Continental TrueContact Tour Tire Review and Rating

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Continental TrueContact Tour

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Wet
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Snow
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Comfort
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Pros

  • Best in class wet performance
  • Comfortable and quiet
  • Long treadwear warranty
  • Usable in light snow conditions

Cons

  • Just a tad behind its competitors in dry performance
  • Almost no traction on ice

When it comes to purchasing tires, the most commonly chosen option is touring tires. The long life and refinement are the combination that most people are after, so it’s not surprising that they are so sought out after. Spoiler alert: if you own something like a GT-R, you probably won’t be interested in today’s topic. 

There are several premium options that you can find on the market, and the one for this review is from a German manufacturer. Continental is one of the oldest players in the industry, and it has proven itself repeatedly that it can make excellent tires.

The TrueContact Tour is Continental’s touring option, coming at a more affordable price when compared to the grand touring options but still capable of delivering decent performance.

What are the features of the Continental TrueContact Tour?

Continental is a brand known for implementing plenty of technologies into its tires, and the TrueContact Tour is no exception. The tire features a proprietary all-season compound designed to make the tire usable in the winter. It’s designed with polymers that are temperature-activated, which should also help with longevity and reduced rolling resistance.

Continental TrueContact Tour Tire Review

The +Silane additives are also a part of the compound, and their goal is to help with traction in less than ideal conditions. As for the tread design, the symmetrical pattern of the TrueContact Tour features two wide circumferential and lateral grooves that should help improve the aquaplaning resistance.

For winter conditions, the TrueContact Tour is designed with sipes and notches to help it deliver traction on snowy surfaces and ice.

As for the internal construction, Continental went down the balances route. The TrueContact Tour is designed with a single-ply polyester casing and dual steel belts wrapped in nylon resulting in a tire that should have decent handling without a huge impact on comfort.

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

Right off the bat, the TrueContact Tour starts off this review with a slight disappointment. It’s still a premium tire, and the performance is there, but some of its rivals are capable of delivering a bit more.

Looking at the traction levels, the TrueContact Tour is not too bad. Unless you get really aggressive, there is more than enough to eliminate most of the slip, which is fine.

On the other hand, the levels of grip aren’t something that I was too happy with. Sure, there is plenty for everyday driving around town or on the highway, but the tire shows its nature when you push it hard. It becomes a bit twitchy near the limit, almost like it doesn’t like it. To be fair, it is a touring tire, so you probably won’t be driving it on a track.

The handling is one area where the TrueContact Tour seems to be doing well. It is quite responsive and agile for a touring tire, delivering a decent amount of feedback.

With that said, I have to mention the braking distances. Despite being shorter than most mid-range options, they are average in the premium segment.

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

You must be thinking, “it’s a Continental tire, so it must be excellent in the rain,” and you’d be absolutely right. The TrueContact Tour is among the best tires in this category for driving on wet roads.

The grip and traction levels are excellent and will provide more than enough for what you’d need from a touring tire. Even if you get a bit more aggressive when accelerating or cornering, you’ll be fine. Thanks to the way the tire feels, you have time to react if you get too carried away and correct it mid-corner.

Continental went with 3 circumferential grooves, which doesn’t affect the tire’s stability at higher speeds. The aquaplaning resistance is excellent, so it won’t even blink an eye if you drive over water on the highway.

Finally, the braking distances. The TrueContact Tour stops in the shortest distance, getting the crown in this segment.

How is it over snow?

The TrueContact Tour is an all-season tire, and looking at the results, I’d say that it does a decent job, but I wouldn’t rely on it too much.

You will be getting a tire with usable performance, and that’s as much as you should expect from it. The TrueContact Tour will deliver good enough traction in lighter snow, so it’s not the worst I’ve seen in this class. Deeper snow will be a problem as the tire won’t be able to put the power down, and I’d advise you to steer clear of ice, as there seems to be almost no traction.

Safety is crucial, and the TrueContact Tour is a safe enough tire if you aren’t pushing it to the max. You’ll get decent braking distances if you drive carefully, but still far from what a proper winter tire can offer.

Is it comfortable and refined?

As far as comfort and noise are concerned, I have minimal complaints about the TrueContact Tour. In my opinion, it manages to outperform the Michelin Defender T+H in this regard.

On the comfort side of things, the stiffer sidewall reduces the sponginess softer tires deliver, resulting in a stiffer ride. For the TrueContact Tour, Continental still managed to make the tire comfortable without making it too soft. It eliminates vibrations from holes, and you only hear the initial thump.

