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Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme — 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 + 64 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 S is ahead, 74–69

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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)

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 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7769

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 76.5 = 74

    Wintrac Xtreme: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.6 = 68

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

  2. 74

    Wet

    Wintrac Xtreme +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8077

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

    Wintrac Xtreme: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Wintrac Xtreme. 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 +13
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7753

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 77 = 73

    Wintrac Xtreme: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 60

    No road tests of snow for Wintrac Xtreme. 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 +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7973

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.7 = 76

    Wintrac Xtreme: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 72.7 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S or Wintrac Xtreme. 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 SWintrac Xtreme
    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 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7976

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

    Wintrac Xtreme: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 76.3 = 72

    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 Wintrac Xtreme. 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 SWintrac Xtreme
    Reviews found online8169
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SWintrac Xtreme
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SVredestein Wintrac Xtreme
Relative Score 74 69
Dry 74 68
Wet 74 75
Snow 73 60
Comfort 76 72
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 74 72
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

± 7

Wintrac Xtreme

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

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 XtremeΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #31/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview – 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 Wintrac Xtreme

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and control in deep snow and icy conditions.
  • High level of driver confidence and predictability in cold weather.
  • Impressive longevity and tread wear, with many users reporting high mileage.

Cons

  • Reported lack of grip in wet conditions, particularly for high-torque or high-performance vehicles.
  • Noticeable 'break-in' period where the tires may feel slippery or detached from the road.
  • Performance degradation in warmer temperatures (above 10°C) due to the softer compound.
All owner themes in the Wintrac Xtreme review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme
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

Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better snow, handling and dry. Where the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. 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 drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 73 vs 60 on snow.

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 grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 74 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 76 vs 72 on comfort.

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

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

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 75 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 74 vs 68 on our dry score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 73 vs 60 on our snow score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 76 vs 72 on our comfort score.

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

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

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