Tests 81 · 28 tests Owners 78 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Firestone Winterhawk 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 80–64
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Tests 68 · 4 tests Owners 59 · 8 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (price)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
80
Dry
WinterContact TS 870 P +1763Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 83 67 Reviews found online 77 58 Dry Braking (% of best) 97% 94% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 98% -
89
Wet
WinterContact TS 870 P +2663Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 92 64 Reviews found online 84 62 Wet Braking (% of best) 96% 80% Wet Handling (% of best) 99% 93% -
78
Snow
WinterContact TS 870 P +1365Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 71 Reviews found online 76 56 Snow Braking (% of best) 98% 94% Snow Handling (% of best) 98% 98% -
82
Comfort
WinterContact TS 870 P +1864Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 84 – Reviews found online 80 60 -
74
Noise
WinterContact TS 870 P +767Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 67 -
72
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 870 P +666Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 70 Reviews found online 75 62 -
80
Handling
WinterContact TS 870 P +2258Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Winterhawk 3 Reviews found online 80 58
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | Firestone Winterhawk 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 64 |
| Dry | 80 | 63 |
| Wet | 89 | 63 |
| Snow | 78 | 65 |
| Comfort | 82 | 64 |
| Noise | 74 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 66 |
| Handling | 80 | 58 |
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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
WinterContact TS 870 P
64
/ 100
Winterhawk 3
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 870 P | Winterhawk 3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% #6/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test | 94% #16/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +3.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #5/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 98% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.9 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% #6/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 80% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +10.1 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 97% #9/10 · 2023 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 96% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.7 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 40% #10/10 · 2023 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 87% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −46.5 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 50% #8/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 60% #12/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −9.5 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 88% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 62% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +25.9 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 100% #1/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 7% #14/18 · 2015 Auto Bild Top 18 Winter Tyre Test | +92.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% #4/9 · 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test | 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | +3.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #3/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.4 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 97% #5/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 90% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +7.5 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #7/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 0% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% #4/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test | 80% #32/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | +15.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #5/9 · 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test | 93% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +5.9 | 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
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | B · Firestone Winterhawk 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 121 | 39 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 23″ | 13″ – 18″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
64
/ 100
Firestone Winterhawk 3
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better wet, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 89 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 80 vs 58 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 82 vs 64 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 80 vs 63 on dry.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire B · Firestone Winterhawk 3
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.