Tire Review: Conti DWS on X5M

[MonacoJoe]

After suffering through a few pairs of stock, staggered, 20" bridgestones RFTs I finally came to my senses and swapped them for some new paws.

Namely Continental DWS all seasons which i put on the stock 20" staggered rims.

Pros:
Live in NYC, can make it through winter without swapping out wheels/tires (saved 3-4K probably) vs. getting new winter setup and don't have to pay for wheel storage
Dramatic reduction in road noise. I'd say its 50% quieter. Inside sounds like a 7 series now...almost nothing but the stereo and the growl of the 550HP TTV8
Car absorbs shock/potholes/uneven surfaces like a champ.
Rain performance is incredible...literally feels like summer tires on hot pavement
Snow perf. --- will let everyone know later in the season but based on other's comments it will do just fine here in NY


Cons:
Car is much more bouncy on the road, feels like it is much less sporty
More timid to test the limits of the car on corners. i used to feel 100% confident in taking a corner with this beast and I have to say that is dramatically different now. I just can't tell where the limit is grip-wise anymore
Looks department - lost something here as well...tires just don't look as aggressive and takes something away visually

So i love the DWS set up but i do miss a few things about the Stones...namely that it felt more M-like on the road.

Big question i have is about what to do about not having RFT's anymore? I have the spare kit already in the back but wonder if i should have anything else handy?

How do other's feel?

[Chio]

they will settle in!! you will love them after some miles!

[barcelona]

Perhaps the $150 Space-saver spare might be suitable.

The convenience of a spare tire stowed under the floor providing more trunk room in trunk.

[ice7]

I also have the DWS which I use for the fall and winter time. I think they are the best bang for your buck for all seasons. They are great for snow and colder temperatures but for summer time not as good as the OEMs. OEMS feel wider, has plenty of grip in summer, and has a better stance than the DWS Its a give and take but for all seasons you cant go wrong with the Contis.

[JNoSol]

I got DWS on my X5 for over 22k miles. All "D.W.S." are still on the tires, which is amazing compared to the Duns that lasted 12k miles.

DWS are quieter, better on snow/ice/rain. Due to thinner side walls compared to RFTs, it does flex but do feel confident that they will grip. Try upping the PSi to the "high speed" recommendation, which is around 5-8psi higher.

[Phatcat]

They are lighter than the RFTs, so technically handling should be improved, too bad Michelin don't make PSS in our sizes

[mrpcar]

I recently went through the tire replacement, went with regular tires. They vibrated at a certain speed, only after going back to the original OE Run flat I was able to get rid of the shake.

Just FWIW.

[nachilus]

Originally Posted by mrpcar

I recently went through the tire replacement, went with regular tires. They vibrated at a certain speed, only after going back to the original OE Run flat I was able to get rid of the shake.

Just FWIW.

Since I got my proxies II for a week now I have experienced vibration taking it back for balancing.

[mrpcar]

Originally Posted by nachilus

Since I got my proxies II for a week now I have experienced vibration taking it back for balancing.

That's exactly what I bought, balanced it several times put 1000 miles on them didn't work. Tire shop was nice enough to take them back and put new OE tires back on the car. Shake gone now.

Sticking with OE tires from now on, more expensive but I don't like shakes.

[nachilus]

Originally Posted by mrpcar

That's exactly what I bought, balanced it several times put 1000 miles on them didn't work. Tire shop was nice enough to take them back and put new OE tires back on the car. Shake gone now.

Sticking with OE tires from now on, more expensive but I don't like shakes.

I agree, I am taking my car back to the tire shop tomorrow for one more balance to see if it fixes the issue.

[Rob NY]

My tire shop told me that DWS have problems with shaking. Still looking for a different tire shop to balance my tires one more time before I get other brand (wish PSS would fit our car).

[minnmarker]

I've had the Conti DWS for a year now and could not be happier. They are smoother, quieter, and have better rain and snow traction than the Bridgestone OEM run flats. Snow traction isn't even in the same ball park. Much better with the DWS. And they have to have better wear mileage then the RFT tires. Who's gotten more than 20K out of the OEM tires???

As for flats, one of these will fit into the left compartment by the tail gate - along with some gloves and a hat. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Slime-Road...r-Kit/14254132 AAA card is nice to have too.

