tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Michelin Alpin A4 — 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 + 1 road tests and 20 + 55 owner reviews. How we score

Alpin A4 is ahead, 80–75

Check price on Amazon · Alpin A4 or WinterContact TS 850 P on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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)

Michelin Alpin A4
Tire BMichelin

Alpin A4

Winter

± 7

Tests 73 · 1 test Owners 88 · 55 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (wet braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 71

    Dry

    Alpin A4 +9
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7175
    Reviews found online7187

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 70.7 = 71

    Alpin A4: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.6 = 80

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 P +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 1 tests8875
    Reviews found online7793

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

    Alpin A4: 60% × 75.3 + 40% × 93.2 = 82

  3. 73

    Snow

    Alpin A4 +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 1 tests7669
    Reviews found online6882

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 68 = 73

    Alpin A4: 60% × 69 + 40% × 81.9 = 74

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Alpin A4 +11
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6888

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 68.3 = 70

    Alpin A4: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.5 = 81

    No road tests of comfort for Alpin A4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests67–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 67.1 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 67

    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.

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    Alpin A4 +8
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7189

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 72.2 + 40% × 71.4 = 72

    Alpin A4: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Alpin A4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Alpin A4 +17
    91
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Reviews found online7491
  8. 80

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 850 P +16
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PAlpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 1 tests8064
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850 PMichelin Alpin A4
Relative Score 75 80
Dry 71 80
Wet 84 82
Snow 73 74
Comfort 70 81
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 72 80
Handling (owners) 74 91
Efficiency 80 64

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

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinterContact TS 850 P

± 7

Alpin A4

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 PAlpin A4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 93% #8/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 94% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 93% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 91% #6/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 95% #6/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 88% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #6/16 2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 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 Alpin A4

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and braking performance on snow and ice
  • High level of confidence and stability in wet, cold conditions
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Reduced steering feedback and 'numb' handling feel
  • Performance decline in dry conditions when temperatures exceed 10°C
  • Occasional reports of increased rolling resistance
All owner themes in the Alpin A4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P B · Michelin Alpin A4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1229
Rim diameters15″ – 22″14″ – 17″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Michelin Alpin A4

Winner: Michelin Alpin A4 — better handling, comfort and dry. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 850 P if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 91 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 80 vs 64 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 81 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 80 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Alpin A4
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 82 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Michelin Alpin A4, 80 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Michelin Alpin A4, 81 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Michelin Alpin A4, 80 vs 72 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin A4?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 80 vs 64 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