Continental Cross Contact A/T

Well, I asked the question about Continentals, because whilst I know next to nothing about off road tyres, I've had a lifetime of experience with high performance road car tyres..V8s being my passion.
We've had several HSVs, RS Focus, & currently our AMG C63.
I'd obviously heard about "Continental" for years, but we first encountered "Contis" fitted to one of our own cars, the RS Focus, a few years ago,& thought they were pretty good.
HSV have also fitted Continentals to their awesome new Supercharged GTS, the Continental proving to be significantly faster & grippier, than the Bridgestone item.
Our C63 was fitted with Yokohamas when we bought it in 2012, but we were advised by Mercedes to fit the Continentals, which we did last week. The tyres that we have fitted have an "M.O."rating (Mercedes Original) meaning of course that they comply with Mercedes Benz specs.
So whilst I can't comment on off road stuff, the on road/high performance opinions of Continental would appear to be very good.
Cheers, Pickles.

I will be putting some 20" Continentals on my 20" rims shortly I have only heard good things about them.

The 18" Cross Contacts on my D4 have given me no problems. I would use them again.

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Originally Posted by mowog

I will be putting some 20" Continentals on my 20" rims shortly I have only heard good things about them.

The 18" Cross Contacts on my D4 have given me no problems. I would use them again.

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That is good to hear, because they will be on our "90" (factory fitment) when it is delivered, hopefully, in November.
Cheers, Pickles.

Hi All,

I guess it could be all about specifics and variables...which makes no sense until you break it down....as in specific model of tyre, car its fitted to, usage etc.

To George's comments:

• About the AT sidewall strength..well I think that's a criticism of lots of AT/ & R tyres, not just Contis...they are supposedly all vulnerable, thus the preference of LTs. As I said earlier the LR guys in Brissy didn't rate what was being fitted as OEM....but I didn't ask any specific details (AT or just road orientated)...it was a general comment.

• In my specific experience (Conti Sport 3) in my Merc...hit a slight break in the road surface at about 40kph, not even a pothole....huge egg appeared in the side wall (car and tyre had 10K on the clock). Wife drove it up a bevelled kerb reversing out of a driveway at about 5kph, where it clipped a Services Marker Stud (rounded metal screw) and tore a hole through the sidewall. These tyres are the best part of $500 each. Maybe that was just bad luck.

• Fitment to Euro Performance cars....yes I know they are...but based on the comments I've heard the tyres do not fare well in Australian conditions. They get too hot, roads are too rough....supposedly.

• OEM fitment....well, LR fitted Wranglers (@$500 a pop) to Discovery's didn't they....end of discussion...LOL....:)

To Pickles:

• My C250 has way, way, way less power than your AMG C63, my wife drives it like an old woman to the kids school and shops ....I don't get to drive it too often...LOL!!!....and it chewed through the Conti Sport 3's in no time. The car has about 17K on the clock and the original tyres are very, very close to the wear bar. The car will do 0-100 in about 7 secs but it doesn't get driven that way and it isn't very big or heavy. Which Conti have you just fitted? I hope you have a better run than I did.

I know Contis are fitted to all sorts of vehicles...large, small, powerful and not so....but as George alluded to....OEM fitment is based on lots of stuff....which maybe aligned to why so many people complain that there new car has obsolete tyres fitted :mad:.

Maybe I have unrealistic expectations of these tyres, but it does make me wonder why I've heard so many comments....which would indicate that there are other owners out there that aren't happy too....but hey only reporting what I've heard.

Personally, even though they do stick on very well in both wet and dry, I wouldn't put them back on the Merc....but maybe I'll be moaning about the Pirelli or Yokohama this time next year :)...it will be interesting to see how they go.

Cheers,

Kev.

Oh ... and sorry George for high jacking the thread... :-(

Kev...No worries.
I think the tyres are contisport 5 or something like that. They are the latest edition, & I did specify that they are "M.O.", which they are.
Other tyres?....I've always been a Pirelli man going back to centuratos, CN36 etc etc....but on the GTO we had Pirelli P Zero Rosso on from new (HSV fitment)....BRILLIANT tyre....not much good for wear...25ks was the best I could do, but handling & comfort was A1.
Your "sidewall" comment?....I know very well what you mean....I'd just fitted a new set of Pirellis to the GTO $750 EACH, we were on our way to a W/E destination, in the dark, hit a piece of rock in the road....result....fractured sidewall!!...."throwaway tyre"..NOT a good start to the W/E.
I reckon that with tyres, it's like oils,....everybody's got an opinion?......I reckon that as long as one buys a recognized brand, ya should be OK.
Cheers, Pickles.