For cornering, some of you may have a point that the DWS have a softer sidewall and may not be as responsive - but we are talking about an SUV here.

[Sylvan Lake V35]

Has anyone with balancing issues tried getting a balance done by a road force machine? Or just old school balancers?

[nachilus]

Originally Posted by Sylvan Lake V35

Has anyone with balancing issues tried getting a balance done by a road force machine? Or just old school balancers?

Balance the proxes twice with road force, still the same issue.

They told me to bring it back on Monday, either they fix the issue, or replace the tire brand. At this point I will not invest any more time with balancing, since the tire shop is 20 miles away.

[MonacoJoe]

My experience is still going well. No issues at all with vibration at high speed that i can tell. Tires feel very balanced.

Wondering if the porker weight of the X5 on non rft is the issue and you need to add more tire pressure?

Haven't done a long hwy trip yet but will report back when i do.

[upstate650]

Originally Posted by minnmarker

I've had the Conti DWS for a year now and could not be happier. They are smoother, quieter, and have better rain and snow traction than the Bridgestone OEM run flats. Snow traction isn't even in the same ball park. Much better with the DWS. And they have to have better wear mileage then the RFT tires. Who's gotten more than 20K out of the OEM tires???

As for flats, one of these will fit into the left compartment by the tail gate - along with some gloves and a hat. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Slime-Road...r-Kit/14254132 AAA card is nice to have too.

For cornering, some of you may have a point that the DWS have a softer sidewall and may not be as responsive - but we are talking about an SUV here.

Well I would certainly hope so, seeing as the OEM tires aren't rated for cold weather AT ALL - they are summer tires only!

[mrmomo313]

Whats the point of putting all season tires on your M? I thought the whole reason you bought the M over a regular x5 was for the added performance benefits and then you go an slap some shitty all season rubber on it that is neither good in the dry or wet... " i used to feel 100% confident in taking a corner with this beast and I have to say that is dramatically different now. I just can't tell where the limit is grip-wise anymore" -if thats the case then why'd you do it? I understand having two sets of wheels is more expensive but honestly you are wasting the benefits of the M badge with those all seasons.

[X5MFan]

Just as all seasons make no sense to me, neither does any snow tires over 255 in width. Two sets for your M is the only way to go.

[ND40oz]

I put Latitude Tour HPs on mine a few months after delivery to get it ready for the winter and burnt through the rears in 12k miles. I then replaced them with the DWS's this summer. The DWS's drive much better but they are pain get balanced. Had them rebalanced 2 times since I got them on about 4k miles ago and they're finally right.

The Michelins never had that issue, but the rears weren't XL rated and had a lower load rating (106 vs 110). So you had to run them at higher pressures to get the correct road feel which in turn led to their premature death.

[MonacoJoe]

Originally Posted by mrmomo313

Whats the point of putting all season tires on your M? I thought the whole reason you bought the M over a regular x5 was for the added performance benefits and then you go an slap some shitty all season rubber on it that is neither good in the dry or wet... " i used to feel 100% confident in taking a corner with this beast and I have to say that is dramatically different now. I just can't tell where the limit is grip-wise anymore" -if thats the case then why'd you do it? I understand having two sets of wheels is more expensive but honestly you are wasting the benefits of the M badge with those all seasons.

def a valid point of view. however, i live in downtown nyc and not like i have my own garage. id say i only lost about 5% performance with the tires, gained a ton of benefits and don't have to figure out how to stash two sets of wheels when seasons change. made sense to me maybe not for others. if i lived in the burbs i'd get two cars anyway

[MonacoJoe]

also, i think there is a huge difference buying an M3 or M5 vs. X5M or X6M. If you are buying an M SUV you are going for all-around not pure performance anyway. Trying to get best of both worlds but if i just wanted pure performance and nothing else id get a coupe.

[nachilus]

Originally Posted by nachilus

Balance the proxes twice with road force, still the same issue.

They told me to bring it back on Monday, either they fix the issue, or replace the tire brand. At this point I will not invest any more time with balancing, since the tire shop is 20 miles away.

Update, returning the tires for a full refund and will be getting DWS.