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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 vs Michelin Alpin 6 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

WinterContact TS 870 leads, 79–78 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 870

Winter

Tests 83 · 15 tests Owners 76 · 25 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 (subj. comfort)

Tire BMichelin

Alpin 6

Winter

Tests 80 · 19 tests Owners 77 · 35 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 (subj. comfort)

Category by category

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

  1. 79

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 870 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)8074
    Reviews found online7679
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 7 shared tests97%97%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests100%99%
    Subj. Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests97%83%
    Dry (% of best) · 1 shared test100%98%
  2. 90

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 +4
    86
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)9689
    Reviews found online8283
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests99%85%
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test100%96%
    Straight Aqua (% of best) · 6 shared tests99%94%
    Subj. Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test100%82%
    Transverse Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test100%83%
    Wet (% of best) · 1 shared test100%97%
    Wet Lateral Stability (% of best) · 1 shared test99%96%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 8 shared tests94%94%
    Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best) · 1 shared test100%99%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests99%99%
  3. 77

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)8276
    Reviews found online7174
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests100%94%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 9 shared tests99%96%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests99%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 7 shared tests98%98%
    Snow (% of best) · 1 shared test100%99%
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Alpin 6 +10
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)7286
    Reviews found online7579
    Subj. Comfort (% of best) · 2 shared tests94%94%
  5. 77

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 +17
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)8455
    Noise (% of best) · 6 shared tests99%98%
    Exterior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test99%97%
  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Alpin 6 +4
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Professional tests (TWG score)7785
    Reviews found online7473
    Abrasion (% of best) · 2 shared tests84%100%
    Wear (% of best) · 4 shared tests91%96%
  7. 75

    Handling

    Alpin 6 +4
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870Alpin 6
    Reviews found online7579
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870Michelin Alpin 6
Relative Score 79 78
Dry 79 76
Wet 90 86
Snow 77 75
Comfort 73 83
Noise 77 60
Treadwear 76 80
Handling 75 79

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

WinterContact TS 870

Alpin 6

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 870Alpin 6ΔHead-to-head
Subj. Comfort Comfort 94% 94% 0.0 0–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Price Cost 66% 61% +4.8 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2022 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #6/20 #12/20 – 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test
Value Cost 70% 66% +3.7 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test
Dry Braking Dry 97% 97% −0.2 5–2 in 7 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Dry Handling Dry 100% 99% +1.1 4–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test
Subj. Dry Handling Dry 97% 83% +13.4 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Dry Dry 100% 98% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 98% 97% +1.7 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 93% 86% +7.0 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test
Noise Noise 99% 98% +0.8 5–0 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Exterior Noise Noise 99% 97% +1.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Overall Ranking Overall #6/15 #9/15 – 16–1 in 17 shared tests Newest: 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17
Ice Braking Snow 100% 94% +6.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Ice Traction Snow 50% #13/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 91% #5/10 · 2019 Auto Center Winter Tyre Test −41.3 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% 96% +3.3 8–0 in 9 shared tests Newest: 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test
Snow Handling Snow 99% 97% +1.8 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test
Snow Traction Snow 98% 98% −0.4 3–4 in 7 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Snow Snow 100% 99% +1.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Abrasion Treadwear 84% 100% −16.4 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Wear Treadwear 91% 96% −4.7 1–3 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 99% 85% +14.2 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 100% 96% +4.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Straight Aqua Wet 99% 94% +4.8 6–0 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Subj. Wet Handling Wet 100% 82% +17.8 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test
Transverse Aquaplaning Wet 100% 83% +17.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Wet Wet 100% 97% +2.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Wet Lateral Stability Wet 99% 96% +3.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17
Wet Braking Wet 94% 94% +0.5 5–2 in 8 shared tests Newest: 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test
Wet Braking - Concrete Wet 100% 99% +1.5 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC 16 Inch Winter Tyre Test
Wet Circle Wet 100% #1/11 · 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 96% #10/10 · 2024 All Season and Winter Tyre Test +4.0 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% 99% +0.1 3–1 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterContact TS 870

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
  • High level of driver confidence and predictability in varied conditions
  • Strong dry road handling and steering feedback

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance on steep, hard-packed snow for some users
  • Potential negative impact on electric vehicle range
  • Occasional reports of understeer on heavy vehicles in cold, greasy conditions
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 review

Tire B Alpin 6

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry road grip in cold temperatures
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in deep snow and on ice
  • Some reports of sluggish steering feedback or 'soft' sidewall feel
  • Higher price point compared to some performance-oriented winter alternatives
All owner themes in the Alpin 6 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 B · Michelin Alpin 6
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4442
Rim diameters14″ – 19″15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870

Michelin Alpin 6

Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 870 and Michelin Alpin 6 are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 870 is stronger on noise, wet and dry. Michelin Alpin 6 is stronger on comfort, treadwear and handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 870 scores 77 vs 60 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 83 vs 73 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 870 scores 90 vs 86 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 80 vs 76 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Alpin 6
Check price on Amazon

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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

79

Narrow edge

WinterContact TS 870

Amazon