Hello and welcome to my Continental PureContact with Ecoplus Technology review.
Whenever a friend asks what tires to get for their vehicles, one of my first answers is Continental. First, it was more of a personal thing – almost on every car I’ve owned, Continental tires were the most consistent with the performance they gave me and they always lasted longer than the Bridgestone’s I’ve.
So, you can certainly expect me to recommend the PureContact – Continental’s run-of-the-mill, all-season tires, that are ubiquitous in a large number of vehicles, ranging from compact cars and midsize sedans to premium sedans and even some crossovers. It’s available in sizes ranging from 15”-20”.
There are several reasons for that, but the most important one is that this is a grand touring tire. This means that it will offer long tread life, super smooth and quiet ride. Knowing Continental, I also expect excellent dry performance, and probably the best wet performance in the class.
Continental even equipped this tire with their proprietary EcoPlus technology. This adds low-rolling-resistance to the mix, or in other words, helps your vehicle achieve better fuel economy and fewer emissions. And trust me, the EcoPlus technology really works, unlike similar technologies in competing tires.
Continental PureContact Overview
Almost every Continental tire is packed with a lot of technology, and the same can be said for the PureContact. Continental promises long wear, a comfortable ride and low rolling resistance with wet grip and all-season traction, even in light snow. That seems like a tall order, but this is Continental and I have no reason to believe that the PureContact will not live up to its promise.
The PureContact with EcoPlus Technology is made out of silica-enhanced tread compound, Tg-F polymers, and +Sylane additives. This combination can only be found in Continental tires and is one of the reasons why they are consistently on top regarding performance. All of these technologies help the tire achieve better traction on slippery roads, better fuel efficiency, and longer tread wear.
The advanced compound is molded using a computer-optimized asymmetric tread design for reduced pattern noise, and there are even chamfered tread block edges for better cornering abilities in dry weather. The well-known Continental Traction Grooves (vertical ridges in the circumferential grooves) help with snow traction, helped by independent tread blocks.
I am not finished – Continental even thought about long-lasting performance with the addition of the DWS symbol, which indicates that the PureContact has sufficient tread depth for driving in dry, wet and snowy conditions. However, over time the “S” wears away and that’s when the tire is not able to tackle snow anymore. Only by adding this indicator, Continental shows how much it cares about the safety of its customers.
Being a grand-touring tire, Continental thought of another great technology that helps with comfort – the ComfortRide Technology includes a cushioning layer of rubber which absorbs vibrations from the road, making your car’s suspension life easier.
In the end, like almost every other tire out there, the Continental PureContact features twin steel belts reinforced with spirally wound jointless polyamide for high-speed durability.
Pros:
- Excellent wet traction
- Great dry handling and steering response
- Very good traction in light snow
- Extremely quiet and comfortable
- Long lasting tread life and strong construction
Cons:
- A bit higher price
Continental PureContact with Ecoplus Technology Review
Treadwear and Durability
As with almost any other Continental product, this tire is extremely durable. You will have thousands of carefree miles with this tire – tread life is exceptional, while the tire keeps its shape even if you haul with your car a lot. The Continental is exceptional even when compared to other premium tires – in my experience, it’s probably the longest-lasting of them all. The company gives 70,000-mile tread warranty, which is not record-breaking, but I’ll not look too much into it.
Dry Traction and Grip
All of the tech Continental used in this tire is exhausting, but it really makes things different in real-world driving. In dry conditions, the Continental PureContact is one of the best tires in the corners. It offers a blend of handling response in tight corners and high-speed stability on the highway like few other tires – only the best premium products can compete with it.
The feat is all the more impressive given the fact that this is a low-rolling resistance tire. Does it make a difference in fuel economy? You bet it does. The difference will not be huge when compared to a normal tire, but you will still experience a few mpg’s less.
Wet Traction
While in dry traction the Continental PureContact is up there with the best premium tires, in wet driving it is the best. In several tests, the PureContact showed the best traction in both light and heavy rain, and I can confirm that – it resists hydroplaning like no other tire and it stays glued to the road even at harder cornering. If wet traction is your only concern, this is the best grand-touring, all-season tire you can have right now.
Snow Traction and Braking Performance
The Continental PureContact is rated as an all-season tire, which means that it can be driven in the snow. However, you should only use it in light snow, up to few inches. For heavy snow, and even if it snows frequently in your area, you’ll need a proper winter tire. That said, this is one of the best grand-touring all-season tires when it comes to snow driving.
Comfort & Noise
The ComfortRide Technology with a cushioning layer of rubber really works miracles here. The PureContact is one of the most comfortable, if not the most comfortable tires in its class – the ride is smooth, almost magic carpet-like. Road noise is also kept at a minimum – again, this tire is one of the best in class when it comes to quietness. Being supremely quiet and comfortable on the road, this is the tire to get if you want maximum refinement on those long highway rides.
Conclusion
If you jumped directly to the conclusion and didn’t read everything I had to say about it, I’ll try to sum it up in one sentence. In almost every category that’s important to a grand-touring tire, the Continental PureContact is the best tire in its class, or close to the best tires. I know, the price is one of the highest too, but you get what you pay for here. In my opinion, it’s a no-brainer – if you want high-quality grand-touring tires, you should buy these.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this review of Continental PureContact helpful. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.