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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 11 + 16 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 75–67

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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 80 · 16 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6380

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 79.5 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 69

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6983

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 68.9 = 69

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70 + 40% × 82.9 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 70

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +4
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6978

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 70

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 78.1 = 74

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak LM25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6481

    Blizzak LM25: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 65

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 81.4 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak LM25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 62

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)73
    Reviews found online57≈ 66 (est.)

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 56.5 = 62

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 71

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak LM25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6480

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 63.8 = 65

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak LM25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 860 S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +13
    84
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online7184
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM25WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–77
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak LM25Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Relative Score 67 75
Dry 65 76
Wet 69 75
Snow 70 74
Comfort 65 77
Noise 62 71
Treadwear 65 75
Handling (owners) 71 84
Efficiency – 77

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Blizzak LM25

± 7

WinterContact TS 860 S

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak LM25

Pros

  • Excellent traction and handling in deep snow and winter storms
  • Good grip and road holding in both dry and wet conditions during cold months
  • Sporty feel and well-suited for high-powered rear-wheel-drive sedans and sports cars

Cons

  • Can be slightly noisy or develop saw-tooth wear if not properly maintained
  • Subpar braking performance on pure ice compared to deep snow
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM25 review

Tire B WinterContact TS 860 S

Pros

  • Exceptional handling and grip in wet, dry, and snow conditions
  • Stiff sidewalls providing precise road feedback and cornering stability
  • Summer-tire-like driving dynamics and confidence at low temperatures

Cons

  • Long break-in (scrub-in) period required before optimal grip is reached
  • Lateral grip in wet conditions can occasionally feel lacking during sudden maneuvers
  • High price point
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1092
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 23″
Tread depth11/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM25

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 84 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 75 vs 65 on treadwear.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM25
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak LM25 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 65 on our treadwear score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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