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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Continental IceContact 3 — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 860 S leads, 74–71 Narrow edge

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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 BContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 (rolling resistance)

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 SIceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7376
    Reviews found online7769
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%93%
  2. 73

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7074
    Reviews found online7967
    Wet Braking (% of best)91%89%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%100%
  3. 73

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7183
    Reviews found online7872
    Snow Braking (% of best)96%100%
    Snow Handling (% of best)98%100%
  4. 74

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +9
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–98
    Reviews found online7960
  5. 72

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7372
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +13
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Reviews found online7654
  7. 81

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SIceContact 3
    Reviews found online8169
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SContinental IceContact 3
Relative Score 74 71
Dry 74 73
Wet 73 71
Snow 73 79
Comfort 74 83
Noise 72 70
Treadwear 72 59
Handling 81 69

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
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Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860 S

IceContact 3

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 SIceContact 3ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 93% #8/8 · 2022 Studded Winter Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 0.0 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 −1.1 Different tests
Price Other 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 50% #13/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test +5.1 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 20% #5/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test −4.1 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test −1.6 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test −7.3 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 89% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test +2.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test −2.6 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 IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Continental IceContact 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available92—
Rim diameters16″ – 23″—
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Continental IceContact 3

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better treadwear and handling. Pick the Continental IceContact 3 if comfort and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 72 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 83 vs 74 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 79 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental IceContact 3
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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

Narrow edge

WinterContact TS 860 S

Amazon