Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Re: directional vs non-directional. When Continental introduced the new WinterContact SI (in 2015), they had this to say:
"…………..Why directional? According to Continental Key Account Manager Ryan Bradshaw, the asymmetrical tread pattern proved superior in Continental’s testing for the Extreme Winter Contact, but consumer and dealer perception was that asymmetrical tires were associated with all-season tires, as opposed to winter tires. In short, explained Mr. Bradshaw, the tire was sometimes ignored in the marketplace simply due to the unfamiliar pattern of its tread. Continental thus engineered the more familiar directional design into the WinterContact Si in response………….."
http://www.autos.ca/winter-driving/winter-tire-review-continental-wintercontact-si/
He sounds like a marketing person.
The consumer and dealer perception is that the legendary status of the ExtremeContact DWS, does not require consumers and dealers to push the EWS. Their perception is, DWS stands for Dry, wet, & SNOW, and thus an actual snow tire is not needed.
The North American general perception is all-season is more than sufficient for snow & ice, unless you're in the mountain states where Subaru's and Audi's are the norm (then more of them would be using snow tires in addition to having AWD).
look at the comments when Continental tries to inform the public.
https://youtu.be/clSC7APitaQ
Next to Pick up truck, Subaru's are most often in a ditch or rear ending some other car here in Colorado Springs in the winter (keep in mind largest Subaru dealer by volume is in Colorado Springs in NA, so they are everywhere).
Problem regardless is it Northeast, Northwest, Rockies, Chicago, MN is that snow tires have serious advantage in braking. Yet, everyone is still more afraid of being stuck.
I work in complex to which from one side of town you can only come climbing 300 yard 6% incline. It is a mess every winter, because somehow people in Colorado Springs get surprise by snow. Anyway, my co-worker has to navigate that and she is seriously bad driver and seriously afraid. So every winter you have cars stuck going up, and cars slamming other cars going down. So last winter she gets subaru. All happy, and tells me first that she got new car since I was telling her to get snow tires. I said: fine, you will come to work, but how you will go down? She is how you mean? I said you need to stop at that intersection. Her answer: oh well, it wills top as long as I am not stuck. So human psychology, they are more afraid of being stuck and alive then not being able to brake.
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Re: directional vs non-directional. When Continental introduced the new WinterContact SI (in 2015), they had this to say:
"…………..Why directional? According to Continental Key Account Manager Ryan Bradshaw, the asymmetrical tread pattern proved superior in Continental’s testing for the Extreme Winter Contact, but consumer and dealer perception was that asymmetrical tires were associated with all-season tires, as opposed to winter tires. In short, explained Mr. Bradshaw, the tire was sometimes ignored in the marketplace simply due to the unfamiliar pattern of its tread. Continental thus engineered the more familiar directional design into the WinterContact Si in response………….."
http://www.autos.ca/winter-driving/winter-tire-review-continental-wintercontact-si/
He sounds like a marketing person.
The consumer and dealer perception is that the legendary status of the ExtremeContact DWS, does not require consumers and dealers to push the EWS. Their perception is, DWS stands for Dry, wet, & SNOW, and thus an actual snow tire is not needed.
The North American general perception is all-season is more than sufficient for snow & ice, unless you're in the mountain states where Subaru's and Audi's are the norm (then more of them would be using snow tires in addition to having AWD).
look at the comments when Continental tries to inform the public.
https://youtu.be/clSC7APitaQ
Next to Pick up truck, Subaru's are most often in a ditch or rear ending some other car here in Colorado Springs in the winter (keep in mind largest Subaru dealer by volume is in Colorado Springs in NA, so they are everywhere).
Problem regardless is it Northeast, Northwest, Rockies, Chicago, MN is that snow tires have serious advantage in braking. Yet, everyone is still more afraid of being stuck.
I work in complex to which from one side of town you can only come climbing 300 yard 6% incline. It is a mess every winter, because somehow people in Colorado Springs get surprise by snow. Anyway, my co-worker has to navigate that and she is seriously bad driver and seriously afraid. So every winter you have cars stuck going up, and cars slamming other cars going down. So last winter she gets subaru. All happy, and tells me first that she got new car since I was telling her to get snow tires. I said: fine, you will come to work, but how you will go down? She is how you mean? I said you need to stop at that intersection. Her answer: oh well, it wills top as long as I am not stuck. So human psychology, they are more afraid of being stuck and alive then not being able to brake.
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