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Continental IceContact 3 vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 860 S leads, 74–71 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 (rolling resistance)

Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

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
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7673
    Reviews found online6977
    Dry Braking (% of best)93%98%
  2. 71

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7470
    Reviews found online6779
    Wet Braking (% of best)89%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%97%
  3. 79

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)8371
    Reviews found online7278
    Snow Braking (% of best)100%96%
    Snow Handling (% of best)100%98%
  4. 83

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)98–
    Reviews found online6079
  5. 70

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7273
    Reviews found online–71
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +13
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online5476
  7. 69

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    81
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online6981
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Relative Score 71 74
Dry 73 74
Wet 71 73
Snow 79 73
Comfort 83 74
Noise 70 72
Treadwear 59 72
Handling 69 81

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
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Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

IceContact 3

WinterContact TS 860 S

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.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3WinterContact TS 860 SΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 93% #8/8 · 2022 Studded Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test −5.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Noise Other 99% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test +1.1 Different tests
Price Other 50% #13/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test −5.1 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test 25% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test −5.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test +4.1 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test +1.6 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 97% #3/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test +7.3 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 89% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test −2.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test +2.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 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 · Continental IceContact 3 B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—92
Rim diameters—16″ – 23″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental IceContact 3

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better treadwear and handling. Pick the Continental IceContact 3 if comfort and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 72 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 83 vs 74 on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 79 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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.

74

Narrow edge

WinterContact TS 860 S

Amazon