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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Firestone Winterhawk 3 — 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 32 + 4 road tests and 33 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–63

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Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 870 P

Winter

± 4

Tests 83 · 32 tests Owners 81 · 33 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Firestone Winterhawk 3
Tire BFirestone

Winterhawk 3

Winter

± 8

Tests 68 · 4 tests Owners 57 · 8 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 81

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 870 P +19
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 2 tests8366
    Reviews found online7957

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 83.3 + 40% × 78.5 = 81

    Winterhawk 3: 60% × 66.1 + 40% × 56.7 = 62

  2. 91

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +29
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 32 / 4 tests9564
    Reviews found online8660

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 86.1 = 91

    Winterhawk 3: 60% × 64 + 40% × 59.7 = 62

  3. 79

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +15
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 31 / 3 tests8071
    Reviews found online7655

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 80.2 + 40% × 76.4 = 79

    Winterhawk 3: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 54.6 = 64

  4. 88

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +28
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests98≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8156

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 98.1 + 60% × 80.7 = 88

    Winterhawk 3: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 55.7 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for Winterhawk 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 73

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 2 tests7867
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73

    Winterhawk 3: 60% × 66.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3. 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. 74

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 870 P +9
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 2 tests7070
    Reviews found online8059

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 80.2 = 74

    Winterhawk 3: 60% × 69.6 + 40% × 59.2 = 65

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +27
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Reviews found online8356
  8. 86

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +24
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PWinterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 24 / 2 tests8662
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870 PFirestone Winterhawk 3
Relative Score 81 63
Dry 81 62
Wet 91 62
Snow 79 64
Comfort 88 60
Noise 73 67
Treadwear 74 65
Handling (owners) 83 56
Efficiency 86 62

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

± 8

Winterhawk 3

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 870 PWinterhawk 3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 94% #16/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 98% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 90% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 97% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 80% #32/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 93% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #10/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 96% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 86% #13/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 62% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 91% #14/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 80% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test 87% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #11/20 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test #10/20 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 50% #20/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 80% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #1/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test #8/8 2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterContact TS 870 P

Pros

  • Exceptionally low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Outstanding wet weather and slush performance, cutting through heavy rain effortlessly
  • Balanced dry and cold-weather handling with impressive cornering stability

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Steering response and initial stiffness are slightly softer and less sporty than dedicated summer tires or some rivals
  • Snow and ice traction can feel less exceptional or borderline inadequate for a small subset of users
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

Tire B Winterhawk 3

Pros

  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Good longevity and tread wear resistance
  • Affordable price point

Cons

  • Inconsistent or poor grip on snow and ice
  • Unreliable wet weather performance and braking
  • Pronounced understeering tendencies
All owner themes in the Winterhawk 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P B · Firestone Winterhawk 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12139
Rim diameters16″ – 23″13″ – 18″
Sizes in common1515

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Firestone Winterhawk 3

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better wet, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 91 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 88 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 83 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 62 on efficiency.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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Tire B · Firestone Winterhawk 3
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WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 91 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 79 vs 64 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 73 vs 67 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 88 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 65 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or Winterhawk 3?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 62 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