Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 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 (comfort 40/60). Based on 27 + 13 road tests and 31 + 19 owner reviews. How we score
WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–74
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Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 79 · 19 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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81
Dry
WinterContact TS 870 P +1368Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 11 tests 82 65 Reviews found online 79 72 WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 79 = 81
X Ice Snow: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 72.2 = 68
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90
Wet
WinterContact TS 870 P +1971Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 12 tests 93 64 Reviews found online 86 81 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 81% Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 80% 60% WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 92.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 90
X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.2 + 40% × 80.6 = 71
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78
Snow
WinterContact TS 870 P +177Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 12 tests 79 73 Reviews found online 76 82 Ice Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 30% 60% Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 70% 80% WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.2 = 78
X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 81.8 = 77
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82
Comfort
WinterContact TS 870 P +181Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 3 tests 84 82 Reviews found online 81 80 Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 100% WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.1 = 82
X Ice Snow: 40% × 82.3 + 60% × 80 = 81
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74
Noise
X Ice Snow +175Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 8 tests 78 81 Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74
X Ice Snow: 60% × 81.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 75
No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 P 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.
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74
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +377Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 71 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 80 83 WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 79.9 = 74
X Ice Snow: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 83.2 = 77
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 0.35).
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83
Handling (owners)
WinterContact TS 870 P +776Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Reviews found online 83 76 -
86
Efficiency
WinterContact TS 870 P +977Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 870 P X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 6 tests 86 77 Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 100%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 74 |
| Dry | 81 | 68 |
| Wet | 90 | 71 |
| Snow | 78 | 77 |
| Comfort | 82 | 81 |
| Noise | 74 | 75 |
| Treadwear | 74 | 77 |
| Handling (owners) | 83 | 76 |
| Efficiency | 86 | 77 |
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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
81
/ 100
WinterContact TS 870 P
74
/ 100
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 870 P finished ahead 1 times and Michelin X Ice Snow 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 870 P | X Ice Snow | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #6/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | 78% #5/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 100% | 81% | +19.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 87% #8/30 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 95% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 80% | 60% | +20.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 84% #27/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | 98% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | Snow | 30% | 60% | −30.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 97% #4/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #5/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | Snow | 70% | 80% | −10.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 92% #6/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 80% | 100% | −20.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 98% #7/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 | 99% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 98% #10/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 96% | 100% | −4.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 93% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 97% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test | 50% #14/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | Other | 90% #2/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 97% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/20 | #9/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
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 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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P | B · Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 121 | 100 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 23″ | 13″ – 21″ |
| Sizes in common | 46 | 46 |
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
74
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better wet, dry and efficiency. Pick the Michelin X Ice Snow if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 90 vs 71 on wet.
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 want lower fuel or energy use
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 77 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 83 vs 76 on handling.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 71 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 77 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 75 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 82 vs 81 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 77 vs 74 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or X Ice Snow?
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 77 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