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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 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 7 + 1 road tests and 49 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 is ahead, 79–74

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Continental WinterContact TS 860
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 7 tests Owners 79 · 49 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (dry handling)

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire BContinental

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. 77

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests7573
    Reviews found online8276

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 81.5 = 77

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

  2. 88

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 +14
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 1 tests8970
    Reviews found online8780

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 87.1 = 88

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

  3. 76

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 1 tests7871
    Reviews found online7377

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 72.7 = 76

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

  4. 78

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests77≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7979

    WinterContact TS 860: 40% × 77.4 + 60% × 78.8 = 78

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

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

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests7874
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

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

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 or 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

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests73≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7679

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 72.8 + 40% × 76 = 74

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

    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. 82

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 +1
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Reviews found online8281
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 S +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860WinterContact TS 860 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests7677
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Relative Score 79 74
Dry 77 74
Wet 88 74
Snow 76 73
Comfort 78 76
Noise 74 71
Treadwear 74 74
Handling (owners) 82 81
Efficiency 76 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinterContact TS 860

± 7

WinterContact TS 860 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 860WinterContact TS 860 SΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 94% #11/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 99% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 90% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 94% #2/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 91% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 97% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #9/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 98% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #2/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 98% #5/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 95% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 60% #19/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 55% #10/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #6/16 2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 #4/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A WinterContact TS 860

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and safety in wet and slushy conditions
  • Outstanding performance on snow, providing high levels of confidence
  • Remarkably low noise levels and high ride comfort

Cons

  • Performance degradation noted by some users after 3-4 seasons
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a slight loss of steering precision or 'wobble' in tight corners
  • Tread pattern prone to picking up and throwing stones/sand
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 review

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4792
Rim diameters13″ – 17″16″ – 23″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 — better wet, dry and snow. Where the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S 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 Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 88 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 77 vs 74 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 76 vs 73 on snow.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 74 vs 71 on noise.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
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WinterContact TS 860 or WinterContact TS 860 S?

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 88 vs 74 on our wet score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 77 vs 74 on our dry score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 76 vs 73 on our snow score.

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

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 74 vs 71 on our noise score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 76 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

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

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

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

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 77 on the efficiency 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