Continental ExtremeContact Force vs Yokohama ADVAN A052: We have covered the semi-slick track day tires segment quite a bit with the introduction of Bridgestone Potenza Race & also the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS. We made a comparison between the newly launched Potenza RE-71RS and its predecessor to show the improvement gains of the new product. Now we would like to pair another premium competitor, Continental ExtremeContact against one of its segment rivals, Yokohama’s ADVAN A052. We will go through both wet & dry surfaces with various objective & subjective tests and also a comfort test. ADVAN A052 was launched in 2016 and has been known for its strong wet performances. In the meantime ExtremeContact Force was launched in North America in 2021 with the main focus on track day performances.
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the tire rack’s “Testing Extreme Performance Summer Tires 2021” test. A total of 4 tires were tested this time around in Tire Rack’s own proving ground. The graph below shows the comparison between Continental ExtremeContact Force vs Yokohama ADVAN A052 based on the relevant performance category. The ExtremeContact Force was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. Note that for subjective comfort evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%.
The tire size of interest is a 245/40R18 which is a common tire size for Audi A4 & Mercedes-Benz C 200 Amg Line. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle for this tire test is a 2020 BMW F36 430i Gran Coupe.
Dry
When it comes down to track day performance tires, you immediately connect to a picture of a “racing car” driving at the limit on a race track. This is exactly what these tires are all about, they are trying to optimize their dry track performances while balancing the wet legal trade off. ADVAN A052 has a clear advantage in dry baking as it managed to out brake ExtremeContact Force by 5.1 feet (1.6m). This distance is huge as every braking point in the lap accumulates over a race not to mention it will also enable better overtaking opportunities.
While in the dry handling area, both tires were equally matched as both the tires were separated only by 0.02 seconds. Both tires scored almost the same in subjective terms with a rating 8.91/10 for ADVAN A052 and 8.93/10 for ExtremeContact Force but the devil is in the details. Below is some of the feedback from the test driver.
ADVAN A052:
A052 had undeniably strong traction, and that was apparent in every element of our track. As we’ve found in previous tests, its ability to put the power down through turns and at corner exit was unmatched, as was the speed our drivers could carry into turns. If there was anywhere our team would have liked some improvement from the ADVAN A052, it was the steering. Compared to the rest of the group, it was a little vague, lacking the precision and direct nature of the competition. Additionally, it wasn’t quite as responsive as we would like, though the traction and outright speed are likely enough to overcome those concerns for nearly every driver.
Test driver feedback on ADVAN A052
ExtremeContact Force:
The ExtremeContact Force provided exceptional steering characteristics, even among this incredibly talented group. The combination of weight, precision, responsiveness, and feel were as close to ideal as our team could ask for. Every motion felt smooth, fluid, and intuitive, like the vehicle was an extension of the driver. When driving the ExtremeContact Force, our testers could make the car rotate at will; it was nimble through the slalom; and it was poised and balanced around the long, steady-state left hand turn of our skid pad. Our team’s only minor concern was that if the driver tried to lean on the outside front tire too hard, it felt as if it was “rolling over” on itself and pushing a bit more than the other tires here. Avoid overdriving the front end, though, and the experience was sublime.
Test driver feedback on ExtremeContact Force
Overall ADVAN A052 had a better dry braking performances while both tires were matched equally when it comes to dry handling.
ADVAN A052 :
- +7.2% in dry braking
- -0.1% in dry handling (subj)
- -0.1% in dry handling (lap time)
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. With regards to our comparison, ADVAN A052 was overwhelmingly the best in wet braking by stopping 24.2 feet (7.4m) earlier than ExtremeContact Force.
While in wet handling, ADVAN A052 maintained its advantage by being 2.5 seconds faster compared to ExtremeContact Force. For the subjective rating, ADVAN A052 was rated higher with 8.25/10 points compared to a lower 7.25/10 of ExtremeContact Force. Overall in the wet category, ADVAN A052 has a clear advantage in wet performances.
ADVAN A052 :
- +22.4% in wet braking
- +5.0% in wet handling (subj)
- +7.7% in wet handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and both the tires were equally matched. The only differ 0.01 in terms of subjective points hence effectively rendering them the same.
ADVAN A052 :
- +0.1% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental | ExtremeContact Force | All | 200 | A | A |
| Yokohama | ADVAN A052 | All | 200 | A | A |
Both tires form the now standard 200 UTQG tread wear rating track day tire segment. As the tires are used for people who frequently visit the track, it makes absolute sense to not provide any mileage warranty. With the same UTQG tread wear rating, we expect both tires to have a similar expected mileage. For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
With its excellent wet & dry results, ADVAN A052 was found to cost 6 dollars more than Continental ExtremeContact Force.
Tire size: 245/40R18
ExtremeContact Force: $277
ADVAN A052: $283
Difference: +2% more expensive for ADVAN A052.
Summary
Looking into the overall package, ADVAN A052 excels clearly in dry, wet & noise performances in comparison with ExtremeContact Force. If you are looking for an all out track day tire with absolute dry performance while having excellent wet characteristics, ADVAN A052 is clearly your best choice !