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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 vs Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 — 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 16 + 3 road tests and 27 + 4 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: WinterContact TS 870 81, Winter I*cept Evo 4 82.

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Continental WinterContact TS 870
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 870

Winter

± 4

Tests 84 · 16 tests Owners 77 · 27 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
Tire BHankook

Winter I*cept Evo 4

Winter

± 5

Tests 82 · 3 tests Owners 85 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 Auto Bild Allrad SUV Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 79

    Dry

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +4
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 2 tests8182
    Reviews found online7684

    WinterContact TS 870: 60% × 81 + 40% × 76.4 = 79

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 84.2 = 83

  2. 92

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 +1
    91
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 16 / 3 tests9894
    Reviews found online8487

    WinterContact TS 870: 60% × 97.9 + 40% × 83.8 = 92

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 93.6 + 40% × 86.5 = 91

  3. 77

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 16 / 3 tests8176
    Reviews found online71≈ 72 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 870: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 70.5 = 77

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 76.3 + 40% × 72.3 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of snow for Winter I*cept Evo 4. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 73

    Comfort

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +12
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7290
    Reviews found online7483

    WinterContact TS 870: 40% × 71.9 + 60% × 73.8 = 73

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 40% × 89.6 + 60% × 82.5 = 85

  5. 76

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 2 tests8381
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 870: 60% × 82.5 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 76

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 870 +1
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 1 tests7974
    Reviews found online7983

    WinterContact TS 870: 60% × 79.5 + 40% × 79.1 = 79

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 83.4 = 78

  7. 77

    Handling (owners)

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +8
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Reviews found online7785
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 2 tests7672
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
Relative Score 81 82
Dry 79 83
Wet 92 91
Snow 77 75
Comfort 73 85
Noise 76 75
Treadwear 79 78
Handling (owners) 77 85
Efficiency 76 72

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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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

WinterContact TS 870

± 5

Winter I*cept Evo 4

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 870Winter I*cept Evo 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #5/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #4/11 · 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 100% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 93% #3/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 96% #6/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 96% #4/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 97% #10/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 97% #2/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 91% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 100% #1/11 · 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 97% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/11 · 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 96% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #9/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 99% #7/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #4/11 · 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 97% #12/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 94% #15/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 97% #7/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 100% #1/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 98% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 97% #10/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 98% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 78% #5/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 89% #3/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Value Cost 56% #15/15 · 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test 71% #10/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #4/15 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test #3/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A WinterContact TS 870

Pros

  • Outstanding wet performance: reviewers cite strong grip, stability and braking in rain, very good resistance to aquaplaning in standing water, and confident behavior at high speed and in cold, wet conditions.
  • Good to excellent dry grip with precise, direct steering and clear feedback that is unusually sporty for a winter tire.
  • Comfortable and quiet ride, described as smooth and soft, with low road noise.

Cons

  • Inconsistent snow and ice traction: several reviewers found it no better than cheaper tires, with wheel spin when pulling away on snow or ice and difficulty on hard snow or steep hills.
  • Reports of reduced grip at the limit, including understeer on cold, damp roads and a sensation of lost grip in fast corners.
  • Ageing concerns: one reviewer reported hardened rubber after three seasons, with skidding under hard wet braking.
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 review

Tire B Winter I*cept Evo 4

Pros

  • Very strong dry grip and sporty, precise handling, with one reviewer describing cornering as predictable and 'on rails'
  • Excellent wet performance and grip, noted in multiple reviews
  • High ride comfort, including good damping of bumps. One reviewer rated it better than a summer Bridgestone Alenza.

Cons

  • Noise increases at speeds above about 100 km/h, according to one reviewer
  • Steering feels slightly softer than on summer tires, according to one reviewer
  • No reviewer has yet tested snow or ice performance, so winter capability is unverified in this dataset
All owner themes in the Winter I*cept Evo 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 B · Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available4486
Rim diameters14″ – 19″17″ – 22″
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4

Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 870 and Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 870 is stronger on efficiency. Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 is stronger on comfort, handling and dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 85 vs 73 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 85 vs 77 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 scores 76 vs 72 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 83 vs 79 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
Check price on Amazon

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WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 92 vs 91 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 83 vs 79 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 75 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 85 vs 73 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 79 vs 78 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Continental WinterContact TS 870, 76 vs 72 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