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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV vs Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — 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 3 + 5 road tests and 5 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV 70, Winter i*pike RS2 69.

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Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
Tire AContinental

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Winter

± 7

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test (wet braking)

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire BHankook

Winter i*pike RS2

Winter

± 6

Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Category by category

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

  1. 70

    Dry

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +14
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests6849
    Reviews found online7266

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68 + 40% × 71.9 = 70

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.2 + 40% × 65.9 = 56

  2. 75

    Wet

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests7771
    Reviews found online7276

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 71.6 = 75

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 75.6 = 73

  3. 68

    Snow

    Winter i*pike RS2 +8
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests7676
    Reviews found online5677

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 55.9 = 68

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 76.5 = 76

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Winter i*pike RS2 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)79
    Reviews found online7268

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.3 = 71

    Winter i*pike RS2: 40% × 79.2 + 60% × 67.5 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 63

    Noise

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +4
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests6155
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 61.4 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 63

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 59

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2. 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. 70

    Treadwear

    Winter i*pike RS2 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7375

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.5 = 70

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 74.8 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. 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 Winter i*pike RS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Winter i*pike RS2 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Reviews found online7172
  8. 81

    Efficiency

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests8173
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUVHankook Winter i*pike RS2
Relative Score 70 69
Dry 70 56
Wet 75 73
Snow 68 76
Comfort 71 72
Noise 63 59
Treadwear 70 72
Handling (owners) 71 72
Efficiency 81 73

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

± 6

Winter i*pike RS2

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVWinter i*pike RS2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 88% #16/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #3/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 82% #11/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #2/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #6/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 93% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #8/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 68% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 67% #5/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #3/10 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test #6/8 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Pros

  • Balanced performance across dry and wet conditions
  • Secure handling and positive steering feedback on snow and ice
  • Good overall traction in cold weather environments

Cons

  • Subpar aquaplaning resistance reported by some users
  • Inconsistent grip leading to rear-wheel spin in non-dry conditions
  • Mixed snow and winter slush performance depending on severity
All owner themes in the Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV review

Tire B Winter i*pike RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and braking on snow and ice
  • Strong side grip and predictable cornering limits
  • High durability with secure stud retention over multiple years

Cons

  • Poor steering feedback on dry tarmac
  • Noticeable understeer in dry road conditions
All owner themes in the Winter i*pike RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2

Too close to call: Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV and Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 are within 2 points overall. Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV is stronger on dry, efficiency and noise. Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 is stronger on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV scores 70 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV scores 81 vs 73 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 76 vs 68 on snow.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV scores 63 vs 59 on noise.

Tire A · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Check price on Amazon

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Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV, 70 vs 56 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV, 63 vs 59 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 72 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 72 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV, 81 vs 73 on our efficiency 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