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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S — 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 is ahead, 75–70

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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)

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
Tire BVredestein

Wintrac xtreme S

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 69 · 1 test Owners 70 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)

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 +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7368
    Reviews found online8070

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 79.5 = 76

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 68.3 + 40% × 69.7 = 69

  2. 75

    Wet

    Level
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7075
    Reviews found online8375

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 83 = 75

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 74.8 = 75

  3. 74

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7164
    Reviews found online7871

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 78.2 = 74

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 63.9 + 40% × 71 = 67

  4. 77

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8171

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

    Wintrac xtreme S: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 70.9 = 70

    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 Wintrac xtreme S. 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 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7372
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

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

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 71.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S. 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 +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8062

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 75

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 64

    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 Wintrac xtreme S. 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 +11
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Reviews found online8473
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7765
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SVredestein Wintrac xtreme S
Relative Score 75 70
Dry 76 69
Wet 75 75
Snow 74 67
Comfort 77 70
Noise 70 69
Treadwear 75 64
Handling (owners) 84 73
Efficiency 77 65

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

Wintrac xtreme S

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 SWintrac xtreme SΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #8/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 92% #6/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #8/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 94% #10/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 85% #8/10 · 2017 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 #27/45 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out – 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 Wintrac xtreme S

Pros

  • Astonishing grip and traction on snow, ice, and extreme winter surfaces
  • Excellent high-speed stability and highway performance in winter conditions
  • Reliable and safe handling characteristics in wet and dry cold weather for high-performance SUVs

Cons

  • Slightly vague or loose feeling during spirited dry cornering
  • Isolated manufacturing defect reported involving a chunk of rubber coming off a brand new tire
  • May not match dedicated summer tires in warm wet/dry conditions
All owner themes in the Wintrac xtreme S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9213
Rim diameters16″ – 23″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better efficiency, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 860 S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 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 65 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 75 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 84 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 69 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
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WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S?

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

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

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 69 on our dry score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 67 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 64 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac xtreme S?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 77 vs 65 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