Continental Terraincontact A/T

[snow_bound26]

Trying to decide on tires and with prices the way they are at the moment, I am considering A/T tires, specifically the ones mentioned in the title. Has anyone here had any experience with them? Reviews for fuel economy, snow performance and ride quality seem quite good. I have the diesel model so fuel economy is fairly important to me. And yes I know A/T tires in general have worse fuel economy than all season or summer tires. However, these tires will cost about $1100 vs a new set of all seasons, and a separate set of winter tires and rims which would cost about $3000 all said and done. So, anyone with any experience with this tires, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[TRENDSETTER]

I'll say first off I have no experoence whatsoever with that particular tire. Also you already stated the fact of the mileage deal with that particular style of tire. I will just put the thought out there though that the 65% ish savings vs buying a seperate set of winters and summers will depend on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. If you plan to keep it a long time the other set will pay for itself over time especialy if you do the change over yourself. You cpuld save even more if you bought generic winter wheels for those tires. Then again if you want some real factory or aftermarket decent looking wheel and whatnot that would make a difference too. So sorry no real world advice on the specif tire here but some food for thought.

[snow_bound26]

Originally Posted by SmarterThanYouLook

I'll say first off I have no experoence whatsoever with that particular tire. Also you already stated the fact of the mileage deal with that particular style of tire. I will just put the thought out there though that the 65% ish savings vs buying a seperate set of winters and summers will depend on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. If you plan to keep it a long time the other set will pay for itself over time especialy if you do the change over yourself. You cpuld save even more if you bought generic winter wheels for those tires. Then again if you want some real factory or aftermarket decent looking wheel and whatnot that would make a difference too. So sorry no real world advice on the specif tire here but some food for thought.

Yes I do all my own tire rotations and 90% of maintenance. I am already considering that side of potential savings. But there are a lack of wheel options for these under $300p/wheel since nothing smaller than 18" will clear the brakes and they need to be strong enough for the extra load. I'm hesitant to buy used factory wheels to save money since you never know if there any any bends/dents until it's too late unless I can find something local to look at first.

[CarFan]

Originally Posted by snow_bound26

Trying to decide on tires and with prices the way they are at the moment, I am considering A/T tires, specifically the ones mentioned in the title. Has anyone here had any experience with them? Reviews for fuel economy, snow performance and ride quality seem quite good. I have the diesel model so fuel economy is fairly important to me. And yes I know A/T tires in general have worse fuel economy than all season or summer tires. However, these tires will cost about $1100 vs a new set of all seasons, and a separate set of winter tires and rims which would cost about $3000 all said and done. So, anyone with any experience with this tires, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have you considered the Michelin CrossClimate? A set would run nearly $1300 but they would give you the fuel economy/ride of an All-season tire with unmatched snow/ice protection when needed.

FYI, we're planning on getting a set for our RWD Mercedes sedan.

[TRENDSETTER]

What area are you from CarFan? Just wondering comparable climate to where I live in Saskatchewan. When the day comes I need tires you made those sound like a definite option. We have a lot of snow and ice and cold weather and I want a good tire but not spmething that looks like it belongs on my lifted Duramax

[snow_bound26]

Originally Posted by CarFan

Have you considered the Michelin CrossClimate? A set would run nearly $1300 but they would give you the fuel economy/ride of an All-season tire with unmatched snow/ice protection when needed.

FYI, we're planning on getting a set for our RWD Mercedes sedan.

Which version? Looks like Michelin has 3 options on their website

[CarFan]

Originally Posted by TRENDSETTER

What area are you from CarFan? Just wondering comparable climate to where I live in Saskatchewan. When the day comes I need tires you made those sound like a definite option. We have a lot of snow and ice and cold weather and I want a good tire but not spmething that looks like it belongs on my lifted Duramax

Mostly in DC suburbs, but other times near Houston. Not as much snow in Canada, but enough that a RWD could still be manageable with CrossClimates even without 4wd.

[wcs531]

1. Since you're looking for all around usage in Utah, I would at the very least look at something that is "Severe Snow Service Rated" which I don't think those are.

2. Most AT/Light Truck tires don't come in any factory e70 sizes. Not the end of the world, but you just have to be mindful of rubbing on the carrier where it connects to the upper wishbone. I believe I've seen people getting away with 30.5" of rolling diameter without rubbing but search around to be sure.

[snow_bound26]

Originally Posted by wcs531

1. Since you're looking for all around usage in Utah, I would at the very least look at something that is "Severe Snow Service Rated" which I don't think those are.

2. Most AT/Light Truck tires don't come in any factory e70 sizes. Not the end of the world, but you just have to be mindful of rubbing on the carrier where it connects to the upper wishbone. I believe I've seen people getting away with 30.5" of rolling diameter without rubbing but search around to be sure.

Yes I've researched the max total diameter these can handle. This tire comes in a 255/55-19 which has a 30" rolling diameter. 1" larger than stock. As far as snow performance, there are A/T tires with the 3 peak stamp but that is only because they decided to put the tire through the testing. However, that test isn't the be all end all when it comes to snow performance. I have read a few reviews that discuss the snow performance of these tires and some mention that they are close the BF Goodrich All Terrain K02 which all other A/T tires are ranked against. I'm more concerned with fuel consumption and road noise.

[TRENDSETTER]

Keep in mind snow bound size and type/class can and will affect the same tire in a different version. BFG AT tako's in an 8 ply are completely different traction wise as the BFG AT tako's in a 10 ply. So just be sure to weigh the apples to apples when comparing and keep that in mind. Just mentioning that so you can take that in to account when you get all your opinions and make your own informed decision

[wcs531]

From what I found they were NOT severe snow service rated, which is represented by the 3 peak stamp. I just double checked continentals site to make sure I wasn't going crazy and the Continentals have a similar looking symbol with "TractionPlus" listed which is a Contintenal trademark. Seems a little misleading on Continentals part if you ask me since the symbols look so similar.

I guess if they are similar to the BFG tires which are severe snow rated then it doesn't really matter though.

Unfortunately I can't speak to added noise or lowered MPG, but the larger rolling diameter should help offset lost MPG a tiny bit since our diesels have such poor gearing for highway cruising.

[Spyro235]

I'll begin with the highlight: NO AT TIRE IS GOOD IN THE SNOW ON PAVED ROADS! If anyone says they are, they haven't run actual quality winter tires.

Hi- I have a 35D with 310kn miles on it. I've gone through tires. Right now, I have the severe service rated Falken Wildpeak AT3W in 265/60-18. Theya re well known as the "best" AT in the snow.... But compare to winters, they were downright scary. If you want a true "do it all" tire, Buy Michelin Defender LTX M/S's. Flat out, best SUV/ light truck tire out there. I got my mpg record on them (33.3 over 600+ miles on one tank)and they are wonderful to tow with, great in the rain, and the absolute best all season I've ever driven in the snow. I bought them for both of my parent's vehicles, and when my AT3W's wear out, I will likely put them on my X5 again. I run dedicated snows for the winter, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV's, but the Michelins are MORE than sufficient to be safe and secure in even a foot of snow.

In reality, My Wildpeaks have decreased my MPG by about 1mpg, but that's not much for the security and sidewall protection they afford when I do stupid things with my X5. I definitely hear them- call it a 5-10% increase in road noise with the windows up, and they're only about 15k miles worn, maybe 20k. They're getting louder as they wear.

The defenders are significant quieter, better in the snow, and more fuel efficient. All around, they sound like the tire you need.