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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Dunlop Winter Response 2 — 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 + 2 road tests and 16 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Response 2 is ahead, 82–76

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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)

Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire BDunlop

Winter Response 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 89 · 2 tests Owners 84 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 76

    Dry

    Winter Response 2 +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8083

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

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 82.7 = 77

    No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 75

    Wet

    Winter Response 2 +16
    91
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7093
    Reviews found online8389

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

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 93 + 40% × 88.6 = 91

  3. 74

    Snow

    Winter Response 2 +10
    84
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7184
    Reviews found online7884

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

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 84.3 = 84

  4. 77

    Comfort

    Winter Response 2 +3
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8185

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

    Winter Response 2: 40% × 72 (est.) + 60% × 85.1 = 80

    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 Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 71

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

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

    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.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    Level
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8081

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

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75

    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 Winter Response 2. 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 +1
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Reviews found online8483
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter Response 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SDunlop Winter Response 2
Relative Score 76 82
Dry 76 77
Wet 75 91
Snow 74 84
Comfort 77 80
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 75 75
Handling (owners) 84 83
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

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

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

± 6

Winter Response 2

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 SWinter Response 2ΔHead-to-head
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/31 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #1/51 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! – 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 Winter Response 2

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
  • Excellent wet weather performance and braking
  • High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some users
  • Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
All owner themes in the Winter Response 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Dunlop Winter Response 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9215
Rim diameters16″ – 23″14″ – 16″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Dunlop Winter Response 2

Winner: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better wet, snow and comfort. Where the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 91 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 84 vs 74 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 80 vs 77 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Dunlop Winter Response 2
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 91 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 77 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 84 vs 74 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 80 vs 77 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter Response 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 75 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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