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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — 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 + 3 road tests and 14 + 28 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 4 is ahead, 79–74

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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 4

Winter

± 7

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 4 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests7367
    Reviews found online7692
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%99%

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 76.4 = 74

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 92 = 77

  2. 74

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 4 +10
    84
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests7078
    Reviews found online8094
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–190%93%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–191%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–097%97%

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 80.1 = 74

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.4 + 40% × 93.6 = 84

  3. 73

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 4 +4
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests7172
    Reviews found online7783
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–196%96%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%96%

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 76.9 = 73

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 83 = 77

  4. 76

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 4 +6
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7988

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.6 = 76

    Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.7 (est.) + 60% × 88.3 = 82

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7457
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%94%

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 74

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 4 +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7989

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 78.9 = 74

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 88.9 = 80

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 81

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 4 +11
    92
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Reviews found online8192
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +11
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7766
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%86%
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SMichelin Pilot Alpin 4
Relative Score 74 79
Dry 74 77
Wet 74 84
Snow 73 77
Comfort 76 82
Noise 71 61
Treadwear 74 80
Handling (owners) 81 92
Efficiency 77 66

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

± 7

Pilot Alpin 4

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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 860 S finished ahead 1 times and Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 860 SPilot Alpin 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% 96% +2.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% +0.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% 93% −3.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Wet Braking Wet 91% 97% −5.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Wet Handling Wet 97% 97% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Snow Braking Snow 96% 96% −0.3 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Snow Handling Snow 98% 96% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Noise Noise 98% 94% +3.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% 86% +14.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 55% 54% +1.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 #6/11 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19

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 Pilot Alpin 4

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
  • Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
  • High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
  • Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, wet and comfort. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if efficiency and noise matter most to you. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 77 vs 66 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 92 vs 81 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 71 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 84 vs 74 on wet.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 84 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 74 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 82 vs 76 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 74 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 860 S or Pilot Alpin 4?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 66 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