Speaking of hearing, the TrueContact Tour is a tire that you won’t hear too much. It manages to remain pretty quiet, regardless of the surface you’re driving on. Worst case scenario is the thump from when you hit a hole.

Is it good for off-roading?

Tires designed for the road make for some poor off-roaders, so don’t get your hopes up for the TrueContact Tour. Some lighter situations like smooth dirt roads are fine as long as you don’t do it too often. Exposing the tire to more extreme conditions will result in damage or uneven wear.

Is the Continental TrueContact Tour ideal for sporty driving?

It depends on the conditions, but the tire may surprise you.

In dry conditions, it’s fine to be pushed a bit, but not too much. As I mentioned, it can get a bit nervous at the limit, so you wouldn’t want it to catch you by surprise. Things are much better in the wet, and thanks to the dynamic handling, the TrueContact Tour can be a sporty-ish tire for some fun on a twisty road.

Continental TrueContact Tour Warranty

Continental usually brings it A-game in terms of warranty, but it got a bit outperformed in this case. The TrueContact Tour comes with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is 5,000 miles less than the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife.

Continental TrueContact Tour Pricing: Is it worth the money?

Continental often gets called the affordable premium option, and with good reason. Its tires are often a tad cheaper than the competition, and the TrueContact Tour follows the same trend. The price starts from around $110, while a similarly-sized tire from the other brands may be $10-15 more.

Should I buy the Continental TrueContact Tour?

Yes, in my opinion, it is one of the better options in this class. The TrueContact Tour can do pretty much anything you ask of it, and it doesn’t seem to have tons of compromises.

My biggest critique with the TrueContact Tour is the dry performance. Even though it’s good for a touring tire, its competitors offer a bit more. With that said, at the end of the day, it isn’t a tire that you’d get for racing, so it’s not a complete miss.

Wet is where the tire shines and manages to deliver the best performance in its class. The TrueContact Tour has plenty of grip and traction, and combined with the short braking distances, it’s the safest tire you can get.

Like most all-season tires, the winter performance is a bit limited but not completely unusable. The TrueContact Tour is fine in lighter conditions, provided you don’t drive like you’re on a rally stage. For anything harsher than that, you’ll need a dedicated winter tire.

Refinement is another strong suit of the TrueContact Tour, which manages to offer a very comfortable ride without too much noise. Despite not being a grand touring option and the slightly stiffer sidewall, it’s not a particularly harsh tire. 

The TrueContact Tour is also a tire that you can rely on to last a long time. Even though it comes second in this class tied with several other options, with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, you know it won’t leave you wanting for more.

Finally, the best part. You get all of this performance at a lower price than most of the premium contenders in this category.

To be honest, there aren’t too many downsides to the TrueContact Tour, and as a result, I cannot find a reason why you should avoid it.

What Vehicles Will the Continental TrueContact Tour Fit?

Here’s a sample list of cars that the Continental TrueContact Tour will fit:

  • Alfa Romeo Giulia, Giulietta, 
  • Audi A3, A4, Q5, Q7
  • BMW 3, 5 Series, X5
  • Cadillac XTS, CTS
  • Chevrolet Malibu, Impala
  • Fiat 500, 500X
  • Ford Focus, Taurus
  • Honda Insight, Accord
  • Mazda 2, 3, 6
  • Nissan Juke, Micra
  • Subaru Impreza, Legacy
  • Toyota Corolla, Camry, CH-R
  • Volkswagen Passat, EOS, Tiguan
  • Volvo S60, S90, XC40

Tire Sizes for Continental TrueContact Tour

15″

  • 175/65R15
  • 185/65R15
  • 195/60R15
  • 195/65R15

16″

  • 205/60R16
  • 205/65R16
  • 215/60R16
  • 215/65R16
  • 225/60R16 
  • 235/65R16 

17″

  • 215/45R17 
  • 215/55R17 
  • 215/60R17 
  • 215/65R17 
  • 225/50R17 
  • 225/55R17 
  • 225/60R17 
  • 225/65R17 
  • 235/55R17 
  • 235/60R17 
  • 235/65R17 

18″

  • 215/55R18
  • 225/50R18
  • 235/55R18
  • 235/60R18
  • 235/60R18

19″

  • 225/55R19 
  • 235/55R19

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