What tires did you replace your stock Conti's with???

I don't understand the Continental bashing.

My previous Volvo V70 T5 came with Michelin MXV4s. I replaced them with Continental Pro Contacts at around 25K miles when they started thumping like they were square. Got rid of that car with 150K on the third set of Contis with absolutely no problems.

The Golf came with Conti Pro Contacts, which lasted ~55K miles. Replaced with the same. Again, no problems.

When I found the Passat wagon, it had Michelin 225/45x17 MXM4s, which were faintly thumpy. After about 5K miles, the thumping got noticeably worse. Switched to 215/55x16 Conti Extreme DWS, and all is well again. I will shortly be putting 225/50x16 Conti Extreme DW summer tires on the Passat.

Hey everyone, thank you for all the feedback. I just got a set of Michelin Primacy MXM4's put on today. Only drove about 3 miles on them at 30-40mph so no rea opinion yet except that they are quiet! Thanks again!

I have 51K on the stock Bridgestone Turanza EL-400's and have no complaints about this tire. Even wear, quiet, and performs well enough for the 16 inch stock wheels. I get good mileage and plan on replacing with these tires in order to avoid replacing with something I wind up hating.

barnyard - please keep us updated as you get a few miles on them. We're nearing replacement tires for our '09 so this thread is quite relevant for me. I'm leery of going away from the Conti ProContacts as I can't find any fault with them. Got 57k on 'em and aren't to the wear bars yet. I'd expect to get 70k+ on them, but don't think we'll make it that far before fall and I'd want new rubber before winter.

I'm kind of with 1854sailor. So far I've got ~ 15k on my OEM Conti Pro Contacts. No issues so far. Fair disclosure - I don't push the Golf hard in the corners. But I'll bet even stock it WILL handle the twisties.

I've always had great luck with Michelin's - Long running tires. I run Yokohama's on the my Porsche - nice grip but noisy.

Michelin Crosstours on my Jeep - Huge improvement in ride. OEM Goodyear Fotera's made ~ 52k before they hit the wear bars.

Try replacing with Definity or Futura brands, available at PepBoys.

I'm actually curious about some of the opinions out there regarding LRR tires. I've only started researching about them and I'm curious if they are worth the extra $.

For example. The Continental DWS tires actually score higher in testing then the Michelin MXM4's performance wise according to Tirerack's official testing. But for 225/45R17's, the DWS's are $129 per tire vs MXM4's $176 (91H rated Tires).

I'm curious if they do save $188 over the course of their life. One source I read stated they aren't really worth it for this reason.

I'll probably sit down and figure out the math.

I too went with Continental Extreme Contact DWS. I have put about 2,500 miles on them and really like them. I have yet to try them in rain. They are a great improvement in the road noise department. However, I still feel there is "some" tire noise in the cabin. You are probably not going to get away from this in a small car. I was spoiled with my previous vehicle (Tundra Crewmax w/ Michelin LTX MS2). It was really quiet on the road.

I will say that the DWS are not as harsh riding as the stock Conti's either. I can validate the slight floating feeling. However, crank the wheel in an evasive maneuver, and they respond well. As others have commented, DWS does not feel as "planted" in corners, but I'm not a big twisty road guy anyway, so I am fine with this. I'm still playing with tire pressure, so I'm not certain I have them where I want them yet either.

I like the look of the DWS on the car too. They do have rim protection molded into the sidewall on the 225/45R17 OEM size. However, they don't appear to be as square or blocky looking as the stock Conti's. The slightly more rounded sidewall transition to tread surface makes them look more robust for pothole damage resistance. the tread blocks on the outside edge seem to have larger gaps between which gives the tire a slightly more aggressive appearance IMHO.

Oh! And they handle bumps much better than the OEM Conti's. Across the board they are less harsh and much quieter when tackling bumps such as, metal bridge joints, road patches, potholes, rough textured pavement, and even gravel.

My $.02...

For those with comments or thoughts on my drastic vehicle change... I have recently changed jobs... More miles now and less hauling. I miss the tundra, but really love traveling in the JSW. I've logged a little over 20K since November 2011, and really look forward to long trips. I also previously had a 2005 Jetta TDI wagon. Loved that one too.

TNriverjet, that's great feedback on the DWSs. I drove my Golf about 200 miles last night to a TDIClub dinner and back and the OE tires are noisy on that car. I can also tell you that not all small cars have road noise: the MKV and MKVI VWs have significantly more tire noise than the MKIV.

I'm still on the fence about keepin the 17s on the Golf or going to 16s for a better ride and a lighter wheel/tire combination. I had 15s on it for a while and they do ride noticeably better, and were quieter. 16s might be a good compromise.

xeno555 said:

Yea those crappy Continental only lasted mid 20k miles. Replaced with Yokohama AVID ENVigor (H&V)(High Performance All-Season) and now about about 18k miles with no significant ware. And are quieter to boot.

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I drove 37,417 miles on my 225/45R17 Continental ContiProContacts. They have a little bit of tread before the wear bars are reached, but I decided to replace them with the same tire you did - Yokohama Avid Envigor 225/45R17 94H (560A A). Great reviews and _look_ like good tires. I'm just running down my last run on the winters (ContiVikingContact 3) before installing them. Getting my money's worth... I got six seasons out of those Conti winter tires. They were great.

