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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — 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 + 18 road tests and 16 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

Winter i cept evo3 leads, 78–75 Narrow edge

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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)

Hankook Winter i cept evo3
Tire BHankook

Winter i cept evo3

Winter

± 4

Tests 76 · 18 tests Owners 82 · 23 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

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 i cept evo3 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 13 tests7375
    Reviews found online8083

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 82.7 = 78

  2. 75

    Wet

    Winter i cept evo3 +15
    90
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 18 tests7092
    Reviews found online8386

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 86.3 = 90

  3. 74

    Snow

    Winter i cept evo3 +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 18 tests7181
    Reviews found online7880

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 80.2 = 80

  4. 77

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 71 (est.)72
    Reviews found online8174

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 40% × 71.8 + 60% × 74 = 73

    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).

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +38
    33
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 13 tests7310
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 60% × 10 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 33

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3. 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

    Winter i cept evo3 +4
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 71 (est.)77
    Reviews found online8081

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

    Winter i cept evo3: 60% × 77 + 40% × 81 = 79

    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).

  7. 84

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Reviews found online8482
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +15
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter i cept evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 13 tests7762
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SHankook Winter i cept evo3
Relative Score 75 78
Dry 76 78
Wet 75 90
Snow 74 80
Comfort 77 73
Noise 71 33
Treadwear 75 79
Handling (owners) 84 82
Efficiency 77 62

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

WinterContact TS 860 S

± 4

Winter i cept evo3

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 i cept evo3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 94% #10/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #7/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 81% #10/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #7/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 94% #12/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 81% #12/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 90% #3/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #8/12 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars 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 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 i cept evo3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet grip and outstanding aquaplaning resistance
  • Outstanding snow and ice traction providing high confidence in winter storms
  • Great value for money compared to Tier-1 brands like Michelin or Goodyear

Cons

  • Slightly increased noise levels or humming compared to summer tires
  • Mixed feedback on ride comfort, with some finding them stiffer
  • Longer braking distances reported by a few users in specific conditions
All owner themes in the Winter i cept evo3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9286
Rim diameters16″ – 23″17″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common4040

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Hankook Winter i cept evo3

Narrow edge: Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — better wet, snow and treadwear. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if noise, efficiency and comfort matter most to you. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 71 vs 33 on noise.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 62 on efficiency.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 90 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 80 vs 74 on snow.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Hankook Winter i cept evo3, 90 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 78 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Hankook Winter i cept evo3, 80 vs 74 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 33 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 73 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Hankook Winter i cept evo3, 79 vs 75 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 860 S or Winter i cept evo3?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 62 on our efficiency 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