2015 Tech vs 2015 Ultimate test out today

[Westy]

I have a 2015 tech with Michelin x ice 3's (new) in Ontario. Took a drive today for s and giggles in a 2015 Ult and relized quickly that the Continental Pro tires on the Ult were not as good in a curve as my snows and down right scary . I returned to the dealer checked the tires , looked like there's a lot of tread. When I pushed it a bit entering highway 401 on the on ramp the car was dampened nicely but the Continentals shuttered and chattered enough to make the car feel like it was sliding sideways . Told the dealer to try it for themselves. I came away feeling like there was no way to drive the car to it's ability. Honestly I weighed out the differences between the tech and the Ult and came away thinking I was happy with the Tech , no need to spend more on fuel. The 5.0 had more but really how often would I sample it . If you have Continental pros do yourself a favour and buy a set of better tires . The suede headliner was a nice touch tho .

 

[Suburbazine]

Continental ProContacts aren't snow tires. Why you would snow compare them Michelin ? snow tiresmichelin

Yuck viglink

 

[Westy]

My point is snow tire should not perform better than All seasons .

 

[Suburbazine]

My point is snow tire should not perform better than All seasons .

A snow tire absolutely should outperform most all season unless it's 70*F or more. The Xi3 is a high performance touring winter tire, the Continental is a crappy (like 4.3/10 crappy) all season touring tire focused on maximum treadwear. The Xi3 doesn't even get a treadwear rating it's so soft...most all seasons are 500 treadwear or more. In moderate conditions (like 50*F) driving a snow tire has almost as much grip as street slicks in warmer weather.

Sure you might not be able to push the car to its limits with Continentals, but they're on it for mileage more than performance. I switched to Michelin AS/3+ since I drive mine harder than a standard luxury cruiser.