Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Review [2023 Updated]

By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen

Were you searching all over the Internet for an unbiased, in-depth Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 review?

You have come to the right place!

I have worked in the tire industry for nine-plus years. I have done it all, from installing tires to selling them. I know what people like, don’t like, and genuinely want when searching for their car’s next set of tires. That is why I offer the best tire reviews available on the Internet.

Today I will do an in-depth review of the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, an ultra-high performance all-season tire. Continental manufactures it in a wide range of tire sizes that fit everything from sports cars to SUVs.

Continental is a German-based rubber manufacturer supplying everything from tires to the souls of shoes. Continental claims that the DWS06 will provide improved dry and wet traction, snow and ice performance, and exceptional tread life.

Let’s see exactly how well it does!

Feel free to jump to any of the sections below for an in-depth aspect.

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Pros

Cons

Ratings

4.0

3.5

4.0

3.0

3.5

4.5

3.0

4.0

3.5

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Hydroplaning:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Value For $$$:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Traction - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

Since the ExtremeContact DWS06 is an ultra-high-performance all-season, you cant expect that it will have the best traction when it comes to dry, wet, and snow. I am entirely impressed with how well they handle these weather conditions, and typically a UHP loses traction due to the low profile design and short tread depth.

In the wet handling, you will feel like there is no road too wet for these tires to handle. Combining Continental’s SportPlus technology with +silane additives into the silica tread compound allows the tread blocks to remain flexible and suck water up into the sipes.

I have heard from customers that it feels safer in wet weather than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+.

Light snow traction is essential for anyone living in climates that have white winters. Let me tell you that this tire will not disappoint if you need to drive your Audi Q7 to the grocery store in the middle of a snowstorm. No problem for these guys.

I want to make clear that these are not winter tires and will not perform under severe cold weather for long periods.

The snow traction is top-notch thanks to the X-sipes in the middle of the tread, but unfortunately, it won’t last forever. Snow is the first category of traction you lose as the tire wears out.

Don’ worry; Continental manufactures tuned performance indicators into the tread. Along the second row of tread blocks, you will see the letters D-W-S, this stand for Dry-Wet-Snow. As you wear the tire out, you will first see the S disappear first. The tire no longer has safe snow traction when that S is gone. Then it’s pretty self-explanatory how the other two letters work.

Dry traction does lack in comparison to wet and snow, but those are because of the asymmetric tread design with a ton of siping. While all the siping is great for wet and icy road conditions, it does not help when the roads are dry.

Having so much siping in a tire can lead to the tread blocks flexing too much when in an emergency braking situation. When the tread block has too much flex, it will tend to skip on the road, increasing the likely hood you will rear end that car in front of you.

While the dry traction was not as good as the wet and snow, I still rated it highly because, compared to other all-season UHP tires, it is much better suited for year-round conditions.

If you were looking for a tire that provides the best dry traction, I would recommend going with a UHP Summer tire like the Continental ExtremeContact Sport.

Traction Rating: 4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Comfort - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

Regarding ride comfort, from the TerrainContact A/T to the ExtremeContact Sport, Continental knows how to make a comfortable tire. This makes sense since they are a German-based rubber company, and German car manufacturers have some of the most comfortable riding vehicles on the market(BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche).

I didn’t give this tire a higher ride comfort rating because I often see the DWS06 tire get installed in low profile sizes, and they tend to have flat spots.

While this could not be a big deal if caught before it goes on the vehicle, if the tire installer misses it, let’s just say your car will shake like a California earthquake.

Flat spots aren’t necessarily a manufacturing defect but are more common in low-profile sizes. They are more prone to this because of how thin the tire is, you have to think tires get shipped all over the world, and a lot of times, they are smashed into a semi-truck.

Overall, this is not Continental’s fault, but if they used thicker belt packaging in these tires, it wouldn’t happen as often.

If you have a bigger sedan or SUV, I wouldn’t worry about this and expect a smooth ride, but if you’re driving on low profiles, I recommend a higher quality built tire like the Pirelli P-Zero All-Season Plus.

Ride Comfort Rating: 3.5/5

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Handling - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

For anyone that drives like Ricky Bobby from the movie Talladega Nights, you need this Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06.

This is one of the highest ride handling ratings I have given out, and it’s for good reason because regardless of dry conditions or wet roads, this tire keeps you in the direction you’re going.

The steering response is diligent and firm, thanks to the sidewall and rounded shoulder blocks. Maneuvering will be no problem if you are the driver that thinks they have to get everywhere as fast as possible, weaving in and out of traffic to do so.

They handle so well that they can make a Hyundai Elantra feel like a Ford Mustang( handling only, obvi. not as fast).

While the handling is great, providing next to no body roll and complete control around corners, I did not give it a five out of five because they handle as well in cold temperatures. When the rubber compound gets cold( below fifty degrees), the rubber stiffens, and you lose some of that great handling.

This Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is a tire I recommend to anyone who has a sports coupe or sedan and wants to improve their vehicle’s handling.

Ride Handling Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Noise - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

The ride noise was one of the two cons with the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06. Driving on these brand new is no problem. They are about as quiet as you can expect from an all-season tire.

