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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Pirelli P Zero Winter — 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 + 1 road tests and 16 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S leads, 75–71 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)

Pirelli P Zero Winter
Tire BPirelli

P Zero Winter

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 69 · 1 test Owners 74 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 12 in 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7368
    Reviews found online7968

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 79.4 = 76

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 68.3 + 40% × 68.1 = 68

  2. 75

    Wet

    P Zero Winter +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7075
    Reviews found online8377

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70 + 40% × 83 = 75

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 76.9 = 76

  3. 74

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7164
    Reviews found online7875

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 78 = 74

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 75.1 = 69

  4. 77

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8174

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.3 = 77

    P Zero Winter: 40% × 69.7 (est.) + 60% × 73.5 = 72

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

  5. 70

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7369
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 70

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter. 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

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8077

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 75

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 73

    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 P Zero Winter. 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 +14
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Reviews found online8470
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +11
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7766
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SPirelli P Zero Winter
Relative Score 75 71
Dry 76 68
Wet 75 76
Snow 74 69
Comfort 77 72
Noise 70 68
Treadwear 75 73
Handling (owners) 84 70
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

± 8

P Zero Winter

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 SP Zero WinterΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #11/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #10/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 88% #10/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 91% #8/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 88% #11/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #8/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 90% #8/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #9/12 2024 Auto Bild SUV 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 P Zero Winter

Pros

  • Superior noise control and high levels of ride comfort
  • Excellent snow and ice traction for appropriate sports car and sedan applications
  • Good lateral dry grip and cornering confidence

Cons

  • Unpredictable handling and poor wet performance reported by some sports car drivers
  • Struggles to fully harness extremely high torque outputs in deep snow
  • Performance falls short of top-tier competitors like Michelin for certain drivers
All owner themes in the P Zero Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Pirelli P Zero Winter
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9256
Rim diameters16″ – 23″18″ – 23″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common3333

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Pirelli P Zero Winter

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, efficiency and dry. Where the Pirelli P Zero Winter 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. Pirelli P Zero Winter rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 84 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

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

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 69 on snow.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero Winter
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WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 76 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 68 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 860 S or P Zero Winter?

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