Continental Eco Contact 3 Reviews - Page 3

Given 81% while driving a Fiat Panda (155/80 R13 T) on a combination of roads for 19,000 average miles
Front tires worn out after only 19,000 miles would have expected more on a little car
Helpful 10 - tire reviewed on March 12, 2012
Given 84% while driving a Peugeot 306 (175/65 R14 T) on mostly country roads for 7,500 spirited miles
Excellence grip in wet and dry, No more losing grip in standing water



Helpful 9 - tire reviewed on October 26, 2011
Given 59% while driving a Skoda Octavia (225/45 R17) on mostly town for 0 average miles
These tires came with my new car Skoda Octavia. Overall it is a good tire, but it has short "life time". I had better experience with Bravuris tires, which costs little less.
Helpful 11 - tire reviewed on October 5, 2011
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Given 46% while driving a Fiat Panda (155/80 R13) on mostly country roads for 9,000 easy going miles
9000 miles left side front, correct pressure ect down to ware bars not good enough especially on a 1.1 eco Panda driven on local roads at less than 60mph
Helpful 10 - tire reviewed on June 6, 2011
Given 90% while driving a Fiat 500 (175/65 R14 T) on a combination of roads for 3,000 average miles
very good all rounder, seem to work well in dry or wet conditions.
Helpful 12 - tire reviewed on September 29, 2010
Given 59% while driving a Nissan note acenta (185/65 R15 H) on mostly town for 20,000 easy going miles
to noisy
Helpful 12 - tire reviewed on July 29, 2010
Given 67% while driving a Daihatsu Perodua Myvi (175/65 R14 T) on mostly country roads for 4,000 spirited miles
I have tried a variety of tires (always sets of 4, always newly tracked and balanced) on my 2008 Daihatsu Sirion and 2006, 2007 and 2010 Perodua Myvis (Myvi/Sirion is the same car with trim differences). All are very tire sensitive, being light and tall cars with willing engines.

These EcoContact3s (?214 fitted tracked and balanced for 4) are extremely quiet and stable, with minimal road noise which is particularly impressive on newly dressed, poor or concrete surfaces. The car feels most stable on these tires and tracks dead ahead without wandering, but the pay-off is the awfully vague steering feel and reluctance to turn in on our twisty roads, with the dead centre steering position returning strongly. This makes our rural roads less enjoyable than on any other set I have tried. A spirited drive results in vague cornering, running wide due to very slow turn in and mildly achey wrists from fighting the dead centre return.

These Eco3s were chosen at the toss of a coin over the (identically priced) Continental SportContacts, due to the Eco's higher mileage wear and better mpg, but unless these triple the wear time of the SportContacts, I would not choose them again-they are dull and tiring on our rural roads. Quiet, refined, stable and on Motorways, superb, but too compromised down the lanes for me.

Tried:
Sime Astars: at 30k front 60k rear-perished but not worn out: hard as nails, quiet, very poor wet grip, braking, aquaplaning. Lethal but great mile/?.

Avon CR Eco: good mileage, good mpg, a little dull, good all rounder, easy to ignore as do nothing especially wrong.

Goodyear Eagle NCT2: good all rounder, reasonable feel, quiet-can't say more as running these on our 2010 Myvi now

BF Goodrich G Grip: superb turn in, superb grip, the noisiest tire I have ever used, poor mpg, dead at 11k miles. Ace tire but wore too quick and ridiculously noisy. My choice if chasing point to point, though!

What would I go for next time? I'll try the SportContacts unless the Goodyears really impress me. Not EcoContacts for my roads and driving style.





Helpful 12 - tire reviewed on July 1, 2010
Given 79% while driving a Vauxhall Corsa (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 27 average miles
These tires were on my car when i bought the car new. I have just been told by the garage at a service that they are approaching borderline and will need replaced soon. Ive done 27k and thats them just needing replaced, pretty good i think.

They handle very well on the road. I drive along back roads often to my training and if im late i do tend to put the foot down a bit and the tires have gripped the road great wet and dry. Better than the cheap ones i had on my last car.
Helpful 13 - tire reviewed on June 18, 2010
Given 54% while driving a Volkswagen Touareg (225/55 R18 W) on a combination of roads for 15,000 average miles
The Toureg is an excellent vehicle but very fast with tons of torque and rearing to go at any opportunity, hence the tires don't last very long. Nonetheless, I am surprised how little: I have got from these tires 15K!
Helpful 10 - tire reviewed on June 14, 2010
Given 74% while driving a Vauxhall Corsa (165/70 R13 T) on a combination of roads for 20,000 average miles
Fitted on a 1.0 L corsa, replacing previous Michelin energys. Immediately noticed improved streering turn-in on corners. Very good braking. Drove home in dark through heave rain storms with large pools of water in road during the winter just past, these tires delivered reassuringly strong levels of grip. My car has no power steering, fitting these tires made it much more pleasant to drive compared to the michelin's, lovely light steering while still retaining a firm grip on the road. Highly recommended if you have a 1.0 or 1.2 L corsa or similar small car.
Helpful 14 - tire reviewed on April 29, 2010
Given 81% while driving a Opel Corsa D z12xep (185/65 R15 T) on mostly town for 10,000 average miles
A very balanced tire, good all round
However, a bit noisy and a bit expensive
Helpful 13 - tire reviewed on March 29, 2010
Given 80% while driving a Volkswagen Beetle 1200 (185/65 R15 T) on mostly town for 5,000 average miles
OK this might not be the ideal car to test such tires on but bare with me on this one. Because the Beetle is an old and - by today's standards - quite unusual vehicle, small changes like a tire change make a huge difference on the car.

I have to say, I'm very impressed with these Contis. I had them for almost 3 years and their wear is slow and even.
In terms of comfort and refinement they are well above average, on par with the Brdigestone Turanzas I had before.
Handling-wise they are very progressive and offer decent responsiveness and grip for a tire of this type.
More importantly though their Bionic design (which increases the tire's contact with the road by ~10% under hard braking/acceleration) was very much appreciated on a couple of emergency brakings, something best avoided with an old Beetle! But nevertheless they performed impeccably in these conditions as well as in a couple of high speed manoeuvres on wet roads.
I was also happy to notice a considerable decrease in fuel consumption especially during motorway cruising.

I would definitely recommend them and I'm more than likely to replace them with the same ones.
Helpful 13 - tire reviewed on March 18, 2010