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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Bridgestone Blizzak Ice — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–61

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Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

Tire BBridgestone

Blizzak Ice

Winter

Tests 59 · 5 tests Owners 63 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)7364
    Reviews found online7764
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%80%
  2. 73

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +21
    52
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)7042
    Reviews found online7968
    Wet Braking (% of best)91%77%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%96%
  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +15
    58
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)7162
    Reviews found online7852
    Snow Braking (% of best)96%80%
    Snow Handling (% of best)98%80%
  4. 74

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online7964
  5. 72

    Noise

    Blizzak Ice +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)7382
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Reviews found online7665
  7. 81

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +18
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak Ice
    Reviews found online8163
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SBridgestone Blizzak Ice
Relative Score 74 61
Dry 74 64
Wet 73 52
Snow 73 58
Comfort 74 68
Noise 72 76
Treadwear 72 65
Handling 81 63

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860 S

Blizzak Ice

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak IceΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 +17.6 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test −2.5 Different tests
Price Other 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 43% #7/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test +12.1 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 0% #6/6 · 2020 Teknikens Värld Studless Winter Tire Test R17 +25.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 80% #8/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 +15.5 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 80% #14/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 +18.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 84% #8/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test +5.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 77% #17/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test +14.7 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #14/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test +1.1 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A WinterContact TS 860 S

Pros

  • Exceptional handling and feedback on dry and wet roads in cold temperatures
  • Strong performance and confidence in snow and icy conditions
  • Stiffer sidewalls compared to predecessors, offering improved cornering stability

Cons

  • Long break-in period required before optimal grip is achieved
  • Potential for traction control interference on staggered RWD setups due to circumference variances
  • Limited lateral grip in wet conditions compared to some competitors
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 S review

Tire B Blizzak Ice

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9260
Rim diameters16″ – 23″13″ – 19″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Bridgestone Blizzak Ice

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better wet, handling and snow. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak Ice if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 73 vs 52 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 73 vs 58 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 64 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
Check price on Amazon

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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

74

Leads

WinterContact TS 860 S

Amazon