ContiSport Contact 3's - i am disappoint?

I loved the CS3s on my Leon, but then I did have 4wd in my favour..
I've got some rather old Pilot Sports (but still full of tread) on the Z3 and they do slip a lot, especially in cold conditions.
 
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Housey said:
People forget that the type of car will have a hugh impact on the way the tyres work. On a Mini the tyres might be epic, on a 7 series they might be pap. Same with which wheels are driven etc etc. THIS is why Evo tyre tests like any such test should be taken as a snapshot in time and a feel not a fact for all cars in all situations. Those Goodyears you all rave about were crap, utter and total crap on my RS4. Since putting PZero's back on it brings it home to me. Soft, inaccurate and generally understeery when pushed. The PZero's are much hard in the ride but they feel tighter but I do recall the Goodyears took longer to come in, over a thousand miles but I also suspect that was also a bit of placebo effect as I became more use to them.
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What Housey says is pot on!

It also speaks volumes when you see BMW, Porsche, Ferrari etc. generally using only Bridgestone and Michelin.

Its the same on EVO's loads have tried F1's, T1R's and to those who knew no better thought they were good, those who had previously had a Yokohama or Bridgestone were hugely dissapointed.
The EVO is softer on F1's and T1R's than it is on my Winter Michelins, thats how poor they are, that even a Winter Michelin is less spongy.

Some guys have tried the CS3's and even though grip is excellent its still too soft and generally don't last long.

For an all weather tyre a lot run Michelin PS2 or Bridgestone RE050A and find them exceptional all rounders, which sharp handling and good wet performance. The surprising cheap tyre that works well on the EVO and is damn good is the Hankook V12 EVO, seems a great tyre. The Falken 452 is also OK as well due to Falken generally having stiff sidewalls, but the grip levels in both dry and wet are average at best in the company of these other tyres.

But the best tyres by far on the EVO are the Advan AD08's, Bridgestone RE070 due to the ultra stiff sidewalls, brings an EVO to life and a lot more engaging. The new Michelin Super Pilot Sport promises to be an excellent tyre too which is due anytime now. :)
 
Gibbo said:
It also speaks volumes when you see BMW, Porsche, Ferrari etc. generally using only Bridgestone and Michelin.
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A lot of that is as much about volume sales deals as anything else - and it's not as if Continental don't have a share of the OEM market, pretty much every Audi comes out of the factory on CS3's these days..
 
To be fair I've just been outside for a walk and I discovered that the road is indeed very slippery underfoot, like I said, greasy as hell. Due to this I think I'll give the CS3s a couple more weeks before judgement. However my feelings on the softness of the tyre still stand - much nicer to drive, much more controllable but less raw and the turn in is less crisp.
 
Gaygle said:
To be fair I've just been outside for a walk and I discovered that the road is indeed very slippery underfoot, like I said, greasy as hell. Due to this I think I'll give the CS3s a couple more weeks before judgement. However my feelings on the softness of the tyre still stand - much nicer to drive, much more controllable but less raw and the turn in is less crisp.
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Greasy roads are like icy roads, tyre makes little difference. Wet roads is a different thing.

A local roundabout to me, if its greasy its hard to get much over 30mph around it, in normal wet conditions 40 is easy. :)
 
[TW]Fox;18393889 said:
A lot of that is as much about volume sales deals as anything else - and it's not as if Continental don't have a share of the OEM market, pretty much every Audi comes out of the factory on CS3's these days..
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Thats pretty much it. Most car manufacturers will go with whos giving the best deals, unless a tyre is specifically developed for a certain vehicle. Tyre companies dont really make a huge profit out of OEM and bank on car owners buying the same tyre that the car came with (Conti recon something like the first three set of tyres will be same as OEM then customers start shopping for cheaper). There is a huge incentive to get your tyres into the OEM sector for this reason.
 
With the exception of my Elise (RIP :()I've been using CS3's on all my cars for years. I buy them for the misses too as I feel they're much safer in the wet.

