Hi All

I apologize in advance for posting on the IS forums, even though I have an RC...but it's obvious that the IS forums seem to be more active & more common than the RC platform. So hoping that maybe I can get more input/feedback here...if you guys don't mind.

It's getting close to having to replace the all-season tires on my '15 RC 350 AWD. (235/45/R18) and began to do some research and read online reviews, etc.

Some background:
I purchased the vehicle Pre-Owned this past February, which had the oem equipped/stock Dunlop SP Sport 5100 (94V 340 A A) tires. When I purchased the vehicle, part of the deal was to replace a tire for me due to the sidewall having a slash in it. So one tire currently has just 2-3k miles on it. Two of the tires definetly need replacing
The 4th tire is Continental PureContact (grand touring) tire. That tire is driver front. It’s in good shape, mileage wise (if I were to guess, roughly 10k miles on it at best)...but not rated the same as the others and obviously different brand and not the model of Continental tire in the list I mentioned.
I’d like to have all 4 matching, obviously. Lol.

With that said, I'm debating on replacing just two with the same Dunlop tires to match the existing, which will probbaly cost around $600 (for two) vs. all four, (with one of the brands listed below, which would cost around $800)

I live in NJ, so an all-season tire has always been the 'norm' for me. If I replace all four then I have it narrowed down to these...and looking for any personal experience with either or both of these two tires. (unless anyone has another worth considering in the $800/set of 4, price range)

Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 (98Y 560 AA A)
Bridgestone Potenza RE980 AS (98W 500 AA A)
Yokohama Advan Sport A/S (98W 440 AA A)
(or another brand/model that you highly recommend)

Any info/opinions would be greatly appreciated...Thanks!

 

I bought my IS 300 2 months ago, and it came with brand newYokohama Advan Sport A/S all the way around. I've been very pleased with them. I don't drive the car hard, so I can't comment on their top end performance capabilities. However, they are quiet, ride well, and have shown no wear so far. I finally got to drive it in some serious rain last week. Tires handled standing water/ very heavy rain with no issues.

FWIW, I talked to 2 different dealers when I was car shopping and both of them recommended the Continentals.

 

I bought BF Goodrich A/S Comp 2 for my 3IS and I live in MA with similar roads to NJ. They handle well the in rain/snow and grip well on dry roads. They are bit noisy than other tires but for less than 800$ i cant complain. I have currently have 50k on my rears and they still have life left. Front wore out quick due to inner tire wear.

 

I also have the BFGoodrichs, and I like them a lot. They are a little firmer/louder than the OEM Bridgestone Turanzas that came on the IS, but sometimes they seem quieter especially when it comes to sharper impacts. That said, they perform really well in the wet and dry, and better than the Bridgestones in snow. I've heard the Continental DWS06 is a better tire for snow, but also is a lot softer and less grippy in dry conditions. Depends on what you want.

 

I've had the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06's for a few months now and I really like them. Wet performance is good (not the best), dry is superb. They are not loud either. I am not quite sure about winter performance but I'll probably use them a couple of times under light snow conditions before I switch to my winter wheels.

 

What tires did you have prior to the Yokohama's? And which did you like better?
How do you feel they are when it comes to cornering/sidewall stiffness?


How do you guys feel they are when it comes to cornering/sidewall stiffness?
I'd prefer a firm tire vs softer...wanna feel stable when cornering, etc

I noticed the BF Goodrich is a directional tire....you find any pro's con to that? (I don't rotate from side to side so no concern there)

What tires did you have prior to the Continental's? And which did you like better?
How do you feel they are when it comes to cornering/sidewall stiffness?

 

BFG's have pretty stiff sidewalls I think. I can feel it when turning in. They are pretty direct.

 

They have stiff sidewalls. Honestly, tires grip well when cornering. Can take on and off ramps going 50+ with them.

Not sure if anyone else experiences this but when turning at 3/4 + wheel lock front tires tend to slip when. Happened to both sets (Hankook V12 & BF Goodrich)

 

michelin as 3+

 

Yeah I think low-speed corners don't play nice with the IS for some reason. Not sure if it's the wheelbase, the suspension geometry - something is not right. At higher speeds I feel completely confident in the grip, but in really tight corners the tires scrub a bit.

 

I can't comment on how your choices would run on my IS, but I've used two of them on my Jag (2007 XK).
The car had new Bridgestone Potenza RE780 AS (predecessor to the Bridgestone Potenza RE980 AS) tires on it when I bought it.
The tires were on 19" wheels, so had a fair amount of sidewall (for the car, 245/40ZR19 front, 275/35ZR19 rear). I liked them very much, the sidewall was firm, and cornering was stable.
I preferred the look of a set of OEM 20" wheels, so based on recommendations I'd seen on the Jaguar Forum, I got a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 to put on the 20" wheels.
I was immediately disappointed in them. The sidewall is very soft (even though it has a shorter sidewall, 255/35ZR20 front, 285/30ZR20 rear), felt like the tire was 'rolling under the wheel' when going around a curve, as if my rims would hit the pavement.
I got some relief by upping the tire pressure, by 4 PSI, but they still don't give me a lot of confidence. I'll certainly not buy them again (for any car).

 

I have the continental dws06 and like them. As others above said they are great when it’s dry and pretty good wet, pretty quiet too and handle corners just fine. I used this car to go snowboarding a few times through 1-6 inches of snow on the road with zero issue. Will be buying these tires again.

 

So, safe to say that the BF's feel very stable being they have stiff sidewalls.
How are they with noise...experiencing any louder than normal tire noise?

I had a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE780 AS on my Acura TL, and liked them a lot. But that was 6-7 years ago and that tire model has been replaced so I can't just assume the RE980 As would be exactly the same. Plus, my TL was FWD and my RC is AWD...different. Thanks for sharing regarding that model, good to know.
Regarding the Continental...the soft sidewalls are my concern and how you describe the 'rolling under the wheel' feel is what I wouldn't want to experience either.
The size of my tires are 235/45/R18, so will have a slightly taller sidewalll than your tires too

What tires do you currently have on your IS?

I've definitely heard the DWS06 are great in the snow, which is good for living in NJ.
Do you feel they are 'soft' and experience similar characteristics as kj07xk mentioned above?

 

The only abnormal thing with the BFGs is that they have a humming sound at around 62-65 MPH. It's honestly not a big deal, and I think it's only noticeable in warm weather.

 

Agree wtih Arentz07 here. my exhaust usually cancels out the noise