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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — 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 27 + 5 road tests and 31 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–76

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Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 870 P

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip 9+

Winter

± 6

Tests 75 · 5 tests Owners 79 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test (ice braking)

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 +13
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 4 tests8260
    Reviews found online7979
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–097%92%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 79 = 81

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 60.1 + 40% × 79.3 = 68

  2. 90

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 5 tests9387
    Reviews found online8683
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–190%97%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–193%98%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–192%95%
    Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–092%91%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 92.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 90

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 86.6 + 40% × 83.4 = 85

  3. 78

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +2
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 5 tests7985
    Reviews found online7674
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–192%100%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–196%100%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–193%97%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.2 = 78

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 84.7 + 40% × 74.1 = 80

  4. 82

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests8477
    Reviews found online8175

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.1 = 82

    UltraGrip 9+: 40% × 76.8 + 60% × 74.7 = 76

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 3 tests7871
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%99%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+. 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

    UltraGrip 9+ +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 2 tests7171
    Reviews found online8081
    Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–072%69%
    Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–174%78%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 79.9 = 74

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 81.4 = 75

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online8374
  8. 86

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +8
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 4 tests8678
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–197%98%
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870 PGoodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 81 76
Dry 81 68
Wet 90 85
Snow 78 80
Comfort 82 76
Noise 74 69
Treadwear 74 75
Handling (owners) 83 74
Efficiency 86 78

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
± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

± 6

UltraGrip 9+

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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 870 P finished ahead 0 times and Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 870 PUltraGrip 9+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% 92% +4.3 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 90% 97% −7.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 93% 98% −4.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wet Braking Wet 92% 95% −3.3 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wet Braking (concrete) Wet 92% 91% +1.8 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Ice Braking Snow 92% 100% −8.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Snow Braking Snow 96% 100% −4.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Snow Traction Snow 93% 97% −4.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Noise Noise 99% 99% +0.3 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Abrasion Treadwear 72% 69% +2.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wear Treadwear 74% 78% −3.9 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 97% 98% −1.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/16 #3/16 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16

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 UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Excellent wet and cold weather grip
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
  • Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
  • Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12119
Rim diameters16″ – 23″14″ – 16″
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better dry, handling and efficiency. Where the Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 81 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 83 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 78 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 82 vs 76 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Check price on Amazon

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WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 85 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 80 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 82 vs 76 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

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

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or UltraGrip 9+?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 78 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