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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs Michelin X Ice Snow — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 7 + 13 road tests and 49 + 19 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 is ahead, 78–72

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Continental WinterContact TS 860
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 860

Winter

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 76 · 49 reviews

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

Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire BMichelin

X Ice Snow

Winter

Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 75 · 19 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (subj. comfort)

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 +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 11 tests7565
    Reviews found online7870

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 78.4 = 76

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 70 = 67

  2. 86

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 +17
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 12 tests8864
    Reviews found online8376

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 88 + 40% × 82.6 = 86

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.2 + 40% × 76.4 = 69

  3. 75

    Snow

    X Ice Snow +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 12 tests7873
    Reviews found online7180

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 77.8 + 40% × 71 = 75

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 79.8 = 76

  4. 77

    Comfort

    X Ice Snow +3
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests7782
    Reviews found online7678

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 77.3 + 40% × 76.3 = 77

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 82.1 + 40% × 77.7 = 80

  5. 74

    Noise

    X Ice Snow +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 8 tests7881
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 78 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 74

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow. 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. 72

    Treadwear

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7176

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 72.2 + 40% × 71.3 = 72

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.7 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for X Ice Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 +5
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 860X Ice Snow
    Reviews found online7974
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860Michelin X Ice Snow
Relative Score 78 72
Dry 76 67
Wet 86 69
Snow 75 76
Comfort 77 80
Noise 74 75
Treadwear 72 72
Handling (owners) 79 74

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
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 860

X Ice Snow

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 860X Ice SnowΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 94% #11/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 60% #7/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 78% #5/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 75% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 94% #2/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 95% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 100% #1/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 80% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 93% #6/10 · 2019 Auto Center Winter Tyre Test 98% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Handling Snow 100% #1/2 · All Season vs Winter vs Nordic vs Studded Tyres 95% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 86% #8/10 · 2019 Auto Center Winter Tyre Test 99% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #9/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 90% #2/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 56% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 98% #6/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 97% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #2/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction 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 50% #14/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 95% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #6/16 2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs 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 X Ice Snow

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and lateral grip in deep snow and slush
  • High level of confidence and stability on icy surfaces
  • Excellent tread life and durability over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Average performance and handling on dry or wet pavement
  • Increased road noise as the tires wear over time
  • Can feel slightly 'twitchy' or less stable at the absolute limit of handling
All owner themes in the X Ice Snow review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 B · Michelin X Ice Snow
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available47100
Rim diameters13″ – 17″13″ – 21″
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 860

Michelin X Ice Snow

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 — better wet and dry. Pick the Michelin X Ice Snow if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 86 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 76 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 77 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860
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Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 86 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 76 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 76 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

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

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 77 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 860 or X Ice Snow?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 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