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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 790 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 5 + 16 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S leads, 76–74 Narrow edge

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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. 71

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +5
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7379

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 71

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 79.4 = 76

    No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 78

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 790 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 76 (est.)70
    Reviews found online8183

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 76.4 (est.) + 40% × 81.1 = 78

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

    No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–71
    Reviews found online–78

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

  4. 72

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +5
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7381

    WinterContact TS 790: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 72.9 = 72

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 81.2 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 790. 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. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–73
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 70

    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. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7680

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 72

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 790. 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. 77

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    84
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online7784
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–77
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 790Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Relative Score 74 76
Dry 71 76
Wet 78 75
Snow – 74
Comfort 72 77
Noise – 70
Treadwear 72 75
Handling (owners) 77 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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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

WinterContact TS 790

± 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 WinterContact TS 790

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Strong grip and stability in wet conditions
  • High level of ride comfort

Cons

  • Limited performance in heavy or deep snow conditions
  • Not optimized for severe winter climates
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 790 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 · Continental WinterContact TS 790 B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available192
Rim diameters15″16″ – 23″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 790

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, dry and comfort. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 790 if wet matters most to you. Continental WinterContact TS 790 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 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 77 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 72 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 78 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 790
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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WinterContact TS 790 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 790 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 790, 78 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 790 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 790 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 790 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 72 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