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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — 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 + 27 road tests and 20 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–74

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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)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 870 P

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild 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 870 P +10
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 22 tests7182
    Reviews found online7179

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 79 = 81

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    90
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 27 tests8993
    Reviews found online7786

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 92.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 90

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 26 tests7679
    Reviews found online6876

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.2 = 78

  4. 70

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +12
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests7284
    Reviews found online6981

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.1 = 82

  5. 67

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 19 tests6778
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 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 870 P +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests7271
    Reviews found online7180

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

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 79.9 = 74

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +8
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Reviews found online7583
  8. 80

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    86
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 21 tests8086
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850 PContinental WinterContact TS 870 P
Relative Score 74 81
Dry 71 81
Wet 84 90
Snow 73 78
Comfort 70 82
Noise 67 74
Treadwear 72 74
Handling (owners) 75 83
Efficiency 80 86

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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Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinterContact TS 850 P

± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

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 PWinterContact TS 870 PΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 93% #8/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #5/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 94% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 90% #5/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test 100% #2/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 93% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #3/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #5/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test 50% #3/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 91% #6/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 92% #6/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% #3/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test 80% #1/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 95% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #10/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 91% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 66% #15/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 93% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 42% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #17/20 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test #11/20 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 71% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 56% #17/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #7/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #1/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – 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 WinterContact TS 870 P

Pros

  • Exceptionally low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Outstanding wet weather and slush performance, cutting through heavy rain effortlessly
  • Balanced dry and cold-weather handling with impressive cornering stability

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Steering response and initial stiffness are slightly softer and less sporty than dedicated summer tires or some rivals
  • Snow and ice traction can feel less exceptional or borderline inadequate for a small subset of users
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available122121
Rim diameters15″ – 22″16″ – 23″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common9494

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better comfort, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 82 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 81 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 83 vs 75 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 74 vs 67 on noise.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 84 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 78 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 67 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 82 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 850 P or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 80 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