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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–64

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Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 78 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 11 in 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BPirelli

Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 10 in 2010 European Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

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 +10
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online7762
  2. 73

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 S +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7971
  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)71–
    Reviews found online7862
  4. 74

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Reviews found online7954
  5. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 72

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Reviews found online7664
  7. 81

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 860 S +29
    52
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2
    Reviews found online8152
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SPirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
Relative Score 74 64
Dry 74 64
Wet 73 71
Snow 73 65
Comfort 74 62
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 72 65
Handling 81 52

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.

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Important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter 210 Sottozero 2

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

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 SWinter 210 Sottozero 2ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 11% #9/10 · 2010 European Winter Tyre Test +13.9 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 Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in cold and wet conditions
  • Reliable performance in snow and ice
  • Maintains characteristic performance over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise compared to other major brands
  • Some users intend to switch to competitor brands like Michelin or Vredestein for future sets
All owner themes in the Winter 210 Sottozero 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
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 Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 52 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 64 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 Winter 210 Sottozero 2
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.

74

Leads

WinterContact TS 860 S

Amazon