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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — 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 9 + 0 road tests and 20 + 36 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 850 P leads, 74–71 Narrow edge

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Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 850 P

Winter

± 5

Tests 76 · 9 tests Owners 72 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (wet 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 850 P +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests71≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7167

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 71.3 + 40% × 70.7 = 71

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.8 = 67

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 P +9
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests88≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7777

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 88.1 + 40% × 77.2 = 84

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 73

    Snow

    Blizzak DM-V2 +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests76≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online6885

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 68.1 = 73

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 75.2 (est.) + 40% × 85 = 79

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 P +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6969

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 68.5 = 70

    Blizzak DM-V2: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 69.4 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 67

    Noise

    Blizzak DM-V2 +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests67≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)70

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 67

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 69.5 = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 850 P. 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.

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 P +11
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7258

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 72.2 + 40% × 71.5 = 72

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 57.6 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Reviews found online7575
  8. 80

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests80–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850 PBridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Relative Score 74 71
Dry 71 67
Wet 84 75
Snow 73 79
Comfort 70 69
Noise 67 68
Treadwear 72 61
Handling (owners) 75 75
Efficiency 80 –

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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinterContact TS 850 P

± 7

Blizzak DM-V2

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak DM-V2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #5/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterContact TS 850 P

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability in wet and dry conditions
  • Low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Predictable handling and good feedback on cold, ungritted roads

Cons

  • Faster than expected tread wear reported by some users
  • High initial purchase price
  • Mixed performance on ice and slush for certain drivers
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 850 P review

Tire B Blizzak DM-V2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
  • High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
  • Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
  • Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
  • Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
All owner themes in the Blizzak DM-V2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P B · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12273
Rim diameters15″ – 22″15″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″13/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi44 psi
Sizes in common4444

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P — better treadwear, wet and dry. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 72 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 84 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 79 vs 73 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 71 vs 67 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
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WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 84 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 71 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 79 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 68 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak DM-V2?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 72 vs 61 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