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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Continental WinterContact TS 790 — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 860 S leads, 74–73 Narrow edge

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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 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online7772
  2. 73

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 790 +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7980
  3. 73

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score)71–
    Reviews found online78–
  4. 74

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Reviews found online7974
  5. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Reviews found online7674
  7. 81

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinterContact TS 790
    Reviews found online8175
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SContinental WinterContact TS 790
Relative Score 74 73
Dry 74 71
Wet 73 78
Snow 73 –
Comfort 74 72
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 72 70
Handling 81 75

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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Important
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Important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860 S

WinterContact TS 790

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 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 WinterContact TS 790

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Strong grip and stability in wet conditions
  • High level of ride comfort

Cons

  • Limited performance in heavy or deep snow conditions
  • Not optimized for severe winter climates
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 790 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Continental WinterContact TS 790
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available921
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Continental WinterContact TS 790

Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S and Continental WinterContact TS 790 are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S is stronger on handling and dry. Continental WinterContact TS 790 is stronger on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 75 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 78 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 790
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

Narrow edge

WinterContact TS 860 S

Amazon