Continental Extreme Contact DW vs. Hankook Ventus EVO V12 fitment questions

[RSMark5]

Funny you should ask. I'm actually sitting at Town Fair Tire right now, waiting for them to be mounted. I'll report back later with results.

Can't wait.


LOVE my DWS's in 235/35/18. Best tire I've ever owned for just going anywhere and doing anything. Curious about your impressions.

 

[Bunnspeed]

That's great to hear. I was worried they'd be a huge step down from the DWs, but truth be told I'll probably be happy to have the option of driving in the snow without needing a separate set of wheels and tires.

 

[ChattMkv]

Can't wait.


LOVE my DWS's in 235/35/18. Best tire I've ever owned for just going anywhere and doing anything. Curious about your impressions.

^^^
This man led me in the right direction with respect to this tire. I've been running 235/40/18 DWS's on my GTI for about 4 months now and it handles everything I throw at it wonderfully.

 

[RSMark5]

That's great to hear. I was worried they'd be a huge step down from the DWs, but truth be told I'll probably be happy to have the option of driving in the snow without needing a separate set of wheels and tires.

Nah, slight step down in performance but big step up in everything else.


I mean, we're talking about a 300ish whp hatchback here. Its harder than you'd think to exceed a tires capability especially on the street. For some one like you who doesn't frequent auto-x or HDPE's you'll likely never see the perfomance drop.

 

[Bunnspeed]

Nah, slight step down in performance but big step up in everything else.


I mean, we're talking about a 300ish whp hatchback here. Its harder than you'd think to exceed a tires capability especially on the street. For some one like you who doesn't frequent auto-x or HDPE's you'll likely never see the perfomance drop.

Lol, I drive the hell out of my car and take it to the drag strip from time to time. Traction (or lack thereof) is most definitely an issue already.

 

[RSMark5]

Lol, I drive the hell out of my car and take it to the drag strip from time to time. Traction (or lack thereof) is most definitely an issue already.

Spinning aint winning, modulate the throttle. Thats not really the tires fault. You could do the same thing with a set of R888's. Its down to be a fwd hatchback with a small front contact patch.

 

[Bunnspeed]

Spinning aint winning, modulate the throttle. Thats not really the tires fault. You could do the same thing with a set of R888's. Its down to be a fwd hatchback with a small front contact patch.

Oh, I know how to modulate tire spin. It's just better when they don't spin.

 

[A41.8QTM]

Seems a little confucion here - people are mixing DW and DWS...they are different tires. DWS is a UHP all-season, DW is a max performance summer tire. I assume the OP was asking about the DW since his other option (EVO V12) was also an max performance summer tire. I don't have experience with either Conti tire but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the EVO V12. I replaced them with the Pilot Super Sports and they kick the $hit out of the Hankooks all day long.

 

[Bunnspeed]

Seems a little confucion here - people are mixing DW and DWS...they are different tires. DWS is a UHP all-season, DW is a max performance summer tire. I assume the OP was asking about the DW since his other option (EVO V12) was also an max performance summer tire. I don't have experience with either Conti tire but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the EVO V12. I replaced them with the Pilot Super Sports and they kick the $hit out of the Hankooks all day long.

No confusion (confucion, lol), just a sudden change of plans. I had intended to get DWs as was originally posted, but a local car buddy offered me a set of lightly used 225/40/18 DWSs for $160 for all four, and the price was too good to refuse, so I went with DWSs even though I hadn't wanted DWSs initially. I might still get DWs but these dirt-cheap DWSs should tide me over til then.

Impressions: these are some ugly, bulky, spongy, reasonably quiet tires that look a hell of a lot meatier than the V12s even though the contact patch is about the same. I hate the way they look, but they ride well and make my suspension feel much more supple over the terrible roads here in MA, as compared with the Kooks. I can't speak to their handling because they fill up my fenders even more with their flabby sidewalls, so I can't lean on them or I'll rub. I definitely preferred the look and fit of the Kooks but these will have to do for now. I haven't been able to accelerate much with them since there has been a ton of traffic, but the sidewalls feel compliant and they seem to grip well from a dig, much like other spongy-carcassed, passenger-car tires I've owned in the past (General Exclaim UHP, for example...great grip from a dig, despite being a mediocre tire over all). Since straight line traction is far more important to me than cornering grip, I'm hoping these will be a big step up from the less-compliant V12s in that regard.

I'm almost positive that if I get DWs in the future they'll have to be 215/40s, because these 225s are too chunky-looking for my relatively narrow 18x8 wheels. The DWs and V12s also have much sportier, cleaner-looking tread patterns and sidewalls as compared with the DWS, so this is a step down, aesthetically. In particular, I don't like how these seem to have a "rim protector" shape designed to bulge out to the edge of the wheel, whereas the Kooks had nice clean, flat sidewalls that look more appropriate for an aesthetic build. I'm not completely satisfied, but I saved about $500 so that has its appeal, too.

 

[Bunnspeed]

Aaand, one of my tires is flat today, yay.