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Continental All Seasons 2 - First impressions

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3.2K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  nivens  
#1 ·
Due to a gouge in one tyre showing the underlying steel belt on my MY2021 LE non-PP's original 19" Michelins after 'only' 48k miles, I failed the MOT check.
So decided rather than spend the £450 for a single replacement from Volvo (thanks but no thanks) I ordered all seasons for all 4 corners.
After reading the specs, this forum and the numerous review sites, I went with the Continentals.
Best price was RAC/Asda tyres and fitting by a local company. All went well, but it was a shame the fitter couldn't read the pressures needed for a EV and even after I asked for the pressures to be checked after a short test drive, still only took them up to 38psi! Felt OK but a bit soft and cornering was nervy. Topped up at home and much happier.

First impressions after probably only 20 miles or so..
1. Aesthetically I prefer the look to the Michelin All Seasons
Image


2. Noise. I'd say quieter than the OEM summer tyres. Not done many miles yet but definitely softens the sound on the cracks and rough surfaces more than the originals. No motorways/freeways/autobahns yet but at 60 on straight country roads, certainly doesn't sound like they are any noisier.

3. Comfort. We have some of the worst roads around here. We all say it but I challenge anyone to come to Fenland and see the continual flow of heavy farm vehicles and raised roads with ditches immediately either side and the damage that does to a road (roller coaster!) OK, maybe the P2 wasn't the best choice for around here. Anyway, slightly softer flex/compound of the tyre does remove a lot of the impact of the ridges, cracks and smaller ruts and I'd say makes it more comfortable ride on my non-PP

4. But there's the issue. That softness does mean that the solidity and glued on feeling that I had from the summer tyres is not quite at the same level. I don't feel unsafe but am going to have to recalibrate to the new level of grip with the P2's power. If pushed I'd say there is a little lift of oversteer mid corner which i hadn't noticed before, but I'm not a pro or even an enthusiastic driver...most of the time 😉

5. Efficiency. Not known yet. Will see if there is any obvious impact, but not sure how to be definitive on this.

Overall happy so far as was prepared to take a slight summer grip loss and improve the winter wet/mud/sludge/occasional snow performance needed for winter in the milder UK areas.

Will let you know how I feel in a few weeks time and a few hundred miles bedding them in.

Putting the 3 spare OEM summer tyres (4mm left) in the garage in case I want to change again next summer.
 
#2 ·
Appreciate that this is very subjective and just my very limited opinion, but hope it is useful to someone who may be considering new tyres.

It would also be great to hear from anyone with the Michelins or others (mucho machos?), with their experiences.


Ok so a few days on the road and a couple of hundred miles on the tyres.
Road noise is slightly higher when travelling at 70 or potentially 85 😉. If anything I'd say the pitch it slightly higher so maybe it is just more noticeable to my ears. But not so much to be a negative for me and I have been focusing on it.

Grip is good. We've had a week or so of unusually good weather, mostly mid 20°and up to 34° at peak and not really what the all-season tyres are best suited to. Not broken grip yet but still have had a little softer feeling from the rears than the previous Primacy 4's.
I'll check the pressures at some point.

I'll update when the wet weather starts up again or if a few flakes of snow bring the UK to a standstill. 🌨
 
#3 ·
I'm considering doing the same when I buy a P2, currently have a BMW and switch between winters and summer sets of wheels but there's a plentiful supply of cheap OEM wheels that made this possible but that doesn't seem to be the case for the P2 yet. I'd been very impressed with how the Goodyear UltraGrips handled milder weather so hopefully a good set of all seasons will be a compromise I can live with.