hardening and then cracking. This maintains the integrity for longer.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
Pros
Cons
We’ve just scratched the surface here, so if you’re still debating the Continental WinterContact SI models, read on.
Overview
Continental’s tires stand out in the industry with a high degree of technical focus on design and quality of production. There is extensive testing on every piece. With a variety of prices, Continental’s variety stands out. There is not much discernable difference in price with its competitors; some types even cost less than similar models.
Performance
As far as performance goes, the Continental WinterContact SI tires are meant to hit their peak performance in snowy, wintry conditions. The PolarPlus technology that these tires use allows them to keep their grip, even if you’re driving over ice and snow. In one test, the Continental WinterContact tires ranked in fourth place out of seventeen different winter tires.
Even as a winter tire, some users did find that their performance in heavy, packed snow and ice felt a little underwhelming.
Wet Performance
For drivers that live in conditions where they’re frequently driving in snowy, icy conditions, it’s important to have a tire that stays pliable. The design of Continental WinterContact SI tires allows their tread to stay pliable, even when the temperature hits freezing and below.
There are high-density multi-angled zigzag sipes, which increase the braking traction on wet and snowy roads. Many users were impressed at just how well these tires handled in wintry conditions as well as how the traction held up.
Even without snow, the Continental WinterContact tires have still shown impressive traction when it comes to hydroplaning or other wet roads.
Dry Performance
As far as dry performance goes, if there’s one area where these tires underperform, it’s probably their dry braking distance, which is what this tire test found. However, braking distance aside, many users still found that they were a comfortable, smooth ride in dry conditions.
Even in temperatures over sixty degrees, some users found that they still performed well and didn’t require a quick switch to a summer or all-season tire.
Handling
When it comes to handling, many users were satisfied with how these tires handled in almost every weather condition. A lot of drivers felt they had low rolling resistance, and even “forgot” they were driving in snowy or icy conditions.
Noise and Comfort
While most users were happy with how comfortable and smooth their ride was with the Continental WinterContact tires, some drivers did note that they could be a little bit noisy – especially in dry conditions or at high speeds on the highway. The sound of the tires wasn’t unbearable, but in some cases, they did seem to “sing” or “howl” when driving over sixty-five miles per hour.
Durability
The Continental WinterContact SI tires do not disappoint in terms of durability. Not only have users found that their tread holds up well after long winters, but even after thousands of miles, these tires seem to have minimal wear on them.
For some users, the tires even continued to be functional and have great traction after three winter seasons. However, if you’re worried that they won’t last, these tires do come with a standard manufacturer warranty, which covers the first two years that you’ve got them.
Price
The Continental WinterContact SI tires fall on the cheaper end of the spectrum for winter tires, and many users found that their quality and excellent traction in wintry conditions were worth the price.
Since they were durable enough to hold up even after tough, long winters, the price seemed even more affordable to a lot of drivers. And, with a two-year warranty, the driver always has the option to replace the tires if they find that they don’t hold up as well as they’re supposed to.
Generally, the price for these tires is very competitive, especially as they’ve ranked 4th out of 17 in one of their tire tests.
Recommendations
These tires would be ideal for someone who experiences snowy winters, rainy springs, and uneven roads. With new technologies, WinterContact SI tires are made for safety and comfort that won’t wear down as fast as others in cold areas where some tires may become cracked and brittle.
These are not designed for sunny locations and city dwellers per se, but with the added grip these tires could still hold up in warm, dry conditions too. Some winter tires need to be swapped out or just drive unsteady during the winter months, but that’s not the case here.
While this may not be the first choice if you live in a hot, dry climate most of the year – or in conditions where it frequently rains but doesn’t snow – their excellent traction and handling in the snow makes them a stand-out choice among other winter tires.
Conclusions
Overall, many people who drove these tires found that they offered a safer, more efficient way to get through those tough snowy and icy conditions. The two areas that these tires may be a little underwhelming are is their dry braking distance and how well they handle in heavy, packed snow.
The warranty policy as well inspires confidence. Continental wants their tires to be driven with the assurance that there is as little risk to safety or efficiency as possible, while still providing a range of options or affordability. This is especially true for grounds that may be more dangerous than most normal roads, like snowy or icy roads.
Still, while pure-winter tires ought to be used only seasonally since hard asphalt wears out the softer material fast relative to snow and mud, these are more durable. These are also more efficient for the roads than traditional purely winter tires which have greater traction while also having greater rolling resistance. Continental WinterContact SI tires are certainly winter tires, but they’ve still got general features that can make them useful as all-season tires too.
References
https://tiresize.com/tires/Continental/WinterContact-SI.html
https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/wintercontact-ts-870
https://www.customwheeloffset.com/brands/tires/continental/wintercontact-si