Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 57 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 850 vs Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 57 + 38 owner reviews. How we score
SP Winter Sport 4D leads, 78–76 Narrow edge
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.
Tests – · none yet Owners 82 · 38 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
SP Winter Sport 4D +378Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 79 84 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.2 = 75
SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.7 = 78
No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
81
Wet
SP Winter Sport 4D +384Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 78 (est.) ≈ 81 (est.) Reviews found online 84 89 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.3 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 81
SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 80.8 (est.) + 40% × 89.1 = 84
No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
71
Snow
Level71Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 72 71 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 71
SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 71
No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
76
Comfort
SP Winter Sport 4D +379Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 80 84 WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 79.6 = 76
SP Winter Sport 4D: 40% × 71.9 (est.) + 60% × 84.4 = 79
No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
73
Treadwear
SP Winter Sport 4D +376Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 78 82 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 73
SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 72 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 76
No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
81
Handling (owners)
SP Winter Sport 4D +485Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 SP Winter Sport 4D Reviews found online 81 85
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 | Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 78 |
| Dry | 75 | 78 |
| Wet | 81 | 84 |
| Snow | 71 | 71 |
| Comfort | 76 | 79 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 76 |
| Handling (owners) | 81 | 85 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
WinterContact TS 850
78
/ 100
SP Winter Sport 4D
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 17 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 850 finished ahead 15 times and Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D 2 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 850 | SP Winter Sport 4D | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/48 | #3/48 | – | 15–2 in 17 shared tests Newest: 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview · 225/50 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WinterContact TS 850
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
- Outstanding performance in wet weather with strong resistance to aquaplaning
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can result in a 'floating' or vague steering feel during cornering
- Performance degrades noticeably in temperatures above 10-15°C
- Reports of accelerated shoulder wear, particularly on heavier or RWD vehicles
Tire B SP Winter Sport 4D
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions.
- Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tire counterparts.
- High level of ride comfort and refined road manners.
Cons
- Noticeable 'squirm' or lack of sharpness during high-speed cornering.
- Occasional reports of understeer in specific wet or icy conditions.
- Some users noted a 'hard' ride quality compared to previous iterations like the 3D.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 | B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 5 | 20 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 16″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 850
78
/ 100
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
Narrow edge: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — better dry, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 78 vs 75 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 84 vs 81 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 79 vs 76 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 76 vs 73 on treadwear.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850
Tire B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 84 vs 81 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 78 vs 75 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 79 vs 76 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 or SP Winter Sport 4D?
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 76 vs 73 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