Writing about the
Continental EcoContact 6 given
36% (175-65-15-)
Driving on
a combination of roads for 400
easy going miles
I’ll start by saying that these tires are probably amongst the worst tires I have experienced on any car I have purchased over the past twenty years or so.
Perhaps I’m being unduly harsh on the tire and should in fact aim my disappointment at the car manufacturers for choosing the EcoContact 6 tire as a suitable ‘year-round’ original-equipment fitment for a north European market.
As a pure ‘summer-use only’ tire it’ll undoubtedly work well enough, despite the meagre 6mm of tread depth from new, which limits its potential lifespan.
My first experience with Continental tires was with the EcoContact 4, as fitted to my then-new Fiat Panda Cross three years ago.
As I took delivery of the car during the summer I had to wait until the winter to discover how unsuited those tires were to northern European winters. At low air temperatures the tires became very noisy, felt ‘wooden’ and ‘nervous’, and their grip on icy and snow covered tarmac was abysmal.
After that first winter I changed to a set of Nokian Weatherproof All-Seasons tires…and what a transformation.
Now, just a few weeks ago, I took delivery of a new Fiat Panda Wild 4x4. My heart sank when I discovered it was equipped with the latest EcoContact 6 tires.
Again, these are pure ‘summer’ tires. Thankfully I missed the worst of the winter weather, yet even so, on cold damp tarmac the EcoContact 6 tires lack grip and composure and they don’t instil any confidence.
But at least I will have many months to consider suitable replacements before next winter.
And one final observation regarding EcoContact tires…
Why are the tire sidewalls - even from new - all lumpy and uneven, giving the impression that they are damaged. Why?