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Originally Posted by Pickles2

Kev...No worries.
I think the tyres are contisport 5 or something like that. They are the latest edition, & I did specify that they are "M.O.", which they are.
Other tyres?....I've always been a Pirelli man going back to centuratos, CN36 etc etc....but on the GTO we had Pirelli P Zero Rosso on from new (HSV fitment)....BRILLIANT tyre....not much good for wear...25ks was the best I could do, but handling & comfort was A1.
Your "sidewall" comment?....I know very well what you mean....I'd just fitted a new set of Pirellis to the GTO $750 EACH, we were on our way to a W/E destination, in the dark, hit a piece of rock in the road....result....fractured sidewall!!...."throwaway tyre"..NOT a good start to the W/E.
I reckon that with tyres, it's like oils,....everybody's got an opinion?......I reckon that as long as one buys a recognized brand, ya should be OK.
Cheers, Pickles.

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Thanks Mate,

That's the good thing about this forum.....somebody has a bad run, hears a few rumours or reports....and they can come here and find out if there really is a problem with an item, etc because they can generally get several 'From The Horses Mouth' reports that help them form an opinion.

Yup Conti Sport 5 is what I was told is phasing out the threes...although there are a lot still around in certain sizes.

I've always run Yokohama and Pirelli on my road cars...was Very unimpressed with the OEM fitted Wranglers (three punctures in a week on gravel roads - 40-50% wear) on my D4 .....am pretty happy with the replacement Scorpions and I've just fitted Cooper LTZ to my new GOE wheels....so we'll see how that works out.

Cheers,

Kev.

I wish the reports on the durability of the Conti Cross Contact AT were a little more positive as I've always liked the tread pattern and they're available in 265/65-17 that I'm considering changing to from 245/70-17. I also have a set of Duratracs so would like a tyre for everyday sealed and some gravel use that's a bit more comfortable than LI 119 but not slip around with the occasional shower. Maybe I'll decide to cross my fingers and give them a go, or maybe not.

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Originally Posted by DiscoWeb

This is just a heads up for anyone running the Continental Cross Contact A/T 255/60/R18 on their vehicle.

I have, after putting a hole in another tyre over the weekend been trying to locate 2 new tyres, only to be advised that Continental are no longer bringing them into the country. After ringing around all of Sydney I can locate only 1 tyre.

The Conti's have been pretty good however I have holed 2 in the last 2 outings and with replacements looking almost impossible to get it looks like I will be making the switch to the new Bridgestone D697 LT's earlier than I had planned.

Regards,

George

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Hi George,

Like you I have been very happy with these tyres having done 70000 kms so far on them with about another 20000 kms left. I've been fortunate that to date I've had no sidewalls compromised. I'd buy these tyres again if available when current ones are worn out.

Cheers
Steve

Continental Cross Contact 255/55/19 4X4 tyres were fitted to my D4 as OEM tyres.

They are not the AT tyre talked about but from my perspective give me an indication re the 'Brand' performance.

I can say that they were quiet, comfortable and quite grippy but only lasted 32,000k at highway (legal) speeds which is my normal travel mode. I did venture off road a few times in what would be described as a very mild environment and they were O.K. for a road biased tyre.

When they did wear out they did so evenly, albeit quickly.

The replacement cost was a concern as the price, from memory was bloody high.

High wear, High cost, is not a combination I hanker for!

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Originally Posted by austeve01

Hi George,

Like you I have been very happy with these tyres having done 70000 kms so far on them with about another 20000 kms left. I've been fortunate that to date I've had no sidewalls compromised. I'd buy these tyres again if available when current ones are worn out.

Cheers
Steve

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Steve,

As noted I did a lot of Km on the Cross Contact A/T's and generally they were very capable, and like Graeme I quite liked the tread pattern.

But my advice from a few different tyres places was that they were not being brought in to Australia and having had holed two in my last couple of 4wd outings I was pretty much forced to change.

So far the Bridgestone D697 LT have been fantastic, slightly less whine on the road and I similar grip levels to the A/T, certainly no worse.

But importantly having done a few day trips off road the tyres still look new. NO cutting of the tread, no slices in the side wall and no noticeable change in traction off road despite what appears to be a less aggressive tread pattern.

Very happy with my new choice in tyre.

George.