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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak Ice vs Continental WinterContact TS 850 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

WinterContact TS 850 is ahead, 73–61

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Tire ABridgestone

Blizzak Ice

Winter

Tests 59 · 5 tests Owners 63 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 6 in 2020 Teknikens Värld Studless Winter Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 850

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 57 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 42 in 2012 Auto Bild 42 Winter Tyre Braking Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 64

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 850 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score)64–
    Reviews found online6477
  2. 52

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 +26
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score)42–
    Reviews found online6881
  3. 58

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 850 +12
    70
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score)62–
    Reviews found online5270
  4. 68

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online6477
  5. 76

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score)82–
  6. 65

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Reviews found online6573
  7. 63

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 850 +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850
    Reviews found online6378
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak IceContinental WinterContact TS 850
Relative Score 61 73
Dry 64 73
Wet 52 78
Snow 58 70
Comfort 68 73
Noise 76 –
Treadwear 65 70
Handling 63 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Blizzak Ice

WinterContact TS 850

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak IceWinterContact TS 850ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 0% #6/6 · 2020 Teknikens Värld Studless Winter Tire Test R17 100% #1/42 · 2012 Auto Bild 42 Winter Tyre Braking Test −100.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak Ice

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B WinterContact TS 850

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
  • Outstanding performance in wet weather with strong resistance to aquaplaning
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can result in a 'floating' or vague steering feel during cornering
  • Performance degrades noticeably in temperatures above 10-15°C
  • Reports of accelerated shoulder wear, particularly on heavier or RWD vehicles
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 850 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice B · Continental WinterContact TS 850
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available605
Rim diameters13″ – 19″14″ – 16″

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak Ice

Continental WinterContact TS 850

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 850 — better wet, handling and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 78 vs 52 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 78 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 70 vs 58 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 73 vs 64 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 850
Check price on Amazon

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

73

Leads

WinterContact TS 850

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