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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — 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 + 1 road tests and 14 + 21 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–68

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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 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. 74

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7385
    Reviews found online7655

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 76.4 = 74

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

  2. 74

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7065
    Reviews found online8069

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 80.1 = 74

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 69 = 67

  3. 73

    Snow

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7169
    Reviews found online7779

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 76.9 = 73

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.2 = 73

  4. 76

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +15
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)68
    Reviews found online7956

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.6 = 76

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7470
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)52

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.7 = 63

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 74

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +13
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7958

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 78.9 = 74

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 81

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +19
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Reviews found online8162
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SBridgestone Blizzak WS90
Relative Score 74 68
Dry 74 73
Wet 74 67
Snow 73 73
Comfort 76 61
Noise 71 63
Treadwear 74 61
Handling (owners) 81 62
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 WS90

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 WS90ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs 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 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 WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9245
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″ – 19″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi44 psi
Sizes in common99

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 71 vs 63 on noise.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Blizzak WS90?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 61 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