Right, well that’s the spiel from Continental (more or less). So what about the experience?
We’ve had these tyres on our Subaru Outback for about 6 months now. I’d like to say that we
went on some terrific weekend adventures but alas, as many of you will find relatable -
COVID19 made that a little tougher. Still, that is not to say that these tyres were not put to the
test. Afterall, when I’m considering what makes a tyre a good match for our vehicle and driving
needs, it’s the everyday driving that counts the most.
I could be way off, but to me, it seems that we’ve had a lot more rain this winter and spring. I
wouldn’t describe myself as a completely confident driver, and have been known to err on the
side of caution, particularly on wet roads. However, I have to say that the CrossContact ATRs
had me experiencing a bit of a confident boost. As time wore on, and I knew I was expected to
review these tyres, I took corners a little faster than I usually would and felt in control the whole
time.
Shortly after having these tyres fitted, a mechanic commented to me that he didn’t know why I
would put ‘such noisy tyres’ on my car. In all honesty, we hadn’t long owned the car before the
CrossContact ATRs were fitted, so I will be curious to compare them to the next set of tyres we
have. But I have to say - I don’t find these tyres particularly noisy. Yes, I’m usually driving with
my 5 and 7 year old in tow and the general noises of the car and tyres can be diluted by the
general chatter and millions of questions the kids throw my way but on longer road trips or on
my solo commute to work, I haven’t really had an issue with on-road noise. And in all honesty, I
am okay with putting up with a little noise if it means having tyres that ‘look good’ on my car. If
‘aesthetics’ was a scored rating, they’d get a 5/5 from us.
The same goes for comfort - maybe there’s a tyre that delivers a smoother on-road experience
but for the ‘added bonus’ of some off-road capabilities, the minimal sacrifice on total driver and
passenger comfort is worth it, if that’s something that matters to you.
But of course, this review isn’t solely about my opinion, but my partner’s too. Whilst I didn’t take
the car off the beaten track, Paul did. He is often out for a surf, a mountain bike ride or taking
photos somewhere in the wilderness. And that means taking the car on some more off-road
type driving experiences. He has said that the tread design of the CrossContact ATR ‘did its job’
as it wasn’t uncommon for him to arrive back home with relatively clean looking tyres and mud
sprayed up the side of the car!
