Continental SecureContact AW Tire Review

When it comes to year-round performance, all-season tires are the go-to tires; however, if there are moderate to severe winter conditions, these tires often fail as they are not designed for these climatic conditions. Since winter tires cannot be used year-round, a new tire category, all-weather tires, fills the vacant space between all-season and winter tires.

And the latest kid to hit the block in this all-weather realm is the Continental’s SecureContact AW. The German tire maker is among the world’s oldest and largest tire manufacturers, with a presence in categories like all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, winter, ultra-high-performance, UHP all-season, rugged-terrain, and mud-terrain.

The Continental SecureContact AW represents a significant shift in year-round tire technology, serving as the brand's first true ‘all-weather’ solution. While standard all-season tires often struggle when temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, this all-weather tire is engineered with an AdaptiveGrip Compound that maintains flexibility in freezing conditions. This allows it to carry the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, indicating it is legally and technically rated for severe snow service, effectively eliminating the need for seasonal tire swaps.

Beyond winter capability, the SecureContact AW integrates Continental's signature EcoPlus Technology, which enhances fuel efficiency/battery range and extends tread life. It is also designed with electric vehicles in mind, offering the low rolling resistance and high load capacity required for heavy battery packs.

Should you buy one? Let’s do a quick Continental SecureContact AW tire review and find out whether it has the potential and capability to conquer different climatic conditions.

Features and Benefits

All-weather tires are designed with a special rubber compound to withstand unpredictable weather conditions ranging from warm to chilling cold. Their effective grooves help in clearing out water and snow and return consistent grip and traction in dry, wet, and moderate to severe winter conditions.

The Continental SecureContact AW is a premium all-weather tire that checks all the characteristics to qualify as a capable all-weather tire.

• Superior all-weather performance: Combining AdaptiveGrip Compound Technology with Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certification, the Continental tire remains flexible in freezing temperatures for consistent grip and traction in deep snow, while staying durable enough to resist heat-related wear during summer months.

• Exceptional fuel economy/battery range: Backed by EcoPlus Efficiency, the SecureContact AW uses special polymers that reduce rolling friction, leading to improved fuel economy and extended battery range for EVs. Meanwhile, it simultaneously shortens stopping distances on rain-soaked roads.

• Special indicators for advanced signals: The letters "D", "W", and "S" are molded into the tread and disappear as it wears, providing an immediate visual cue that the tire is no longer optimized for Dry, Wet, or Snow conditions. These are termed as QuickView DWS Indicators. Similarly, the Alignment Verification System of the Continental tire features symmetrical indicators on the tire shoulders that fade at different rates if the vehicle is misaligned, alerting you to mechanical issues before they cause permanent tread damage.

• Dynamic tread evolution: The asymmetric tread design of the SecureContact AW features snow pockets and bow-shaped siping that actually change shape as the tire wears, ensuring that wet and winter grip remain consistent throughout the tire's lifespan.

• EV-Ready tech: The Continental SecureContact AW is optimized to manage the high torque and heavy curb weight of electric vehicles, ensuring quiet cabin comfort and solid structural integrity without compromising on performance.

• Long-lasting tread: The optimized tread design allows even pressure distribution across the contact patch, leading to uniform tread wear throughout its lifespan. Every tire is backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and the Total Confidence Plan, which includes road hazard coverage and flat-tire roadside assistance for ultimate peace of mind.

The Continental SecureContact AW is available in 46 tire sizes ranging from 15 to 20 inches.

Pros and Cons

With the features and benefits through, let’s analyse the pros and cons of the Continental SecureContact AW.

PROS

• Backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty
• Ensures low rolling resistance for increased fuel efficiency/battery range
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certification for optimum snow performance
• EV-ready technology
• Dynamic tread evolution allows the tire tread to take new form as it ages for optimum grip and safety

CONS

• It cannot be driven in challenging off-road conditions
• It isn’t the best in dry braking compared to some of its peers

SimpleTire’s view on Continental SecureContact AW tires

To sum it up, the Continental SecureContact AW is an exceptional all-weather tire for drivers wanting superior grip, traction, handling, control, and stability throughout the year, including dry, wet, and moderate to severe snow. With an excellent backing of 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Continental tire is a great package for folks wanting a premium all-weather tire experience at an aggressive price (it undercuts most of its peers). With an overall SimpleScore of 9.2, the Continental SecureContact AW offers reassuring traction at 9.3, exceptional handling at 9.1, and incredible longevity at 9.2.

The Continental SecureContact AW competes with the likes of Bridgestone Weatherpeak, Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2, and Pirelli’s Scorpion WeatherActive and Cinturato WeatherActive.

As claimed in its internal testing in standard conditions, Continental found out that the SecureContact AW is better than Pirelli’s WeatherActive cousins in wet braking (6%) and snow handling (7%). Similarly, the Conti proved to be more reassuring than the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 in wet handling and braking, along with snow handling (5%) and traction (4%). When tested against the Bridgestone Weatherpeak, the Continental SecureContact AW proved to be way better than its Japanese counterpart. It beat the Weatherpeak in wet braking (12%) and dry braking (7%).

Vehicles the Continental SecureContact AW is a good replacement tire for

The Continental SecureContact AW is an excellent replacement tire for passenger cars, CUVs, and SUVs like the Toyota Camry, Subaru Crosstrek, Honda CR-V, Kia Telluride, Mercedes-Benz CLE, and Tesla Model 3.