tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Pirelli SOTTOZERO — 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 + 0 road tests and 14 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–67

Check price on Amazon · WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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)

Pirelli SOTTOZERO
Tire BPirelli

SOTTOZERO

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 66 · 9 reviews

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 +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7664

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

    SOTTOZERO: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66

    No road tests of dry for SOTTOZERO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 74

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8073

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

    SOTTOZERO: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72

    No road tests of wet for SOTTOZERO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7761

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

    SOTTOZERO: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 65

    No road tests of snow for SOTTOZERO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 76

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7967

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

    SOTTOZERO: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 66.6 = 67

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

  5. 71

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

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

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S. 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

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7966

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

    SOTTOZERO: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 66.1 = 66

    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 SOTTOZERO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 81

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Reviews found online8169
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SSOTTOZERO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SPirelli SOTTOZERO
Relative Score 74 67
Dry 74 66
Wet 74 72
Snow 73 65
Comfort 76 67
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 74 66
Handling (owners) 81 69
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

± 8

SOTTOZERO

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 SOTTOZERO

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels compared to standard winter tires.
  • Strong dry road handling with a progressive, communicative feel.
  • Impressive tread longevity, with some users reporting high mileage even in warmer conditions.

Cons

  • Inconsistent traction on ice and deep snow reported by some users.
  • Potential for rear-end instability or loss of grip in wet conditions on certain vehicles.
  • Accelerated tread wear noted by users who purchased used tires or drove aggressively.
All owner themes in the SOTTOZERO review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Pirelli SOTTOZERO
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

Pirelli SOTTOZERO

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Pirelli SOTTOZERO rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 73 vs 65 on snow.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli SOTTOZERO
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 73 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or SOTTOZERO?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 66 on our treadwear 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