Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Review & Rating for 2024

Gone are the days when tires are just mere pieces of radial rubber. The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is proof that it is possible to merge excellent all-season performance in a sporty and comfortable package. Fortunately in this review, we have the right car for the job.

The car I’m talking about is a 2015 Lexus IS 350. Yes, this car is no better than the BMW 3-Series, but it manages to offer the right amount of sportiness and luxury in a compact package. Our test vehicle came with stock 17-inch wheels and relatively new Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 tires. The owner of the vehicle is a good friend of mine who is planning to sell the car. It was in pretty good shape and the interior is still practically brand new. The owner also told me the current Continental tires are simply the best ever fitted to his Lexus. He handed over the keys, shook hands, and told him I will try to find a prospective buyer during my test drive. I also promised to fill up the tank with gas since I felt I was going to drive this Lexus a bit more aggressively than the usual test drive.

The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is an ultra-high performance all-season tire for sports coupes, sports cars, performance sedans, and sporty trucks. This is the tire to buy if you demand year-round driving performance even on slushy or icy terrain.

The tire is manufactured utilizing an advanced silica-enhanced all-season tread compound. Continental’s Sport Plus Technology and +Silane additives are also utilized to deliver advanced levels of traction on wet and snowy roads along with great treadlife. With an asymmetrical tread design equipped with chamfered edges and traction grooves to provide outstanding grip on dry roads and enhanced traction over snow.

The ExtremeContact DWS06 also comes with innovative QuickView Indicators to prevent irregular wear. Simply put, the tire will tell you if uneven wear is detected due to suspension or alignment problems. The tire also comes with Tuned Performance Indicators which consist of visible letters molded into the second rib from the outboard shoulder. A visible DWS indicator means the tire is ready for any type of terrain, whether on dry tarmac, wet concrete, or ice-covered roads. When the S indicator wears out, it means the tire only has appropriate tread depth to tackle dry or wet roads. If the W and S indicators have worn away, the tire is trying to tell you that it is only good for dry roads only.

Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 review: Test Drive

I only got the chance to test the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 over dry and wet roads. However, the owner gave me a handful of stories about the performance of the tires over deep or moderate snow. Like I said, the car looked brand new, and it drove like a new car, too. The standard eight-speed automatic reacted like a dual-clutch tranny as I stepped hard on the gas, while the standard rear-wheel drivetrain gave the car a more sporting and linear feel over curves.

Dry Traction

The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 felt magnificent over dry tarmac. In fact, it gave the Lexus a more sporting feel. If you know anything about cars, then you are probably aware of the sanitized nature of Lexus vehicles. But with the ExtremeContact DWS06 tires, my test vehicle felt like it was riding on slicks as I sped on the highway. The steering felt communicative too, which is in contrast to the rather dull nature of the tiller when fitted with the stock tires.

Wet Traction

The ExtremeContact DWS06 also felt magical over wet roads. I didn’t notice the tires slipping or skidding even as I was purposely trying to coerce the rear wheels to break traction. Mind you, I was doing this on an empty stretch of winding backroads. It’s suffice to say this tire is one of the best tires I have ever tested on the wet.

Snow Traction

Like I said, I didn’t get the chance to drive over snowy roads. But the owner of my test vehicle specifically told me the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 tires were the best he ever tried. He also told me the tires were good enough even over moderately deep snow. He even took the Lexus to Canada to attend a wedding and he encountered no problems as he drove or slick and icy terrain.

Comfort

I know for a fact the Lexus IS 350 is a comfortable cruiser. The ExtremeContact DWS06 tires managed to further enhance the touring comfort of my test vehicle. I know this is hard to believe, but it really felt like I was riding on higher profile tires as I drove over pockmarked city roads.

Noise

Noise levels were extremely low even as I drove over harsh concrete roads. Credit is due to the magnificent refinement of the Lexus, but the tires were able to tone down the low-pitched roar of ordinary tires in high speed driving.

Treadwear

The tires fitted to my test vehicle were still fresh even though they were more than 3 months old. However, I noticed the S indicator slowly fading into obscurity. Perhaps this is the low point of the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06. Other reviewers were also critical of the tread life of the tires.