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      10-21-2012, 09:53 AM   #1
JNoSol
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Tire Review - Continental ExtremeContact DWS

I have a 2012 X5 35i Sport, which came with the Dunlop RFTs. At 15k miles, the front tires were completely bald on the outer sides. I decided to replace them with a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS (non-RFT) and got an alignment at the BMW dealership to be safe. My dealership was able to fill the new tires with Nitrogen at no additional charge, woo-hoo.

After the tires are installed, it feels like I'm driving another vehicle. The road noise has completely vanished and the ride is much more comfortable. The non-RFTs are significantly lighter than the Dunlop RFTs, so I can feel a few HP being freed up due to the reduced unsprung weight. With the stiff RFT sidewalls gone, I can feel a bit more flex but the traded comfort and reduced noise level are worth it. The wet and dry grip feels about the same, but other reviewers are saying these Contis are much better on the snow.

With a combination of an alignment, the car no longer pulls to the left. It's been pulling to the left since the day I bought it up until I got these new tires with an alignment. Either the factory never aligned the X5s or the Dunlop's tread was forcing the vehicle to pull to the left, the world may never know.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the purchase. The lower replacement cost, reduced noise level, more comfortable ride, more power feel due to less unsprung weight, and longer tread life should make this switch a no brainer for other X5 owners.

BMW: Please stop installing crappy Dunlops on the X5, they’re crap and not worth $500/tire.

Note: Before the service, I pulled all the wheels off the car and power wash the back side of the of wheels. This removes brake dust build up that may cause a poor wheel/tire balance. Also, cleaner wheels = better balance weight adhesion.
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Last edited by JNoSol; 10-21-2012 at 11:44 AM.. Reason: Added Photos
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      10-21-2012, 02:40 PM   #2
ndabunka
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Thanks for the review. I negotiated a tire swap from the Dunlop RFTs when I bought mine. However, the dealer did not have any in stock but did say he would order me a set and they would swap them for me (For an additional $140 they are taking my $2K Dunlop RFTs & installing $1K worth of DWSs on my new X5 35d....) so your review helps me in confirming that it may be well worth it to give up those extra $'s. I did this because my primary reason for buying this vehicle is to use it as a snow-covered mountain climber for the ski season

However, I do have a question for you... Where did you get your space saver spare kit from and how much did you pay? The dealer is saying that they have to "piece it together" as there (apparently) is no single BMW part number for the kit. I have seen them available on eBay for around $285 but also heard that the dealers price will likely be around $380 but they haven't (yet) given me a price for parting it together.

Thanks in advance for your additional details,
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      10-21-2012, 03:23 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JNoSol View Post
I have a 2012 X5 35i Sport, which came with the Dunlop RFTs. At 15k miles, the front tires were completely bald on the outer sides. I decided to replace them with a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS (non-RFT) and got an alignment at the BMW dealership to be safe. My dealership was able to fill the new tires with Nitrogen at no additional charge, woo-hoo.

After the tires are installed, it feels like I'm driving another vehicle. The road noise has completely vanished and the ride is much more comfortable. The non-RFTs are significantly lighter than the Dunlop RFTs, so I can feel a few HP being freed up due to the reduced unsprung weight. With the stiff RFT sidewalls gone, I can feel a bit more flex but the traded comfort and reduced noise level are worth it. The wet and dry grip feels about the same, but other reviewers are saying these Contis are much better on the snow.

With a combination of an alignment, the car no longer pulls to the left. It's been pulling to the left since the day I bought it up until I got these new tires with an alignment. Either the factory never aligned the X5s or the Dunlop's tread was forcing the vehicle to pull to the left, the world may never know.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the purchase. The lower replacement cost, reduced noise level, more comfortable ride, more power feel due to less unsprung weight, and longer tread life should make this switch a no brainer for other X5 owners.

BMW: Please stop installing crappy Dunlops on the X5, they’re crap and not worth $500/tire.

Note: Before the service, I pulled all the wheels off the car and power wash the back side of the of wheels. This removes brake dust build up that may cause a poor wheel/tire balance. Also, cleaner wheels = better balance weight adhesion.
Thanks for posting. I'm getting my DWS in a few weeks after about the same mileage on my crappy Duns.

