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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Michelin Alpin 5 — Compared

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

Alpin 5 leads, 75–74 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 BMichelin

Alpin 5

Winter

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 77 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (straight aqua)

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 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7370
    Reviews found online7774
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best)99%99%
  2. 73

    Wet

    Alpin 5 +8
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7079
    Reviews found online7983
    Wet Braking (% of best)91%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%99%
  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7169
    Reviews found online7877
    Snow Braking (% of best)96%90%
    Snow Handling (% of best)98%97%
  4. 74

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Reviews found online7977
  5. 72

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +9
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7360
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 72

    Treadwear

    Alpin 5 +7
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–80
    Reviews found online7676
  7. 81

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +5
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SAlpin 5
    Reviews found online8176
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SMichelin Alpin 5
Relative Score 74 75
Dry 74 72
Wet 73 81
Snow 73 72
Comfort 74 73
Noise 72 63
Treadwear 72 79
Handling 81 76

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
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860 S

Alpin 5

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 SAlpin 5ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +1.3 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +0.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 76% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +23.9 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +2.5 Different tests
Price Other 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 68% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −12.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 33% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −8.3 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 90% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +5.3 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #10/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +0.6 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −10.3 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −5.3 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −1.5 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 Alpin 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and winter conditions
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
  • High ride comfort and remarkably low noise levels for a winter tire

Cons

  • Soft rubber compound struggles in warm temperatures (above 20°C–25°C), causing cornering smear
  • Soft sidewalls reduce precision during aggressive dry handling
  • Potential increase in noise and hardening of the rubber compound after 3 years of use
All owner themes in the Alpin 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Michelin Alpin 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9217
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″ – 20″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Michelin Alpin 5

Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S and Michelin Alpin 5 are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S is stronger on noise and handling. Michelin Alpin 5 is stronger on wet and treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 72 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Alpin 5 scores 81 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 5 scores 79 vs 72 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 76 on handling.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Alpin 5
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.

75

Narrow edge

Alpin 5

Amazon