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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 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 1 + 1 road tests and 21 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–68

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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 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. 73

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests8573
    Reviews found online5576

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 76.4 = 74

  2. 67

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6570
    Reviews found online6980

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 69 = 67

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 80.1 = 74

  3. 73

    Snow

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6971
    Reviews found online7977

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.2 = 73

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 76.9 = 73

  4. 61

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests68≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5679

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.6 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7074
    Reviews found online52≈ 67 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.7 = 63

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5879

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 78.9 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    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 0.35).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +19
    81
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online6281
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–77
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Relative Score 68 74
Dry 73 74
Wet 67 74
Snow 73 73
Comfort 61 76
Noise 63 71
Treadwear 61 74
Handling (owners) 62 81
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
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 7

WinterContact TS 860 S

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90WinterContact TS 860 SΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B WinterContact TS 860 S

Pros

  • Exceptional handling and feedback on dry and wet roads in cold temperatures
  • Strong performance and confidence in snow and icy conditions
  • Stiffer sidewalls compared to predecessors, offering improved cornering stability

Cons

  • Long break-in period required before optimal grip is achieved
  • Potential for traction control interference on staggered RWD setups due to circumference variances
  • Limited lateral grip in wet conditions compared to some competitors
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4592
Rim diameters15″ – 19″16″ – 23″
Tread depth11/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common99

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 71 vs 63 on noise.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 61 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