Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 12 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 800 vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterContact TS 800 leads, 76–74 Narrow edge
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Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance 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.
-
75
Dry
WinterContact TS 800 +174Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 73 Reviews found online 79 77 -
80
Wet
WinterContact TS 800 +773Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 84 79 -
74
Snow
WinterContact TS 800 +173Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 71 Reviews found online 77 78 -
74
Comfort
Level74Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Reviews found online 79 79 -
–
Noise
No comparison72Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 73 Reviews found online – 71 -
71
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 860 S +172Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Reviews found online 75 76 -
81
Handling
Level81Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 800 WinterContact TS 860 S Reviews found online 81 81
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 800 | Continental WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 74 |
| Dry | 75 | 74 |
| Wet | 80 | 73 |
| Snow | 74 | 73 |
| Comfort | 74 | 74 |
| Noise | – | 72 |
| Treadwear | 71 | 72 |
| Handling | 81 | 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
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Important
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
WinterContact TS 800
74
/ 100
WinterContact TS 860 S
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 860 S | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/13 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 | #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | 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 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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 800 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | 92 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 15″ | 16″ – 23″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 800
74
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 800 — better wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 800 scores 80 vs 73 on wet.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 800
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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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.