Continental Tires: A Smart Choice for Luxury Performance

Its premium status doesn’t necessarily come at a much higher price. Here are a few of Continental’s most popular tires.

PureContact LS: All-Season Luxury Tire

Continental PureContact

$150 to $250 per tire
This tire delivers a quiet and comfortable ride over various conditions. It is a luxury all-season touring tire for sedans and crossovers, featuring Continental’s EcoPlus technology for fuel savings, shorter stopping distances, and extended tread life.

Reviewers note that they are the among the quietest tires they’ve ever driven. The PureContact LS carries a six-year/70,000-mile treadwear warranty and a one-year/first 2/32-inch of wear road hazard warranty.

ExtremeContact Sport 02: High-Performance for Street and Track

Continental ExtremeContact Sport

$150 to $390 per tire
The Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 is an ultra-high-performance summer tire for the street and track. Features include superior dry and wet handling and braking, exceptional tread life, and track-proven performance. ROUSH Performance, BMW Performance Driving School, and Mercedes-Benz AMG Driving Academy prefer Continental tires.

Testers believe this tire wears better than most ultra-high-performance tires in extreme track use. It carries a six-year/30,000-mile treadwear warranty (half mileage for rear tires if different size than front tires) and a one-year/first 2/32-inch treadwear road hazard warranty.

TerrainContact A/T: All-Terrain Tire to Handle Unpaved Roads

Continental TerrainContact A/T

$235 to $290 per tire
The Continental TerrainContact A/T is a specialized premium performance tire with the durability to conquer dirt, gravel, grass, and unpaved roads. But the TerrainContact A/T also rides on the pavement in relative comfort.

This tire is not the ideal off-road tire for heavy-duty use, but if you only hit the trail a few times yearly, the TerrainContact A/T won’t punish you the rest of the time when you’re on the road. The TerrainContact A/T features TractionPlus for improved traction and durability, better grip on wet roads, and less road noise. Enthusiasts believe that road noise is lesser than most all-terrain tires, too. Continental Tire provides a treadwear warranty of six years/60,000 miles and a road hazard warranty of one year/first 2/32 inches of wear.

VikingContact 7: For Challenging Winter Driving

Continental VikingContact 7

$125 to $250 per tire
As the adventuresome name suggests, the VikingContact 7 can handle wintertime slush, snow, and ice—plus reliable wet performance and secure dry-road handling. The VikingContact 7 is optimized for winter weather. The downside is drivers must endure some road noise and a harsh ride over potholes, but this tire puts all-weather/all-condition grip above all else.

Testers find the Continental VikingContact 7 to be more responsive to drive than other winter tires. The tire carries a workmanship and materials warranty for six years and free replacement first year or 2/32-inch of wear, then prorated until 2/32-inch remaining depth. The road hazard warranty is one-year/first 2/32-inch of wear.

History of Continental Tires

Continental Tire was founded in 1871 with about 200 employees. The company first produced and distributed “hoof buffers” made from soft rubber to prevent horses from slipping on icy surfaces.

1958 Continental Tire metal sign

In 1898, Continental Tire started to build pneumatic tires with a plain tread. By 1904, it was the first company in the world to create and introduce grooved automobile tires.

Continental makes a wide range of automotive components. It’s one of the world’s largest manufacturers, ranking in the top five for revenue. The company produces brake systems, chassis and powertrain components, infotainment systems, instrumentation, and vehicle electronics. Continental makes original equipment for premium auto manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen.

The global company is headquartered in Hanover, Germany, with US locations in Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas. Today, the company has grown to approximately 200,000 employees worldwide.