Tests – · none yet Owners 83 · 12 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 800 vs Continental WinterContact TS 850 — 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 + 0 road tests and 12 + 57 owner reviews. How we score
WinterContact TS 800 leads, 78–76 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 57 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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77
Dry
WinterContact TS 800 +275Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 82 79 WinterContact TS 800: 60% × 73.8 (est.) + 40% × 82.1 = 77
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.2 = 75
No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 800. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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84
Wet
WinterContact TS 800 +381Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 80 (est.) ≈ 78 (est.) Reviews found online 89 84 WinterContact TS 800: 60% × 80.5 (est.) + 40% × 88.6 = 84
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.1 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 81
No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 800. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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75
Snow
WinterContact TS 800 +471Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 79 72 WinterContact TS 800: 60% × 73 (est.) + 40% × 78.5 = 75
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 71
No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 800. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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77
Comfort
WinterContact TS 800 +176Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 81 80 WinterContact TS 800: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 81.3 = 77
WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 79.5 = 76
No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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75
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 800 +273Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 81 78 WinterContact TS 800: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 75
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 800. 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 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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85
Handling (owners)
WinterContact TS 800 +481Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 850 Reviews found online 85 81
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 800 | Continental WinterContact TS 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 76 |
| Dry | 77 | 75 |
| Wet | 84 | 81 |
| Snow | 75 | 71 |
| Comfort | 77 | 76 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 85 | 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 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
78
/ 100
WinterContact TS 800
76
/ 100
WinterContact TS 850
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.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 800 | WinterContact TS 850 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/13 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 | #3/51 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WinterContact TS 800
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep, fresh, and compressed snow
- Reliable braking and handling performance on wet and icy surfaces
- Impressive tread longevity even under varied driving conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise compared to some summer tire models
- Reduced handling precision and performance when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Soft compound can feel less stable during aggressive dry-weather driving
Tire B WinterContact TS 850
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
- Outstanding performance in wet weather with strong resistance to aquaplaning
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can result in a 'floating' or vague steering feel during cornering
- Performance degrades noticeably in temperatures above 10-15°C
- Reports of accelerated shoulder wear, particularly on heavier or RWD vehicles
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 800 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | 5 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 15″ | 14″ – 16″ |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Which one should you actually buy?
78
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 800
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 850
Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 800 — better snow and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 800 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 12 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Continental WinterContact TS 800 scores 75 vs 71 on snow.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 800 scores 84 vs 81 on wet.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 800
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 850
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WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Continental WinterContact TS 800, 84 vs 81 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 75 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Continental WinterContact TS 800, 75 vs 71 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 800 or WinterContact TS 850?
Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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