Great pics. But could you take another pic of the full rear? Are you happy with the look of the rears--width wise? Despite being 315s, the Contis are rounder and "appear" a bit skinner.
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      10-21-2012, 09:08 PM   #4
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Hi ndabunka, congrats on your new 35d. I don't have a space saver spare kit. I check my tire pressure twice a month and visually inspect them during fuel up. My experience is if you do run over a nail, it's usually a slow leak which the TPMS can detect. Once a leak is detected, you should have plenty of time to get it patched. Since the Contis are non-RFTs, your tire shop can patch them easily.

For long road trips I have a jack, a can of fix-a-flat, and 12v air pump with me. Tires don't just blow up on the highway like they used to. Just check your tire pressure regularly and avoid running over any road debris.
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      10-21-2012, 09:26 PM   #5
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Hi Kief, great choice. It's going to feel like a better BMW once you get the Continental DWS. These tires look slightly, just slightly, skinnier compared to the Duns. Since it doesn't have the stiff RFT side walls, it does appear a tiny bit rounder on the sides. However, you cannot tell unless you look at them very hard.

Overall, I'm very happy with the tread pattern and the rim protector.
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      10-21-2012, 10:38 PM   #6
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what tire pressure you guys have front and back?
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      10-21-2012, 11:55 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JNoSol View Post
. At 15k miles, the front tires were completely bald on the outer sides. ..

..With a combination of an alignment, the car no longer pulls to the left. .
I would say you had a legitimate claim to have them pay for your bald tires, if it's been pulling to the left since day one and got never fixed.
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      10-22-2012, 06:20 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JNoSol View Post
Hi Kief, great choice. It's going to feel like a better BMW once you get the Continental DWS. These tires look slightly, just slightly, skinnier compared to the Duns. Since it doesn't have the stiff RFT side walls, it does appear a tiny bit rounder on the sides. However, you cannot tell unless you look at them very hard.

Overall, I'm very happy with the tread pattern and the rim protector.
Thanks JNoSol!
Not to be a PIA, but anyway to take the pic from the angle in my pic?
I have no doubts the Contis will be great. I just think I'm going to miss the aggressive, block-look of the Duns.
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      10-22-2012, 09:12 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by howiedds View Post
what tire pressure you guys have front and back?
I just go by what is recommended on the label in driver side door jam. In the summer, I ask the BMW technicians to fill up Nitrogen to the higher of the two. In the winter, I ask the BMW technicians to fill up Nitrogen to the lower of the two.

My PSI label has 2 PSI fill up recommendations. One is for high speed/high load and one is for normal driving (below 80mph and normal load).
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      10-22-2012, 09:17 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serge1 View Post
I would say you had a legitimate claim to have them pay for your bald tires, if it's been pulling to the left since day one and got never fixed.
I think other forum members have tried it. However, BMW claims that it is normal so your words vs theirs. It's not pulling anymore, I can even let go of the steering wheel at high and low speed (testing purposes only, I don't endorse this activity).

From experience, I will negotiate non-RF Contis and an alignment on my next BMW purchase. The cost difference between the two tires should cover the alignment cost, so I don't see why they would argue with me.
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      10-22-2012, 10:13 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JNoSol View Post
I think other forum members have tried it. However, BMW claims that it is normal so your words vs theirs. It's not pulling anymore, I can even let go of the steering wheel at high and low speed (testing purposes only, I don't endorse this activity).

From experience, I will negotiate non-RF Contis and an alignment on my next BMW purchase. The cost difference between the two tires should cover the alignment cost, so I don't see why they would argue with me.
The Dunlops are about TWICE as expensive as the DWS tires yet the dealers will still charge $140 to do the swap (for services). Not certain what they end up doing with the original Dunlops but 'selling them for a profit" is probably the answer.
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      10-22-2012, 12:48 PM   #12
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I see a few posts for touting the Toyo Proxies. I may not need the all season features here in Houston. Any comments by those running tires other than the Dunlops on the 20" staggered rims??
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      10-22-2012, 01:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by supra_stan View Post
I see a few posts for touting the Toyo Proxies. I may not need the all season features here in Houston. Any comments by those running tires other than the Dunlops on the 20" staggered rims??
I was looking at the Toyos, but a few were commenting a humming noise at low speed. I can tell you that the Contis are quiet, almost too quiet like my F10. The noise level went from a scale of 10 to nearly 1, comparably speaking.

