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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Yokohama W.drive V905 — 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 + 2 road tests and 14 + 17 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)

Yokohama W.drive V905
Tire BYokohama

W.drive V905

Winter

± 8

Tests 69 · 2 tests Owners 69 · 17 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)

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 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7367
    Reviews found online7671

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73 + 40% × 76.1 = 74

    W.drive V905: 60% × 67.5 + 40% × 71.1 = 69

  2. 74

    Wet

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7074
    Reviews found online8073

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70 + 40% × 79.9 = 74

    W.drive V905: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 73.4 = 74

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 S +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7172
    Reviews found online7659

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 76.3 = 73

    W.drive V905: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 58.8 = 67

  4. 75

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7964

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 78.5 = 75

    W.drive V905: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 63.7 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 S +7
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7363
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 71

    W.drive V905: 60% × 62.9 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 64

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905. 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 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)64
    Reviews found online7973

    WinterContact TS 860 S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 79.3 = 74

    W.drive V905: 60% × 64 + 40% × 73.1 = 68

    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).

  7. 81

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 S +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Reviews found online8171
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7765
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SYokohama W.drive V905
Relative Score 74 69
Dry 74 69
Wet 74 74
Snow 73 67
Comfort 75 65
Noise 71 64
Treadwear 74 68
Handling (owners) 81 71
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

W.drive V905

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 SW.drive V905ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #5/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #11/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 91% #20/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 93% #9/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #9/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 92% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #16/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 84% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild 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 #4/5 2022 Consumer Reports Performance Winter/Snow Tires – 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 W.drive V905

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and confidence in deep and fresh snow
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple winter seasons
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Higher-than-average road noise levels at highway speeds
  • Mixed performance in wet conditions, with some reports of aquaplaning sensitivity
  • Potential for reduced grip when temperatures rise above 10-15°C
All owner themes in the W.drive V905 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Yokohama W.drive V905
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

Yokohama W.drive V905

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better efficiency, comfort and handling. 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.

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 most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 75 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 81 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 71 vs 64 on noise.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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Tire B · Yokohama W.drive V905
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WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

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

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 73 vs 67 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 71 vs 64 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S, 75 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

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

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 860 S or W.drive V905?

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