Conti Extremecontact Dws06 or Nokian WRG3 Tires (traction, AWD, best)

[setsuna_f_seiei]

I'm looking for all season tires that perform well in the snow. However, I can't decide between Continental Extremecontact Dws06 or Nokian WRG3 Tires. I've heard the Conti wear better while the Nokian do better in the snow. Please note, snow tire are not an option because I don't have space. What are your thoughts?

[notnamed]

I've used the Contis on a few cars now and love them. Great all season including in snow conditions.

[GregW]

I use Nordman summer tires on my Subaru and four Nokian snow tires in the winter. I rent storage.

[SVTLightning]

I use continental DWS year round. They performed awesome in the snow. It rarely snows here but the one time that traffic was shut down because of it, my neighbor parked her car and jumped in mine. We took back roads all the way home with not one issue.

[wamer27]

I just put on the Continental DWS06 last week. Only all season made for my vehicle, glad I didn't have to buy summer and winters as the total would have been around $3,200 for 8 tires, plus mounting.

[CALGUY]

I have conti's on my Vette, and really like them.
Wearing well, and extremely quiet, which is a big plus.

Bob.

[setsuna_f_seiei]

Thank you for all of the great replies. I think I'll give the Conti a try.

[Nlambert]

I'll also vouch for Continental. I just put a set of my wife's Expedition a few months back and they are holding up extremely well. Our last set also did very well. I believe we got over 60k miles before they were at the wear bars.

[BostonMike7]

I've had two sets of the Conti DSW's, and then a set of the newer DSW06's. I love them. I had them on my AWD G35x and used to go drive around in our New England blizzards and nor'easters without a problem. I had a 30 mile commute to work, and no matter how much snow was on the ground I had no problem getting through it with these tires.


I'm disappointed now because I bought a new car with 19" wheels and they don't make the DSW06 in my size.

[GeoffD]

I have a bunch of ski friends who run the Nokian WR all season tire year-round. They have flatland commutes midweek on dry roads and drive skiing every weekend where they need the traction. I suspect anyone saying Continental has never even heard of Nokian. On the internet, you're not going to hear much about Nokian because they refuse to sell to Tire Rack or the other internet dealers.

I only have one question: Look at the sidewall. The WR has a severe service emblem. The icon of a mountain with a snowflake inside it. It's a real snow tire. Does Continental have that?

I also suggest you look at the siping cuts that shed the water layer when you're driving on black ice in near-freezing temperatures. The WR has the usual Nokian studless friction tire siping cuts.

I run real snow tires in the winter. If I were space or money challenged and could only go with one tire, I'd go with the Nokian WR. For me, I optimize for black ice since that is by far the most dangerous driving condition. If you live in a part of the country that doesn't see it (high altitude mountain driving), it's not much of a consideration.

If you have the winter driving skills, you can get by just fine with pretty much any all season tire for winter driving. A true snow tire with the soft compound gives you the best safety margin. The WR is very good for a 4 season tire and a bit better than the Continental at the winter driving part. It really depends on what you're optimizing for. I optimize for "car pinball" on black ice where I want all the control I can get.