I sure hope Continental send me free tires for all these posts.

Here are the Contis' pros:
1. You can rotate the wheels, left to right since the treads are assymetic = Longer tire life.
2. Quiet at all speed to my experience and others who have them installed.
3. Made for luxury vehicles so you can expect the quality and confort

As for All-Season tires and Houston, it doesn't matter if Houston doesn't snow. You can use All-Seasons even if you don't have 4 seasons. Houston temp can sometimes drop below 45 as we saw a couple years ago, where you really wish you had all-season rubber. Summer/Wet tires will not grip as well on colder days.
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      10-22-2012, 09:35 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kief View Post
Thanks JNoSol!
Not to be a PIA, but anyway to take the pic from the angle in my pic?
I have no doubts the Contis will be great. I just think I'm going to miss the aggressive, block-look of the Duns.
Here are more photos. I would trade the block-look for better ride quality any day of the week, but that's just me.
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      10-23-2012, 08:59 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JNoSol View Post
Here are more photos. I would trade the block-look for better ride quality any day of the week, but that's just me.
Thanks again for the pics.
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      10-25-2012, 08:52 PM   #16
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1k Miles Update, just came back from a quick road trip. Tires are still super quiet and performed nicely during heavy down pours. I can't wait for snow.
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      10-25-2012, 08:53 PM   #17
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Quote:
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Thanks again for the pics.
NP. Good luck on your decision.
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      10-25-2012, 10:00 PM   #18
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I've had the continental conticomfort kit in my 3 series for a few years. it is a compressor and sealant. The compressor can be used by itself without using the sealant if you need it. You can find it on tirerack for 80 bucks.

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38
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      10-26-2012, 10:02 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krmartin View Post
I've had the continental conticomfort kit in my 3 series for a few years. it is a compressor and sealant. The compressor can be used by itself without using the sealant if you need it. You can find it on tirerack for 80 bucks.

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38
Very nice. I might have to look into it.
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      10-26-2012, 08:01 PM   #20
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Conti DWS are great tires. They're a good value, and perform well under various conditions. One of the car mags did a comparison a few months ago, and the DWS came in first place for the wet performance test. I'll put them on my X5M when the Bridgestones wear out.

That said, the Duelers are not too shabby if you WANT to run RFT's. On my old Jeep SRT8, I got stuck with the Goodyear EMT's. On a vehicle without ride control, it was an absolutely jarring ride on an imperfect road surface. But that wasn't even the biggest concern. It came to light when I had a well-cared-for tire blow out while I was driving 60 mph. I ran my hand over the completely flat RFT and sliced my fingers on steel belts protruding on the inside corner. After a visit to the SRT board, I read that scores of people had the same experience. If they had produced them in larger quantities there would have been a class action filed by a lot of angry owners with ruined low mileage tires that cost $500+.

I went with Conti's and never looked back. My only regret was not converting on the first day. I bought a slime/compressor kit for the extra piece of mind.
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      10-27-2012, 09:32 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by imahobo View Post
On my old Jeep SRT8, I got stuck with the Goodyear EMT's. On a vehicle without ride control, it was an absolutely jarring ride on an imperfect road surface. But that wasn't even the biggest concern. It came to light when I had a well-cared-for tire blow out while I was driving 60 mph. I ran my hand over the completely flat RFT and sliced my fingers on steel belts protruding on the inside corner. After a visit to the SRT board, I read that scores of people had the same experience. If they had produced them in larger quantities there would have been a class action filed by a lot of angry owners with ruined low mileage tires that cost $500+.
Sounds like another Ford Explorer recall. I hope Jeep and Goodyear will do the right thing for the SRT8 owners. Sometimes they don't issue a recall until the issue make tragic headlines.
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      10-27-2012, 10:30 AM   #22
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Here is the link to the Conti DWS review that was done by Tire Rack


Here is a technical video of WHY it does SO well in the snow...
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