GraniteRooster said:

I just put on a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports - I was headed towards the Primacy MXM4's, but decided that I would try a dedicated summer tire instead of an all season (for a change of pace, and because I have winter tires). So far, pretty good!

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just installed a set of these as well. Great summer tire!

Update! Ive had the chance to take the car out on the highways. Especially my favorite twisty one, Ranch Road 2222 in West Austin if anyone wants to look it up. In the turns these tires are great. Definitely a little more grippy thant the Conti's. On the highway they perform great as well. They are very quiet! At 55-65mph I can hear the engine more than my tires, I like this. Lane changes at 70-90mph are also stable and precise. I will probably still get an after market sway bar from Black Forest Industries because Ive always wanted more roll taken out of this car. Hey if it works for the GTI to have a bigger one then the TDI needs it to! I will report back after I get a few tanks of diesel through her. Right now I have friends visiting and Im driving all over Austin/Central Texas. So with the added weight and a bunch of city driving my numbers might actually be worse than with the Conti's for this tank. Have a good one!

Bridgestone Potenza Pole Postion (summer). General Altimax Arctic (winter)

...new Conti Extreme Contact DW.

These are quite a bit firmer, very nice driving.

2 days ago I put on a set of 225/50R16 Conti DW's (not DWS's). They replaced the stock Hankook 205/55R16's. I immediately noticed the change in road noise (for the better), and they don't bark and chirp when cornering hard nor when dropping the clutch at a green light. I have less than 100 miles on them, but so far so good. If I like these when they wear out, I'm planning to go up to an 18" wheel with the same tires in a 235 size.

That's a big jump, going from 16" to 18" wheels. And a lot more expensive per tire, too. Are you sure you don't want to split the difference and go to the 225/45-17 size that comes stock on the Golf TDI? For example, a set of Conti DWs in the 17" size are $524, but the 18" size are $648, and would likely have a much rougher ride.

But it's up to you, of course. I know the GTI comes with the 18" wheels, so it is a legitimate option.

Wet weather update on Conti DWS...

I drove through Birmingham on my way to Mobile, AL today. Rain started heavy downpours while in B'ham. I felt totally comfortable traveling 60 mph on roads where most folke were creeping along at 40-45. I felt almost zero hydro planing. My only sensation of lost traction (brief/momentary) was when crossing areas that were deeper water draining across the road. In all other conditions I felt firmly planted and in control.

DWS ranks a solid "A to A+" for these conditions.

I easily have 3,000 miles on these tires now. I am satisfied with the price paid for value received.

so im actually trying to help pick a new set of tires for my g/f
car: 07 Rabbit 4dr 5MT 16"
original tires were: ContiPor Contact *(rated 12th on the list of Grand Touring on TR) not too good. My g/f does not drive sprinted, or hard in the corners or anything. she just wants another tire that will do what her Conti' OEM's did for another 50-60,000 miles,

im thinking of either
Grand Touring:
choice #1: Michelin MXV4 *(most expencive)
choice #2: General Altimax HP
or choice #3: OEM Contis
or
Ultra High Performance All Seasons:
choice #1: Conti DWS *(highly rated)
choice #2: Kumho Ecsta 4x *(great price)

any advice? thanks

BarnyardsTDI said:

Update! Ive had the chance to take the car out on the highways. Especially my favorite twisty one, Ranch Road 2222 in West Austin if anyone wants to look it up. In the turns these tires are great. Definitely a little more grippy thant the Conti's. On the highway they perform great as well. They are very quiet! At 55-65mph I can hear the engine more than my tires, I like this. Lane changes at 70-90mph are also stable and precise....

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Thank you for the update! I'm about to get a set of the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires. The OEM Conti tires really have not been bad for me, now with 42K miles and close to the wear bars, but I have always loved the quiet comfortable ride on the Michelin Grand Touring All Season tires. It sounds like these new ones are the best they have produced. I hope I like them as much as I liked my previous Michelin tires.

I'm going to try going up one size, to 235/45/17, for a slightly beefier look and taller sidewall to fill the fender gap and maybe a little more comfortable on the road. I run my tires a little softer too, which makes a noticeable difference to me, in terms of how quiet and comfortable the tires are on the highway.

I have to admit, the MXM4 tires are not inexpensive!

ksing44 said:

Thank you for the update! I'm about to get a set of the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires.

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What do you feel you're longevity is going to be out of these tires?

Here's a guy getting 80,000 miles out of them on his 2010 Jetta TDI. Are you expected to see 60,000 - 80,000 out of them? If this is the case, and if it's a great comfort tire, it translates to twice the longevity of a Conti. That would justify the price in my opinion.

As far as the 235 vs 225 section width, Michelin's run narrow anyways. I think that the rim width on the 17's are 7" anyway... [I'll have to check that].



Here from left to right
Michelin 235/45-17 MXM4, Conti Contact's 225/45-17 [2004] and Good Year F1 GS-D3's 225/45-17

You can see the Good Year F1's are the widest of the bunch.

