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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Pirelli P Zero Winter — 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 + 1 road tests and 31 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–70

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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)

Pirelli P Zero Winter
Tire BPirelli

P Zero Winter

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 69 · 1 test Owners 72 · 9 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 12 in 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)

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 +14
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 1 tests8268
    Reviews found online7965
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%95%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%99%

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

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 68.2 + 40% × 65.2 = 67

  2. 90

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +16
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 1 tests9375
    Reviews found online8674
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–097%88%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–098%98%

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

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.3 = 74

  3. 78

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 1 tests7965
    Reviews found online7674
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–093%88%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–095%91%

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

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 64.7 + 40% × 74.2 = 69

  4. 82

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +11
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8171

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

    P Zero Winter: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71.2 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for P Zero Winter. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 1 tests7870
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

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

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 70 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter. 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

    WinterContact TS 870 P +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests71≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8075

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

    P Zero Winter: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 74.6 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for P Zero Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +16
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Reviews found online8367
  8. 86

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +20
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 1 tests8666
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%91%
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870 PPirelli P Zero Winter
Relative Score 81 70
Dry 81 67
Wet 90 74
Snow 78 69
Comfort 82 71
Noise 74 69
Treadwear 74 71
Handling (owners) 83 67
Efficiency 86 66

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
± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

± 8

P Zero Winter

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 Pirelli P Zero Winter 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 870 PP Zero WinterΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 99% 95% +4.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% +0.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% 88% +8.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Wet Braking Wet 100% 91% +9.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Wet Handling Wet 98% 98% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Snow Braking Snow 93% 88% +5.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Snow Handling Snow 99% 97% +1.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Snow Traction Snow 95% 91% +3.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Noise Noise 98% 99% −0.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 99% 91% +8.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/12 #9/12 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 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
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

Tire B P Zero Winter

Pros

  • Excellent snow and ice traction with confident handling in deep snow
  • Superior ride comfort and noise control compared to other winter and run-flat options
  • Strong dry and lateral grip for spirited driving on sports cars and sedans

Cons

  • Unpredictable or lower grip limits in dry and damp conditions for some sports car drivers
  • Abysmal wet braking performance reported by select high-performance vehicle users
  • Handling and overall performance can be disappointing when mismatched with heavy SUVs or high-torque applications
All owner themes in the P Zero Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P B · Pirelli P Zero Winter
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12156
Rim diameters16″ – 23″18″ – 23″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Pirelli P Zero Winter

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better efficiency, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli P Zero Winter rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 66 on efficiency.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 90 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 83 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 81 vs 67 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero Winter
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WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 78 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

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

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 82 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 71 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or P Zero Winter?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 66 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