tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Pirelli Scorpion Winter — 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 + 3 road tests and 20 + 20 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 850 P is ahead, 74–69

Check price on Amazon · WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter 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)

Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Tire BPirelli

Scorpion Winter

Winter

± 6

Tests 72 · 3 tests Owners 67 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 AZ SUV 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

    Scorpion Winter +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 3 tests7176
    Reviews found online7166

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

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 66.4 = 72

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 P +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests8871
    Reviews found online7775

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

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 75.1 = 72

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 850 P +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests7669
    Reviews found online6872

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

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 72 = 70

  4. 70

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 P +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6869

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 68.4 = 70

    Scorpion Winter: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 68.5 = 69

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

  5. 67

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 850 P +4
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests6767
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)58

    WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 67.1 + 40% × 57.6 = 63

    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

    WinterContact TS 850 P +11
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7158

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

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61

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

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 850 P +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Reviews found online7570
  8. 80

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 850 P +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850 PScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests8072
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850 PPirelli Scorpion Winter
Relative Score 74 69
Dry 71 72
Wet 84 72
Snow 73 70
Comfort 70 69
Noise 67 63
Treadwear 72 61
Handling (owners) 75 70
Efficiency 80 72

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

± 6

Scorpion Winter

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 PScorpion WinterΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 93% #8/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 88% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 94% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 87% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 93% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #3/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 91% #6/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 95% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 86% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV 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 80% #6/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #7/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #2/7 2025 Autobild Pirelli All-Terrain Tire Test R19 – 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 Scorpion Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional wet grip and resistance to aquaplaning
  • Strong dry road handling and high-speed stability
  • Comfortable and quiet ride quality for highway cruising

Cons

  • Reduced performance on mud, heavy slush, and hard ice
  • Faster tread wear, particularly when driven in warmer temperatures
  • Vague high-speed handling at extreme velocities (over 130 mph)
All owner themes in the Scorpion Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available12288
Rim diameters15″ – 22″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common5656

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Pirelli Scorpion Winter

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P — better wet, treadwear and efficiency. Where the Pirelli Scorpion Winter is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 84 vs 72 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

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

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 80 vs 72 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 67 vs 63 on noise.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Check price on Amazon

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

WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter?

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

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 84 vs 72 on our wet score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 73 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 67 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter?

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

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 72 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 850 P or Scorpion Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 80 vs 72 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