2010 Jetta TDI said:

I have a 2010 TDI Jetta with 123,000 miles. At 41,000 miles my stock tires were cupped and wore out. I made the best move every by purchasing Primacy MXM4. I now have 82,000 miles on them and they are still going strong. The performance and ride quality is excellant. I still have plenty of tread and may reach 100K before needing to replace them. The best part, my milage increased with these tires. I am averaging 45-50 miles per gallon.

I will not use a different tire! These tires have been the best tire I've ever owned.

Thank you Michelin!

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^^It is interesting that a 225 could be wider than a 235, depending on the manufacturer. I know some tires can tend to be more round or square and appear wider or not, but I thought the tread on a 235 would always be wider than the tread on a 225.

For longevity, I'd be happy with the same 40K+ I got with the Conti. But wow, if they last longer it will be worth the cost. I'm actually willing to pay the price, if they are just quiet comfortable tires that are good in the rain. Based on the Tirerack reviews, they are as good as it gets in those categories. I can’t wait to have new MXM4 tires. I hope they look a little beefy and that they are quiet and comfortable.

Regarding rim width, on my Golf TDI I swapped to a different 17" VW wheel that is 7.5" wide.

ksing44 said:

^^It is interesting that a 225 could be wider than a 235, depending on the manufacturer.

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Here are some more comparisons I've taken over the years. The Falken's measure 7.8 inches and the F1's at almost 8.8 inches. Both are 225/45-17.


Falken Ziex ZE-512 vs G&Y Eagle F1



Again overhead shot, Michelin Michelin MXV8 235/45-17 vs. Good Year Eagle F1 225/45-17

ksing44 said:

Thank you for the update! I'm about to get a set of the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires. !

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why MXM4 and not the MXV4 ?
MXV4 came in higher rated on same test from Tirerack, but it was close MXV at #2 and MXM at #3
im thiking of going with MXV for my g/f rabbit

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...odel=Rabbit+4-Door&autoModClar=Standard+Model

BrianCT said:

Here are some more comparisons I've taken over the years. The Falken's measure 7.8 inches and the F1's at almost 8.8 inches. Both are 225/45-17.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff207/Medcorp/New Tires/FalkenZiexZE512vsGoodYearF1s2254517.jpg
Falken Ziex ZE-512 vs G&Y Eagle F1


http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff207/Medcorp/New Tires/MichelinvsGoodYear.jpg
Again overhead shot, Michelin Michelin MXV8 235/45-17 vs. Good Year Eagle F1 225/45-17

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Tire Width ≠ Tread Width

From your images, the tire width looks the same (225), but it's the tread width that is different. At least, that's what I am seeing.

RomanL said:

why MXM4 and not the MXV4 ?
MXV4 came in higher rated on same test from Tirerack, but it was close MXV at #2 and MXM at #3
im thiking of going with MXV for my g/f rabbit

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS&width=205%2F&ratio=55&diameter=16&tireSearch=true&autoMake=Volkswagen&autoYear=2007&autoModel=Rabbit+4-Door&autoModClar=Standard+Model

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For one thing, the MXV4 was discontinued, although you can still find them. More importantly, your link is the survey from car owners, not to actual testing done by Tirerack. The MXM4 is an "improved" MXV4, although they didn't compare the two tires directly. The MXV4 did test well in the past, but based on the testing comments, I think the MXM4 may really be a better tire.

Testing
MXM4 vs. in 2010
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=138

MXV4 vs. in 2008
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=112

MXV4 vs in 2007
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=86

The comment that really gets me for the MXM4
"What We'd Improve: There's not much that needs improvement "

hotpocketdeath said:

Tire Width ≠ Tread Width

From your images, the tire width looks the same (225), but it's the tread width that is different. At least, that's what I am seeing.

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Maybe you're correct, I did a comparison on a few tires off tirerack a minute ago.

GY Eagle F! Asymmetric 2
Section Width is 8.9 inches and Tread Width is 8.3 inches.

The Primacy MXM4
Section Width is 8.9 inches and Tread Width is 7.7 inches.

Continental ContiProContact
Section Width is 8.9 inches and Tread Width 7.5 inches.

side note//
Your 235/45-17's go from 4.0 to 4.2 inch sidewall height and Audi runs them too in that sizing.

All the above are 225/45-17

The tire sizing callout (225mm or 8.9") is for casing width at it's widest point, and has nothing to do with tread width. Manufacturers can vary tread width as they choose, it's not a part of the sizing callout, hence the differences cited.

ksing44 said:

For one thing, the MXV4 was discontinued, although you can still find them. More importantly, your link is the survey from car owners, not to actual testing done by Tirerack. The MXM4 is an "improved" MXV4, although they didn't compare the two tires directly. The MXV4 did test well in the past, but based on the testing comments, I think the MXM4 may really be a better tire. "

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got it, thanks for pointing it out, i will look at that tire now over MXV,
didnt realize the diff, that basically MXM is replacing MXV right?
the only thing, on Michelin website they still advertize MXV

The Contis seem really good to me. Hopefully it'll be a while before I need to replace, but the discussion and review links are interesting.