Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 69 · 2 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental IceContact 2 vs Continental IceContact 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
IceContact 3 leads, 71–70 Narrow edge
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Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
IceContact 3 +372Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 74 Reviews found online 66 69 Dry Braking (% of best) 100% 98% -
71
Wet
Level71Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 73 Reviews found online 72 67 Wet Braking (% of best) 99% 80% -
76
Snow
IceContact 3 +480Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 77 85 Reviews found online 75 72 Snow Braking (% of best) 100% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) 100% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 99% -
66
Comfort
IceContact 3 +1783Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 98 Reviews found online 63 60 -
–
Noise
No comparison69Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 -
65
Treadwear
IceContact 2 +659Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Reviews found online 65 54 -
71
Handling
IceContact 2 +269Why this score
Source IceContact 2 IceContact 3 Reviews found online 71 69
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental IceContact 2 | Continental IceContact 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 71 |
| Dry | 69 | 72 |
| Wet | 71 | 71 |
| Snow | 76 | 80 |
| Comfort | 66 | 83 |
| Noise | – | 69 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 59 |
| Handling | 71 | 69 |
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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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
70
/ 100
IceContact 2
71
/ 100
IceContact 3
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.
| Discipline | Category | IceContact 2 | IceContact 3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 98% #8/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +2.2 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 94% #5/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | −3.8 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 79% #14/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +20.6 | Different tests |
| Ice Handling | Ice | 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 95% #6/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test | +3.3 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 100% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 74% #14/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +25.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 90% #2/9 · 2018 Autofil Studdable Winter Tire Test R16 | 50% #2/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +40.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #1/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | +1.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 | +0.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | −3.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +19.0 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A IceContact 2
Pros
- Excellent traction on snow and ice-covered surfaces
- Surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride for a studded tire
- Reliable handling and stability in severe winter conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise when driving on dry or clean pavement
- Noticeable degradation in ice grip performance after two seasons of use
- Requires precise tire pressure maintenance to ensure optimal wet-weather handling
Tire B IceContact 3
Pros
- Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
- Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
- Strong performance on lake ice tracks
Cons
- Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
- Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
- Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental IceContact 2 | B · Continental IceContact 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Continental IceContact 2
71
/ 100
Continental IceContact 3
Too close to call: Continental IceContact 2 and Continental IceContact 3 are within 2 points overall. Continental IceContact 2 is stronger on treadwear. Continental IceContact 3 is stronger on comfort, snow and dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental IceContact 3 scores 83 vs 66 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental IceContact 2 scores 65 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Continental IceContact 3 scores 80 vs 76 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental IceContact 3 scores 72 vs 69 on dry.
Tire A · Continental IceContact 2
Tire B · Continental IceContact 3
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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.