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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 — 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 + 2 road tests and 20 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 850 P is ahead, 74–60

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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)

Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
Tire BBridgestone

Blizzak LM001

Winter

± 7

Tests 71 · 2 tests Owners 47 · 11 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Autobild UHP 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. 71

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 850 P +11
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 2 tests7171
    Reviews found online7143
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–197%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–199%99%

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 71.2 = 71

    Blizzak LM001: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 42.9 = 60

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 P +19
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 2 tests8975
    Reviews found online7751
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–194%95%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–197%94%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–099%97%

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 88.5 + 40% × 77.4 = 84

    Blizzak LM001: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 50.6 = 65

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 850 P +12
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 2 tests7669
    Reviews found online6849
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–097%94%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–099%98%

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 68.3 = 73

    Blizzak LM001: 60% × 68.5 + 40% × 49.2 = 61

  4. 70

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 P +18
    52
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6943

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 40% × 72.3 + 60% × 68.9 = 70

    Blizzak LM001: 40% × 64.4 (est.) + 60% × 43.2 = 52

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak LM001. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 67

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 850 P +13
    54
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 2 tests6771
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)30
    Noise (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–199%98%

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 67.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 67

    Blizzak LM001: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 29.7 = 54

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 850 P. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 P +16
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online7149

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 71.3 = 72

    Blizzak LM001: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 48.7 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak LM001. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 850 P +21
    54
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Reviews found online7554
  8. 80

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 850 P +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 2 tests8071
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–194%93%
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850 PBridgestone Blizzak LM001
Relative Score 74 60
Dry 71 60
Wet 84 65
Snow 73 61
Comfort 70 52
Noise 67 54
Treadwear 72 56
Handling (owners) 75 54
Efficiency 80 71

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
± 5

WinterContact TS 850 P

± 7

Blizzak LM001

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.

In the overall rankings of 2 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 850 P finished ahead 2 times and Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 850 PBlizzak LM001ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% 98% −1.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% +0.1 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% 95% −0.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Wet Braking Wet 97% 94% +3.5 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Wet Handling Wet 99% 97% +1.9 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Snow Braking Snow 97% 94% +2.6 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Snow Handling Snow 99% 98% +1.2 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Noise Noise 99% 98% +0.7 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 94% 93% +1.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 51% 61% −9.8 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Overall Ranking Overall #2/10 #6/10 – 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15

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 LM001

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
  • Precise handling and stability on cold, winter-affected roads
  • Reliable braking performance in severe weather

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear reported by some users
  • High noise levels on dry asphalt
  • Increased fuel consumption compared to other winter tires
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM001 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12269
Rim diameters15″ – 22″14″ – 21″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common3838

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Bridgestone Blizzak LM001

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 75 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 84 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 70 vs 52 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 72 vs 56 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
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WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 84 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 71 vs 60 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 73 vs 61 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 67 vs 54 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 70 vs 52 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 72 vs 56 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 850 P or Blizzak LM001?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 80 vs 71 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