Continental vs. Pirelli UHP all-seasons

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sciphi

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I'm researching UHP all-seasons for my Cruze. Those seem like a good compromise between improved wet braking, decent ride, and better handling. Right now the car has a set of LRR tires on it that are mediocre at everything except rolling resistance. In the 215/55-17 size and V or higher speed rating the car takes, there are two tires that are getting a hard look:

1. Continental ExtremeContact DWS06
2. Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus

I've had good luck with both brands in the past. Our Fit had a set of the original Conti DWS's that were an excellent all-around tire. My old Buick had a set of Pirelli P4's that were also a fantastic tire. So, either one is fine by me.

The roads around me are in generally okay shape. I don't drive that aggressively, but do have several high-speed turns on my commute, and an increasing number of maroon drivers that need to be compensated for.

Thoughts on those two tires?
 
I've been a longtime Pirelli Fan, had P7's, P4's, and currently P6's, and all have been fantastic.
that being said, I won't be buying anymore, as Pirelli is now owned(65%) by ChemChina, the Chinese State owned/run Chemical company.(7.1 Billion Euro Buyout)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirelli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChemChina

if that doesn't bother you, then by all means get the Pirelli's, they make excellent tires.

I'm looking to replace my worn Pirelli's with Coopers myself...
 
Beyond happy really the best all-season I have had is that Pirelli P7. I did own the conti DWS extreme contact and it was decent.

Both tires mounted on the Wrx version of Subaru Legacy Wagon in 215/45/17's.

Oops missed the Pirelli P Zero , no idea on them but I am so done with UHPAS tires as I don't find much benefit as I drive sanely and not on tracks. Lots of twisty roads here too....
 
Originally Posted By: earlyre
I've been a longtime Pirelli Fan, had P7's, P4's, and currently P6's, and all have been fantastic.
that being said, I won't be buying anymore, as Pirelli is now owned(65%) by ChemChina, the Chinese State owned/run Chemical company.(7.1 Billion Euro Buyout)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirelli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChemChina

if that doesn't bother you, then by all means get the Pirelli's, they make excellent tires.

I'm looking to replace my worn Pirelli's with Coopers myself...
How long, I wonder, until the Chinese buy Fiat?
 
Do you want to lose 10% mpg?

Going from a LRR standard touring to a regular UHP can be close to that.

if the UHP is rated LRR it will likely be near 5-6% lost fuel economy.

Have you considered any grand touring tires?

They are available in V and W rating..

Cooper CS5 Ultra would be an example.

The conti DWS06 is a great tire.
 
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Originally Posted By: madRiver
I did own the conti DWS extreme contact and it was decent.

For an UHP tire, I personally found the DWS mediocre at best. Its steering response was subpar and its winter capabilities weren't particularly good either. Unless the DWS06 is much improved, I wouldn't touch it.
 
Out of curiosity, being that you have snows for the cars, why UHP all seasons and not a mild (UHP or max performance) summer tire?
 
I like the Conti's, and they rate well among their peers.

Survey says.....

The DWS is a lot more battle-tested. Expecting top "winter performance" on UHP tires is an oxymoron. The fact that only a couple of them even rate decently in the snow is proof of that. If one expects ultra-winter type handling, then get a true winter tire. The Conti DWS6 and DWS look like decent choices to me. Same with the BFG Comp2 A/S.
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Out of curiosity, being that you have snows for the cars, why UHP all seasons and not a mild (UHP or max performance) summer tire?


Probably so he can run them in spring and fall when its 50f in the day and 25F at night.

Also... its a Cruze.. not a wrx, camero etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Out of curiosity, being that you have snows for the cars, why UHP all seasons and not a mild (UHP or max performance) summer tire?


Probably so he can run them in spring and fall when its 50f in the day and 25F at night.

Also... its a Cruze.. not a wrx, camero etc.


The less aggressive summers work fine on dry pavement down into the mid 20s.