The problem is that as they wear down, you will notice a slight hum develop (some may not notice). This hum starts because the tread design uses an asymmetric tread design with so many individual tread blocks, which is a recipe for irregular wear patterns.

Far too often, I would see this tire come in halfway worn with minimal signs of cupping on the front or rear tires, depending on the vehicle being FWD or RWD. Cupping is where each tread block starts to wear at a different rate, but even the slightest signs of cupping can be noisy.

Most customers won’t even notice the sound of cupping until after they are rotated because once the cupped tires are moved, they have changed location and generate a different noise level on the front or rear axle.

For this reason, I could not give it a higher ride noise rating, most UHP all-season tires can be prone to irregular wear, but the one I have seen the least amount of irregular wear from is the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4.

Ride Noise Rating: 3.0/5

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Hydroplaning - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

It can be a terrifying ride for anyone who has been in a car that’s hydroplaned. The scariest part of hydroplaning is that it could happen at any time while it’s raining, you could be driving straight down the highway, and suddenly your vehicle starts to go sideways.

When driving on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, you will not have to worry about sliding out in the rain. The circumferential grooves work in unison with the X-sipes to kick water out of the tire and keep that rubber on the pavement.

While this tire does a phenomenal job of keeping your vehicle straight on the rainiest days, the D-W-S quick view indicators in the tread are something to watch. Once that W starts to disappear, which is at around 5/32nds of tread, so will your hydroplaning resistance.

It does a great job up to that point, and I highly recommend this tire for anyone needing a safe hydroplaning-resistant tire.

Hydroplaning Rating: 4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Tread Life - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

Time for the second con to this tire which is the tread life. Offering a fifty-thousand-mile tread wear warranty, I have seen this Continental wear out as quickly as twenty-five-thousand miles.

With that being the shortest life I have seen, the average miles you could expect to receive would be between thirty-five and forty-five thousand miles. It is still coming up short of its mileage expectancy.

While the mileage comes up short, I have also seen the DWS06 suffer from premature dry rot at around four years. The average age to expect the effects of dry rot to kick in is six years, and Continental does offer a warranty to cover premature dry rot, but it is another that you might have to go back to a tire shop.

The tread life is not terrible on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 compared to the Toyo Extensa HP II tires.

I would recommend the Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ for a tire with a much better tread life.

Tread Life Rating: 3.0/5

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Value For Money - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

You will find that Continental tires can be expensive as they are a manufacturer that would be comparable to Michelin, Goodyear, and Bridgestone tires. Consumers that will find good value in this tire are the ones who want excellent traction, handling, and comfort.

Consumers looking for lower prices, high mileage, and quiet ride may find value in other tires like the Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+.

The miles per dollar will be on the lower end as most UHP all-season tires are for performance, not long tread life. So anyone who wants long-lasting tread life would be better off looking at touring tires,

This tire provides excellent value in the warranties that will come with this product. Continental offers the best warranty package with this tire at no extra cost. Continental calls it the Total Confidence plan, which I go into detail in the warranty section below.

I believe this tire is a very subjective value as what is most important to you will determine if this tire provides a good bang for the buck.

Value For Money Rating: 3.5/5

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Final Verdict - Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 is an excellent option for anyone looking to have exceptional all-season traction, handling, comfortable ride, and hydroplaning resistance.

When I compared it to other tires in its class, it outperformed the competition in most cases. Manufacturers like Michelin and Pirelli offer a higher quality of tires but tend to be more expensive than the Continental. After looking at prices on Amazon, TireRack, Discount Tire, and many more tire retailers.

I found that you are getting a similar performing tire as a Michelin or Pirelli for a much better price.

There’s no doubt this tire has drawbacks that could shy some consumers away, but even where it lacked, it more than made up for in other qualities.

I recommend this product to anyone purchasing an ultra-high-performance all-season tire.

Are you still unsure if this Continental is the best tire for you?

Check out some of my other in-depth UHP all-season tire reviews to see what I have to say!

Meet Your Tire Expert

Joe Steffen

Joseph Steffen is a trusted expert in the tire industry, with nine-plus years of experience. He has worked as a tire installer, tire salesman, and more recently a writer for various companies, providing honest feedback and advice to those who need it.

Tire Recall Information

While a tire manufacturer having a recall will not affect the quality of all their products, it is something I still want to provide you with so you understand how possible or likely it will be.

I did find a recall on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 with the following tire sizes and manufacturing dates being affected.

Size 245/45R19 98Y manufactured from 07/12/2020 – 07/18/20
Size 255/50R19 107W manufactured from 07/22/18 – 7/28/18

They were recalled because there is a possibility the tires were over-cured, which could lead to a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or belt separation that leads to tire failure.

Warranty & Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Continental ExtremeContact directional tires?

No, both the Continental ExtremeContact Sport and Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 use an asymmetrical tread pattern.

What does DWS mean on Continental tires?

The DWS stands for Dry-Wet-Snow, signifying that they are all-season tires.

How often should Continental tires be rotated?

All tires should be rotated every five to eight thousand miles, and Continental is no exception.