Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Wheels & Tires Difficult tire choice...

ok, I've done a lot of research through searching this site along with many others, but am still not sure of which tires to choose

I have a 99 Contour SE Sport, and I like the stock wheels. The stock size is 205/60 r15.

The tires which I'm considering are:

1. Yokohama AVS dB S2 - 205/60 r15

2. Continental ContiExtreme Sport - 205/55 r15 (I know there has been a lot of info in the past on the forum about these tires, and I've read it)

I live in Iowa, so I'll need a tire that can handle the snow occasionally.
I know that choosing a lower profile tire will make the spedometer think it's going 3.3% faster than it is, but that's not a problem with me.

My issue is, will a lower profile tire increase performance at all over the stock sized tire? Both tires appear to be rated quite well on tirerack both by customers and by the tests they've run, but I haven't found a bunch of info on the Yokohamas. From what I've read on the site, you guys seem to like the Continentals, but I want to be sure I'm getting the best tire for my car before I jump into anything.

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Reece

Go w/ the conti's. I bought the AVS db's mainly cuz i thought they looked cooler and liked the idea they would be quiet. After 8K miles I can tell you they are f****** loud!!!. I was gonna get the conti's but they had just come out and were out of the size i needed.

I have the contis and like them. Sounds like they'd be a good tire for you. Less sidewall almost always means a bit better performance.

Take a look at the BFG Traction T/A's. They are available in your proper size, they are cheaper than the Yoks or Contis, and they are ranked way high (much better than the Yoks) in snow traction. They also performed very well in the TR comparison tests.

I've been shopping again, and I think these might be my next 3-season tire (late fall, winter, early spring).

I've been doing some shopping for tires for my car too lately with similar criteria to your's. I was leaning towards the Conti's, but they would end up being about $100 more than anything. Based on that, I think I'm going to go with Sumitomo HTR+. They seem to be the biggest bang for the buck. I got a quote from Belle Tire of $375 out the door for 225/50/16's.

ContiExtremes are a great tire!

It has been 9-months and they are wearing very good and aprovide good traction.

Happy with my purchase!