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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 — 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 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 75–67

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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 LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8063

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

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM25. 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 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8369

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

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 68.9 = 69

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM25. 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 +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7869

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

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 70

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak LM25. 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 +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8164

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

    Blizzak LM25: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 65

    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 LM25. 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 +9
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)57

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

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 56.5 = 62

    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 LM25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8064

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

    Blizzak LM25: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 63.8 = 65

    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 LM25. 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 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Reviews found online8471
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak LM25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SBridgestone Blizzak LM25
Relative Score 75 67
Dry 76 65
Wet 75 69
Snow 74 70
Comfort 77 65
Noise 71 62
Treadwear 75 65
Handling (owners) 84 71
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

± 8

Blizzak LM25

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 LM25

Pros

  • Excellent traction and handling in deep snow and winter storms
  • Good grip and road holding in both dry and wet conditions during cold months
  • Sporty feel and well-suited for high-powered rear-wheel-drive sedans and sports cars

Cons

  • Can be slightly noisy or develop saw-tooth wear if not properly maintained
  • Subpar braking performance on pure ice compared to deep snow
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM25 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM25
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9210
Rim diameters16″ – 23″16″ – 20″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi51 psi
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Bridgestone Blizzak LM25

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. Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 84 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 65 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 You want the longest tread life

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

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM25
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

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

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak LM25?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 65 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