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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 850 vs Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance — 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 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 850 is ahead, 76–66

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Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 850 +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7964

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.2 = 75

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66

    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 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 81

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 78 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8471

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.1 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 81

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 71.3 = 71

    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 Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 71

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 850 +9
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7256

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 71

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 62

    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 Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 76

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 +10
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8064

    WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 79.5 = 76

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.1 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 73

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7868

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 73

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 68

    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 Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 81

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 850 +17
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Reviews found online8164
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 850Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Relative Score 76 66
Dry 75 66
Wet 81 71
Snow 71 62
Comfort 76 66
Treadwear 73 68
Handling (owners) 81 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
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WinterContact TS 850

± 8

Ultra Grip 8 Performance

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 5 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 850 finished ahead 4 times and Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 850Ultra Grip 8 PerformanceΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/48 #2/48 – 4–1 in 5 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
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 850 review

Tire B Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
  • Low road noise levels compared to competitors
  • Strong dry road stability and handling

Cons

  • Inconsistent snow and ice traction reported by some users
  • Potential for grip degradation as the tire ages
  • Reports of increased fuel consumption
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip 8 Performance review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 B · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available514
Rim diameters14″ – 16″16″ – 18″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
Sidewall—Raised Black Lettering
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 850

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 850 — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 81 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 81 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 76 vs 66 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 75 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850
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Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
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WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 81 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 75 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 71 vs 62 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 76 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 73 vs 68 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