I’ve had that set of Contis on my Mazda3 for about a month now (215/45/18). NVH control is good, but it also depends on what tire you’re moving away from. In my case, the OEM Dunlops were fairly noisy, especially on rough pavement and the freeway. The Continentals on rough pavement create the level of noise that the Dunlops did over smooth pavement. That said, because the road noise has quieted so much, wind noise is now more noticeable. This won’t be as much of an issue in the Kizashi (for anyone reading this with a Kizashi), as it contains more sound deadening from the factory, but it is something to keep in mind. I can’t say for sure about an E90, but I’m assuming like a lot of BMWs that it should have at least decent sound deadening?bootymac wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:44 am
Excellent choice with the AS4s! I'm debating between those or the new Conti DWS06+ for the E90. I'm unlikely to hit either tire's performance ceilings so I'm leaning towards the latter for better NVH (based on TireRack testing: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/ch ... p?ttid=280).
Bumps and road imperfections don’t drive me nuts anymore lol. The Dunlops basically transmitted every little thing. I wouldn’t say the Contis are “cushy” or anything, though. Just well controlled for the most part. I also went over a nasty patch of potholes last week (in the city, not on a freeway) and somehow didn’t ruin any tires. Not sure the Dunlops would have survived.
Grip is good, especially in the dry. It’s at least as good as the Dunlops’ dry grip, which was one of their only pros. Wet grip is good, too, but I still managed to hydroplane on the freeway once or twice during a really bad recent storm, although that part of the road was probably so flooded that any tire would have hydroplaned; had I been in the Dunlops, I probably would have ended up completely spun around on the side of the road like this one Mercedes. I’m assuming it was hydroplaning - the steering kind of just resisted inputs for a brief moment. Kind of scary when the BMW next to you splashes water right on your windshield at the same time, completely obstructing your view for an instant.
I can’t comment on snow grip because I haven’t driven through it, but as you’ve probably read on TR, it’s not bad, but no actual snow tire, either.
Fuel economy took a bit of a hit. One other good thing about the Dunlops was their decent gas mileage. I noticed a drop right away after switching tires (the Mazda has a fuel economy tracker for each individual drive). I’d say maybe 2-3 MPG? Not horrible in a compact car like a Mazda3, but that kind of drop in a car like a Kizashi with already sub-par fuel economy (for today’s standards) would be quite a hit. As for an E90, I’m reading that fuel economy isn’t great to start with, so do with this what you will lol. That said, it’s also a testament to how grippy the Contis are, as there’s usually an inverse relationship between fuel economy and tire grip. I’ve read the Michelins also often cause a drop in FE because they’re very grippy, too, for what it’s worth.
Perhaps my biggest issue with the Contis is the lack of on-center steering feel. You may have read about this on TR, and it is real. It reminds me of what I experienced in the Kizashi, which I thought at the time was the car. Turns out it must’ve been the bargain tires (Acceleras); I wish I had put some better tires on to get the full Kizashi driving experience. The Dunlops had amazing steering feel, and was their best aspect. The Contis have decent/good feel outside of on-center. Steering effort is a bit lighter than the Dunlops, which is okay, but I liked the heavy effort from the OEMs. I’d say the on-center feel isn’t quite as bad as my old Acceleras, and I’ve mostly gotten used to it. However, I might look into a different tire next time, in search of that better on-center feel.
Overall, I would say the Contis are a great tire, but if fuel economy and on-center steering feel are a priority at all, you might want to look elsewhere. I’m sure there are tires that offer good NVH, good fuel economy, and overall steering feel. I wish we could trial tires like we can test drive cars. Some brands sort of offer that, but it sounds like it could be a hassle.
I’m thinking of Vredestein Quatrac Pro for my next tire, years away. Said to be very quiet and comfortable, but still very grippy. It’s not a UHPAS tire, but it seems to drive like one, with the comfort of a grand touring tire. I’ll have to look into it more, but it’s a very good tire that’s also a good deal compared to Michelin and the other big names. I didn’t get it this time because it’s not as widely available as Continentals are.