Author Topic: Consumer Reports, Nov 2010 - Tire Ratings (and Batteries) (Read 8039 times)

TomatoSoup · « **on:** October 13, 2010, 09:55:10 AM »

Reading this month's 'Consumer Retorts' they have a comparison of High Perf Summer, High Perf All Season and Winter tires. Whether or not you believe in the reliability/quality of CR reports, this one was interesting to me in that the Conti DSW's (what I have on my car) ended up highly rated in the All Season category. For those of you who don't subscribe, I scanned the article and incl as a PDF (low res, so apologies for the quality).

In related news, they also did a test on Auto Batteries. I didn't scan it because it doesn't include our size, but where they were tested, the Sears Platinum's came top of their groups by a clear margin. D*mn, I guess the goat-meister was right again (just hate when that happens)

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2010, 10:05:16 AM »

Love my DWS

Quote from: CR Online

On snowy and icy roads, an inexpensive high-performance tire gets the best reviews: the Continental ExtremeContact DWS (*Est. $100). No all-season tire does a better job on wintry roads in a recent TireRack.com test at the Arctic Circle. The previous version -- the Continental ContiExtremeContact (*Est. $100), which is still on the market -- had already outperformed all other all-season tires on snow and ice in another leading test. Consumers at TireRack.com report that the new ExtremeContact DWS handles winter roads even more confidently than its highly rated predecessor, while still maintaining very good scores in every other category -- dry roads, wet roads, noise, comfort and treadwear.

Reviewers particularly like a simple but unique feature of the ExtremeContact DWS (which stands for dry, wet and snow). Continental has molded the letters D, W and S into the tread. When the S wears off, you know the tire has lost the ability to perform optimally in snow. When the W goes, you've lost your best wet-weather traction, and so forth. The Continental ExtremeContact DWS carries a 50,000-mile tread life warranty.

When TireRack.com experts left the Arctic Circle and tested the ExtremeContact DWS on wet and dry roads, it placed a very close second to the Pirelli P Zero Nero All-Season (*Est. $130). However, testers didn't even bother hauling the Pirelli to the Arctic Circle; TireRack.com customers posting their own reviews to the website say it's nowhere near as good as the ExtremeContact DWS on ice and snow.

http://www.consumersearch.com/tires/high-performance-tires

smartin · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2010, 10:16:02 AM »

Thanks, TS!

I do see my Goodyear Eagle GTs UHP A/S. I guess they were rated okay. I like them nonetheless.

U4EA · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2010, 10:25:06 AM »

Put the DWS CONTIS on the wife's Mustang GT 2 months ago and she is getting 2 miles per gallon better gas milage, + she says the car rides much smoother!

NormSky · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2010, 10:29:18 AM »

Interesting that Blizzak snow tire finished mid pack. Don't tell TireRack!

Most of the tires are within spitting distance in measured results and price will play the deciding factor in most cases as buying seasons are sensitive.

Thanks for sharing. I'll send to my car buddies/anti-CR crowd for further dissection.

DickW · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2010, 04:14:14 PM »

I have the Contis on my GXP. They are great.
The only thing wrong with the CR report is the price. For our cars they are around $200.00 each plus mounting and balancing. But well worth every penny.

Yogi · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2010, 04:35:54 PM »

Interesting stuff, Soup! Thanks for sharing!

Kelu · « **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2010, 04:48:52 PM »

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position (which I have from factory on my GT) on 10th position and Dunlops Star Spec on 12th position????

GoodYear Eagle F1 Asymmetric and Dunlop Maxx GT better than Michelins SP2????

All I can say: Yeah sure

Sly Bob · « **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2010, 05:13:10 PM »

Remember Kelu that the ratings are based on other factors than shear performance. Thanks for posting it Tomato Soup. I'd be interested to see what they have to say about the batteries.

Kelu · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2010, 05:21:46 PM »

Bob enlighten me, the title says "Ratings High Performance Tires" but "the ratings are based on other factors than shear performance"

english language has changed????

They rate what about high performance tires other than performance? Why they titled that way than?

Sly Bob · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2010, 05:39:16 PM »

You have to know "Consumer Reports". You always have to take what they say with a grain of salt.

NormSky · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2010, 05:48:19 PM »

Kelu, Bob speaks the truth!

TomatoSoup · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2010, 05:58:43 PM »

Kelu, the overall rating is just that. It is a combination of the other columns in the tables... dry & wet braking, handling, road noise, comfort, tread wear, etc. Each multiplied by a fudge factor, that only CR knows, to get the final score. Your overall scores might well be different based on what floats your particular boat. (I believe that CR is staffed by fuddy-duddies with pocket protectors and horn-rimmed glasses, so read everything they do with that in mind

)

If you want tires that are good at some particular parameter(s), you need to just look in those columns in the table. That's why (for instance) the Nitto has the best dry handling in the All-season category, but is middle of the pack overall.

Kelu · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:26:39 AM »

TomatoSoup: I appreciated your sharing, I love to see things like that from US because is hard for europeans to see in US yard, but I'm a little disappointed about that chart, I understand what you mean but still ... is far from the reality which I know it.

Sly Bob: So specialized tests are more "appropriate" to what I'm talking than CR?

Guys do you realize that you are saying that US Consumers are weird?

Or am I the weird one?

Sly Bob · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2010, 05:26:59 AM »

Quote from: Kelu on October 14, 2010, 03:26:39 AM

Guys do you realize that you are saying that US Consumers are weird? Or am I the weird one?

I'm Canadian so it definately can't be me...

TomatoSoup · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2010, 09:02:14 AM »

Quote from: Sly Bob on October 14, 2010, 05:26:59 AM

I'm Canadian so it definately can't be me...

I'm an (ex-Pat) Brit, so it can't be me either

Critterman · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:27:46 PM »

It's me, I'm the one responsible.

Kelu · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2010, 04:59:03 PM »

Quote from: Critterman on October 14, 2010, 03:27:46 PM

It's me, I'm the one responsible.

like always

Sol Asylum · « **Reply #18 on:** October 14, 2010, 07:26:50 PM »

Wow Critter that's got to be a new experience. What's it like to be responsible?

Critterman · « **Reply #19 on:** October 14, 2010, 07:39:38 PM »

I'm still trying to get my head around it SA

Sol Asylum · « **Reply #20 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:58:33 PM »

Well you won't be seeing me drink that Koolaid any time soon, I'm gonna stay irresponsible as long as I can.

Gentleman Jack · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2010, 12:44:31 AM »

Hey could someone google the word "responsible" for me? I've never heard of that word before.

GJ
confused

old goat · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2010, 10:14:34 AM »

What kind of car were they using? The one in the picture? Front or rear wheel drive makes a big difference, they rated most of them the same so the break down of what each does best is what's interesting to me.

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Author Topic: Consumer Reports, Nov 2010 - Tire Ratings (and Batteries) (Read 8039 times)