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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 16 + 21 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 75–65

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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 80 · 16 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance 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. 76

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8063

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 79.5 = 76

    Blizzak LM-32: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 65

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM-32. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 75

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8364

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70 + 40% × 82.9 = 75

    Blizzak LM-32: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 65

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM-32. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7863

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 78.1 = 74

    Blizzak LM-32: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 66

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak LM-32. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 77

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +16
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8158

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 81.4 = 77

    Blizzak LM-32: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 58 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S. 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 Blizzak LM-32. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)59

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 71

    Blizzak LM-32: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.1 = 64

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S. 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.

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak LM-32. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8066

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 75

    Blizzak LM-32: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.6 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 860 S. 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 Blizzak LM-32. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 84

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +25
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Reviews found online8459
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM-32
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SBridgestone Blizzak LM-32
Relative Score 75 65
Dry 76 65
Wet 75 65
Snow 74 66
Comfort 77 61
Noise 71 64
Treadwear 75 66
Handling (owners) 84 59
Efficiency 77 –

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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

WinterContact TS 860 S

± 7

Blizzak LM-32

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 860 SBlizzak LM-32ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #7/10 2014 AMS Winter Tyre Test – 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 grip in wet, dry, and snow conditions
  • Stiff sidewalls providing precise road feedback and cornering stability
  • Summer-tire-like driving dynamics and confidence at low temperatures

Cons

  • Long break-in (scrub-in) period required before optimal grip is reached
  • Lateral grip in wet conditions can occasionally feel lacking during sudden maneuvers
  • High price point
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 S review

Tire B Blizzak LM-32

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and reliability in deep snow and winter storms
  • Stable and satisfying handling on cold, dry roads
  • Good resistance to aquaplaning and solid durability/tread life reported by some users

Cons

  • Poor and unpredictable wet weather grip, leading to wheel spin and sliding
  • Noticeable road noise and humming that increases as the tread wears down
  • Vague steering feel and lackluster performance under quick acceleration
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM-32 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available9236
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″ – 20″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common99

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 84 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 75 vs 65 on wet.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 64 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM-32?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 66 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