Continental ExtremeContact DW vs Michelin Pilot Super Sports?

[JohnAyySays]

Hello Guys! So I've been in the market for some new tires for my frs. I've always had my eyes set on MPSS but because of the price I sometimes stir away from them. I've never rode in a car with MPSS, especially on our car, and I was wondering if anyone can comment on road noise on them, particularly on the highway at cruising. My car is a DD and I take it on occasional spirited driving. Other than that I'm not looking to do any tracking or autox with the car other than maybe one track/auto event this year.

I've been looking around and was first considering Hankook Ventus V12's but have heard good things about Continental ExtremeContact DW. Can any comment on this tire as well? Is it worth saving the extra $100 vs the MPSS? Thanks again!

[2point0]

I had a set of MPSS in 225/45-17 on a 17x8 wheel and loved them. They lasted damn near the entire 30k that was warrantied (an achievement for me) and I was impressed the whole way. However, when it came time to replace them, I really wanted to go 245/40 for switching up to 17x9 wheels, but could not stomach the cost difference of MPSS in 245. The DW was rated not very far behind the Michelin, but was a hell of a lot cheaper, so I went for it.

The DW is louder under stress. Pushing the car a bit in turns makes them a bit vocal, but they still hang on. The MPSS was a stickier tire, to be sure. But I think it FELT even better because you just don't hear it screaming. Honestly, neither one of them bothered me during commutes, so I can't really comment on the sound difference there, other than to say I had no complaints. I'm always listening to music, anyway, and I realize I did not buy a Mercedes (or sound-dampen my whole car).

The DW is also a lighter tire. The 245 weighs about the same as my 225 MPSS. Along with the light wheels, that helps a lot.

The DW won't last as long, but they're cheap. I have been happy with them, and I DD nearly 70 miles/day, and a few mountain runs now and then. I'm a hardcore onramp racer. And I liked the fact that I could get a wider tire for cheaper vs. the MPSS. For me, it was worth it.

Hope that helps.

Edit: one more thing to add...you didn't mention size of tires or wheels, so I'm going to assume you're on stock right now. While I'm not a fan of the stretched tire look, I noticed a big difference on a 245/40 tire when going from an 8" to a 9" wheel. On the 8", it felt so much sloppier compared to the 225 MPSS I had before. But after going to the 9" wheel, the 245 feels much crisper. Actual grip aside, that sharpness is a characteristic of this car that I don't want to diminish if I can avoid it. So if you're on stock or other narrow wheels, don't go too wide on the tire.

[Xuningshen]

i've gone thru several hankook set of tires, both v12s and then a set of RS3. Love them, but compared to other brands, such as michelin, seem to wear out faster. so in the long run it wont really be saving much, if any money.

[vroom4]

MPSS. DW wears....fast.

[CSG Mike]

The PSS is a better tire all-around. This is how the DW sounds when you're making em scream.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FkCXleL8MI"]Subaru BRZ Drift at Streets of Willow Springs - YouTube[/ame]

[JohnAyySays]

Appreciate all the comments! @2point0 @CSG Mike @vroom4 @Xuningshen
Yea I will be usually running stock wheels. In terms of the tire sizes, would you guys recommend going stock size for the tires? Or should I go for like a 220 or 225 for better grip? Any downsides to going wider on stock wheels? Thanks!

[2point0]

FYI - tire sizes all end in 5, so your choices are 215/45 or 225/45. Either will fit on the stock wheels, difference in diameter is not going to be a big deal.

The only downsides to going wider are a higher price and maybe a little bit more squirminess. Hard to say if you'd notice the difference or not, but nothing wrong with a good tire in 215 with this car.

[JohnAyySays]

Originally Posted by 2point0

FYI - tire sizes all end in 5, so your choices are 215/45 or 225/45. Either will fit on the stock wheels, difference in diameter is not going to be a big deal.

The only downsides to going wider are a higher price and maybe a little bit more squirminess. Hard to say if you'd notice the difference or not, but nothing wrong with a good tire in 215 with this car.

Thanks alot! I'm very new to purchasing tires so I don't know much. Yea I will definitely probably go stock size. Is Tirerack usually the cheapest place to purchase MPSS or can I get them cheaper if I buy local?

[tahdizzle]

If you can find them local, you can probably get them at a competitive price when you calculate the savings on shipping costs.

[ApolloSki]

Try your local Costco, they have a pretty good price/deal going on Michelins.

[2point0]

Yeah, TireRack has good deals, but sometimes it's good to buy from a local tire shop and make friends. Luckily, a guy I went to high school with works at Discount Tire locally and TireRack can't touch the bro prices.

When you get into modding cars, it's always a good idea to be friendly with the local shops.

[Quentin]

Hmmm, a friend of mine swears that DWs last forever while giving up a little grip to stickier tires. I've not had mine long enough to know.

They are nice and light though. Great street tire.


Sent from Tandy 400

[acro]

The DW is a great tyre. Can't compare them to the mpss which I wanted but as you could not stomach the extra price.

[2016 Camaro SS]

The DW's are rated with more tread life than the PSS I thought? I've had mine on for 20k miles and they still have tons of tread left from street driving.