DarinS4Turbo

I have summer tires so I have to order something that will work in a winter with occasional light snow and cold but often dry roads. In these conditions I wonder how close in performance the DWS is to a performance winter tire like the Pilot Alpin PA4.

I understand the PA4 will do better in snow (even though the DWS does well in snow for an UHP all-season) but on dry roads of say 40-50 degree temps, which is going to have better handling and traction - will the DWS?

snagitseven

I just mounted a set of the new Conti DWS 06 which replaces the old DWS. Conti claims they have improved handling with a stiffer sidewall (the old ones I found to be mushy in the corner), new longer tread life and better snow performance. While it's too soon to test in snow, I'm very impressed with the handling and wet grip. Also, I'm very pleased with the comfort and and quietness of the ride compared to my Bridgestone RE970AS UHP all seasons which were no slouch (except for light snow where they fell quite short). So far, the DWS 06 outperform the old DWS I prev had on my 09 A4 in every way. If I get even longer tread life out of them and equal snow performance, the DWS 06 will be a real winner.

Here's an initial review I did last month:
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...tires-2887991/

While UHP all seasons cannot compete with dedicated snow tires for the deep stuff, the DWS series has always rated at the top for up to 4" of snow performance in their category. If you won't be driving in more snow than that, I think you will be much happier with the DWS 06 - they will have much better handling on the wet and dry plus quieter than a snow tire for winter. You might even decide to keep them on all year round.

Gary@Tirerack.com

The Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 is a great tire in snow for an Ultra High Performance All-Season tire, but it is a noticeable step down in snow and ice traction from a dedicated winter tire (even a performance winter tire).

snagitseven

Gary, to clarify, the OP mentioned light snow in his area and was looking for the best performance in the dry during the winter. I have to believe that the DWS 06 will be a better performer on the dry and probaly quieter than a dedicated snow tire. No argument that if frequently dealing with over 4" of snow, dedicated tires will outperform any A/S.

BTW, so far I'm loving the DWS 06 you guys sold me. So much nicer than the old ones and almost as good in handling the RE970AS I got from Tire Rack three years ago while being quieter and a better ride. I'm sure they will outperform the RE970AS in light snow.

DarinS4Turbo

That's right - I know the performance snow has a compound designed for cold temps but on a 40 degree day in the wet/dry I'm curious which does better.

snagitseven

Dedicated snows are designed with a softer, blockier tread for traction and grip in the snow. That's one reason that dedicated snow tires have a shorter tread life. In the dry or wet, it's doubtful they can compete with an UHP A/S tire at any temperature.

Reggie

Yep

I put Conti DWS on my 011' Q5 (20" rims) when I first got it. I went through the winter with much distraught - as I had some harrowing times on Rabbit ears pass and a huge snow and ice storm from Colorado to Seattle. Though the tires never lost traction they never felt glued to the road. I ended up using them for my summers and went out and bought 19" rims and snow tires for winter use.

Jiggie

Living in wyoming I've used both dedicated snow tires and the dws. I had the dws on my Nissan sentra that is fwd and it was lowered pretty good. Drove from here to my home town in ks in a blizzard and the car never skipped a beat. But on my Subaru's I always ran a dedicated snow tire on my stock wheels. Mostly because they were awd and I could get places that I wouldn't dare go in my fwd.