PureContact LS is one of the newer treads by Continental. Amongst their all-season products, this one is probably the best – simply because it amalgamates comfort, great grip and endurance in one rubber body. However, these tires have been designed for powerful and luxurious vehicles. Buying them for anything else would be overkill.
Obviously, they are also costlier than your usual all-season tires. Depending on the size and other factors, the cost may reach as much as $200, and even beyond. It’s more than some all-terrain treads cost. So, naturally PureContact LS must have something special, something that enhances the performance in all weather situations dramatically.
And there is something of the sort.
How is it made?
It’s a touring tire meant for fast driving regardless of the weather. Because of it, the usual polyester body of these was imbued with +sylane components. They are basically meant to improve stickiness, especially in wet conditions.
It’s clear that only the quality materials were used in the making of these, because the tread life on these is very lengthy. In fact, the rubber contains a lot of different polymers that strengthen while you accelerate. These materials naturally improve the durability of these tires, and Conti specifically put a lot of them into the tread.
That’s the reason the tires are so lasting. The minimal mileage (as per warranty) is about 115,000 km – a terrific number compared to the usual all-season tires. Considering that you’ll likely be speeding in these, long life is all too welcome. Continental claims they live for at least 6 years of constant use.
Tread features
The composition of these treads give you a chance to stretch these tires to the limits, but the manufacturer also made sure to balance the tread very precisely – all to enhance grip and handling.
The pattern is not symmetric, so you should expect various intricate remedies meant to magnify the effects of one another. That’s why it’s so important that these treads are extremely well balanced.
The central rib is especially rich with different traction grooves. The big ones are helpful at pretty much all situations, especially if you’re driving forwards. They are supported on both sides by the mid-rib lateral grooves and shoulder grooves.
These big horizontal grooves provide stability and great handling wherever you drive. But obviously, these treads wouldn’t be as great if they lacked other solutions to make them hold their own against snow and water. And there are such solutions.
As you can see, there are four narrow circumferential grooves. They are designed to get rid of water, thus reducing hydroplaning and improving the handling of slippery roads. The handling is further enhanced by the sipes and the sweeping grooves.
The former are mostly located in the shoulder area, giving you more biting grip, especially at steering.
The sweeping grooves aren’t just represented by the big horizontal cavities, but also by small cuts throughout the tires. They give you more control on unsteady ground, but also improve hydroplaning somewhat.
Comfort
Due to the materials used in production and the balanced solutions, PureContact LS is surprisingly quiet. You might expect the all-season touring treads to at least be very noisy, but they are not. Even after you wear them out a bit, they stay quiet.
Moreover, they offer a smooth ride. You might expect it from the description – after all, the handling and grip are almost superb, and all other features are equally well-balanced.
Final Thoughts
There aren’t many technological innovations invested into these tires – the solutions amount to good materials, good techniques and precision. Continental company has done a very fine job putting all of it together, and it bore fruit. PureContact LS provides superb traction, handling and a very long tread life.
It’s true that you’ll have to pay extra to use them. But at the same time, they are designed for performance vehicles and not usual cars.
Tire Sizes
16″
195/55 R 16
205/55 R 16
205/60 R 16
215/60 R 16
17″
205/50 R 17
215/50 R 17
215/55 R 17
225/45 R 17
225/45 R 17
225/50 R 17
225/55 R 17
235/45 R 17
235/45 R 17
235/50 R 17
245/45 R 17
245/50 R 17
18″
225/40 R 18
225/45 R 18
235/45 R 18
235/50 R 18
235/55 R 18
245/40 R 18
245/45 R 18
245/50 R 18
19″
235/40 R 19
245/40 R 19
245/45 R 19
255/45 R 19
20″
245/45 R 20