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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP — 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 + 2 road tests and 31 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–71

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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)

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
Tire BToyo

Observe GSi-6 HP

Winter

± 6

Tests 69 · 2 tests Owners 73 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (dry 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 +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 1 tests8273
    Reviews found online7977

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

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 73 + 40% × 77.4 = 75

  2. 90

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +15
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 2 tests9371
    Reviews found online8681
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%83%
    Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–080%60%

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

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 71.2 + 40% × 81 = 75

  3. 78

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +12
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 2 tests7960
    Reviews found online7675
    Ice Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–130%40%
    Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–070%70%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.3 = 78

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 75.2 = 66

  4. 82

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests8478
    Reviews found online8175
    Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–080%80%

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.2 = 82

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 40% × 77.5 + 60% × 74.5 = 76

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 1 tests7872
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

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

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP. 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 +13
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests71≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online8058

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

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for Observe GSi-6 HP. 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 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Reviews found online8376
  8. 86

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +20
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 1 tests8666
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–196%96%
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870 PToyo Observe GSi-6 HP
Relative Score 81 71
Dry 81 75
Wet 90 75
Snow 78 66
Comfort 82 76
Noise 74 70
Treadwear 74 61
Handling (owners) 83 76
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

± 6

Observe GSi-6 HP

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 Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 870 PObserve GSi-6 HPΔHead-to-head
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% 83% +16.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
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 Handling (tester's mark) Snow 30% 40% −10.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 70% 70% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 80% 80% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 96% 96% −0.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/20 #12/20 – 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
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

Tire B Observe GSi-6 HP

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and stability in snow and slush
  • Impressive wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Remarkably quiet ride quality for a winter tire

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life reports, with some users experiencing premature wear
  • Occasional reports of structural failure or tread separation
  • Slightly vague steering feel at lower speeds
All owner themes in the Observe GSi-6 HP review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P B · Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available12139
Rim diameters16″ – 23″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—11 - 12/32″
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better efficiency, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

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 75 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 74 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 78 vs 66 on snow.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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Tire B · Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
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WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 78 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 70 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

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

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or Observe GSi-6 HP?

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