Having said that I bought a 325d last year and can't wait to ditch the RFT's as they bump steer and tram line like a rodeo bull. Pot holes are back breaking too but I guess thats largely down to 19"s.

I think I should do more research on what to replace though as I would have just chucked CS3's on but I don't want to spoil the cars handling.
 
Well, i thought i better drag this thread up again to give my opinion of the CS3's now that they are fully worn in.

They are fantastic.

I never thought i would be saying this and at one point i called Continental because i was afraid that i had counterfeit tyres and i was looking to try and return them and get something else put on the car - but boy am i glad i didn't.

About a week after i posted my original thread i started noticing how much they had improved. This was when they had had about 750 miles put on them. The amount of grip they give is simply staggering and nothing seems to catch them out. If you haven't turned in enough going into a bend, you can just tighten your line with no drama and not worry about the car throwing a hissy fit (which the RE050A's used to do) - i think this is mostly down to the slightly softer sidewalls, but it makes the tyre so much useable on the average road. Even in the soaking wet they just don't seem to ever lose grip. All that stuff about the traction control light coming on when i accelerated hard in second, and the ABS kicking in way to early has disappeared, which leads me to think that at 500 miles, the tyres still weren't fully worn in.

And i also thought my opinion of the turn in, compared to the RE050A's, wouldn't change either, but i don't know if i'm just getting used to it or if this has improved too? Either way, i don't care, because, and i say this with a touch of caution, the car feels better than it ever has before. There is none of that fidgtyness, crashiness or bump steer you get with the RE050A's, but there is still all the grip there.

Given the option, i would definitely buy these tyres again as they have turned the car into what i imagine it felt like the day it rolled out of the showroom.

For anyone reading this who has recently bought Conti SC 3's and hasn't found them great - give it time. Also, check, double check and triple check tyre pressures.
 
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I got them put on the Leon, and coming from P6000s it was like night and day.

I'll be putting them on again when the current ones need replacing.
 
Gaygle said:
Well, i thought i better drag this thread up again to give my opinion of the CS3's now that they are fully worn in.

They are fantastic.

I never thought i would be saying this and at one point i called Continental because i was afraid that i had counterfeit tyres and i was looking to try and return them and get something else put on the car - but boy am i glad i didn't.

About a week after i posted my original thread i started noticing how much they had improved. This was when they had had about 750 miles put on them. The amount of grip they give is simply staggering and nothing seems to catch them out. If you haven't turned in enough going into a bend, you can just tighten your line with no drama and not worry about the car throwing a hissy fit (which the RE050A's used to do) - i think this is mostly down to the slightly softer sidewalls, but it makes the tyre so much useable on the average road. Even in the soaking wet they just don't seem to ever lose grip. All that stuff about the traction control light coming on when i accelerated hard in second, and the ABS kicking in way to early has disappeared, which leads me to think that at 500 miles, the tyres still weren't fully worn in.

And i also thought my opinion of the turn in, compared to the RE050A's, wouldn't change either, but i don't know if i'm just getting used to it or if this has improved too? Either way, i don't care, because, and i say this with a touch of caution, the car feels better than it ever has before. There is none of that fidgtyness, crashiness or bump steer you get with the RE050A's, but there is still all the grip there.

Given the option, i would definitely buy these tyres again as they have turned the car into what i imagine it felt like the day it rolled out of the showroom.

For anyone reading this who has recently bought Conti SC 3's and hasn't found them great - give it time. Also, check, double check and triple check tyre pressures.
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I thought you'd like them :) They are very, very good. Tweaking the pressures a bit made a big difference with me as well.
 
I noticed this on my CS3's too. I was very disappointed for the first 1000 miles but now nothing touches them in the wet, and not too shabby in the dry either. Such immense grip on wet and slippy roads its stunning.

Im a bit annoyed as I bought 4 Goodyear Eagle RS-A's cheapish to go on after I have my alloys refurbed, but Im so happy with the CS3's I wish I'd got some more of those!
 
I've been looking at these for my A3, how long are they likely to last? I mainly pootle up and down the M1 so need something that lasts a good few miles.

Is it the case that grippy tyres wear fast?
 
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