And IMO, not being a performance car doesn't mean it deserves less grippy tires. Yeah, the cornering grip may not be needed, but there's still improvements to be had in braking grip, etc. that may mean the difference between ending up in an accident and just barely being able to avoid it.

I'm one of those people who believes that no car should ever run all seasons, as they just aren't good enough at anything except lasting long and being cheap.
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
I'm one of those people who believes that no car should ever run all seasons, as they just aren't good enough at anything except lasting long and being cheap.

I used to run UHP summers on my 530i. They would wear out quickly and become noisy quickly, yet I just never drove on the street in such a manner where I would require all the performance they offered. So, I started using UHP all-seasons, and I've been happy. Plenty of performance for my needs. And I still use winter tires during winter.

I also would not call them cheap.
 
I don't have experience with either tire but I'm just curious, why not something that is still LRR like the P7s for your Eco? Aren't you running GY Fuel Maxes now, I would assume there's a lot of LRR tires that would be an improvement.
 
Originally Posted By: 99Saturn
I don't have experience with either tire but I'm just curious, why not something that is still LRR like the P7s for your Eco? Aren't you running GY Fuel Maxes now, I would assume there's a lot of LRR tires that would be an improvement.


Yep, it's on its 2nd set of TPC-spec (GM OE spec) Goodyear Fuel Max's. Good tires for saving fuel, and mediocre at best for everything else. You're correct, there are other tires out that would be a noticeable improvement while still being LRR.

That being said, I've always wanted to see what this car would be like with a set of stickier tires. The current set is about worn out, so it's now or wonder "what if". This is more of an emotional decision than a dollars/cents decision like the last set of tires was.
 
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Contis are OK, but in my application they were nowhere as good as Pirelli P4, P4+, P6. Haven't used P7 or Zero. Uniroyal is a budget tire, and such is OK. Cooper is proudly mad in USA and has the highest recall numbers. P4+ was better than Michelin MVX in may application. Depends on the car, it's weight and application
 
I'm intrigued by the Pirellis, so I'll likely pull the trigger on them. TireRack is also having a mail-in rebate right now, which will help offset the shipping.
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
And IMO, not being a performance car doesn't mean it deserves less grippy tires. Yeah, the cornering grip may not be needed, but there's still improvements to be had in braking grip, etc. that may mean the difference between ending up in an accident and just barely being able to avoid it.


I tend to agree with you on this, as the used Cruze RS I was looking to buy has the stock 16 x 6.5 alloys which were going to get Nokian, or Conti winter tires.

Then I was looking at either a plus 1 (17 x 7.5, 225/55-17) or plus 2 (18 x 8, 235/45 or 50-18) wheel/tire set up for summer with PURE summer UHP, or Max performance rubber surrounding them.
wink.gif


But then again, I am crazy enough to actually consider larger, aftermarket sway bars, and even bigger, multiple piston, fixed caliper, front brakes and a good coil over suspension kit for this car.
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
I'm one of those people who believes that no car should ever run all seasons, as they just aren't good enough at anything except lasting long and being cheap.

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I used to run UHP summers on my 530i. They would wear out quickly and become noisy quickly, yet I just never drove on the street in such a manner where I would require all the performance they offered. So, I started using UHP all-seasons, and I've been happy. Plenty of performance for my needs. And I still use winter tires during winter.

I also would not call them cheap.

I did just like you.

UHP summer was great if we can use its full potentials, but that wasn't possible on public roads.

I couldn't even use 70-80% of UHP AS on almost any surface in So Cal, unless I have a drive on mountain roads at 2-3 in morning.
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Are the BFG Comp 2 All Seasons, or the Pilot Sport AS3s even made in that size (even though the latter will be prohibitively priced)??


The Comp 2 AS's are available for $99+shipping in 215/55-17. The PS AS3's are available in 225/50-17, which is OEM size on the Cruze 2LT. I'll take a look, since the purchase is still about a month out.
 
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