Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 78 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 AMS Winter Tyre Test (rolling resistance)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs General Altimax Winter 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 79–71
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Tests 69 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (value)
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 +1664Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 82 59 Reviews found online 77 71 Dry Braking (% of best) 97% 92% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 97% -
88
Wet
WinterContact TS 870 P +1771Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 91 69 Reviews found online 84 74 Wet Braking (% of best) 90% 84% Wet Handling (% of best) 100% 94% -
77
Snow
Altimax Winter 3 +178Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 78 77 Reviews found online 76 80 Snow Braking (% of best) 93% 98% Snow Handling (% of best) 98% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 97% -
82
Comfort
WinterContact TS 870 P +1270Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 84 – Reviews found online 80 70 -
74
Noise
WinterContact TS 870 P +272Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 75 -
72
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 870 P +369Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 69 Reviews found online 75 70 -
80
Handling
WinterContact TS 870 P +971Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P Altimax Winter 3 Reviews found online 80 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | General Altimax Winter 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 71 |
| Dry | 80 | 64 |
| Wet | 88 | 71 |
| Snow | 77 | 78 |
| Comfort | 82 | 70 |
| Noise | 74 | 72 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 69 |
| Handling | 80 | 71 |
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
79
/ 100
WinterContact TS 870 P
71
/ 100
Altimax Winter 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 | Altimax Winter 3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% #6/7 · 2023 AMS SUV Winter Tyre Test | 92% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +5.3 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #5/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 97% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +2.3 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 100% #1/8 · 2022 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 82% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +18.2 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 98% #5/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 50% #8/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 93% #3/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −42.8 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 88% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 82% #15/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +5.9 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 13% #8/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 6% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +6.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 93% #8/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −5.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #3/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 97% #16/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +1.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 97% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −2.5 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #11/20 · 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 90% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +6.6 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #7/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | 0% #11/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 90% #5/54 · 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test | 84% #34/44 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | +6.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #1/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test | 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +5.8 | 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 Altimax Winter 3
Pros
- Strong performance in snow and slush conditions
- Effective resistance to aquaplaning
- Competitive price-to-quality ratio
Cons
- Increased road noise at highway speeds
- Soft sidewalls resulting in vague handling and road feedback
- Mediocre emergency wet braking performance
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | B · General Altimax Winter 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 121 | 38 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 23″ | 13″ – 19″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
71
/ 100
General Altimax Winter 3
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better wet, dry 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 88 vs 71 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 80 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 82 vs 70 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 80 vs 71 on handling.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire B · General Altimax Winter 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.