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Pirelli Cinturato Winter vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 — 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 5 + 7 road tests and 7 + 49 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 860 is ahead, 79–67

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Pirelli Cinturato Winter
Tire APirelli

Cinturato Winter

Winter

± 8

Tests 65 · 5 tests Owners 69 · 7 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Continental WinterContact TS 860
Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 860

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 7 tests Owners 79 · 49 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

Key facts

  • In 3 tests that measured dry braking for both, Cinturato Winter won 1 and WinterContact TS 860 won 2 (average 95% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Cinturato Winter won 2 and WinterContact TS 860 won 1 (average 96% vs 96% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured wet braking for both, Cinturato Winter won 0 and WinterContact TS 860 won 3 (average 94% vs 98% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured snow braking for both, Cinturato Winter won 2 and WinterContact TS 860 won 1 (average 97% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured rolling resistance for both, Cinturato Winter won 0 and WinterContact TS 860 won 3 (average 83% vs 92% of the best).
  1. 60

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 860 +17
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests5775
    Reviews found online6482
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–295%97%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–297%99%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–140%60%

    Cinturato Winter: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 64 = 60

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 81.5 = 77

  2. 79

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 860 +9
    88
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 7 tests8189
    Reviews found online7687
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–196%96%
    Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–140%100%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–394%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–298%100%

    Cinturato Winter: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 75.7 = 79

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 87.1 = 88

  3. 75

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 860 +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 7 tests7678
    Reviews found online7473
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–197%97%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–198%98%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%98%
    Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–180%90%

    Cinturato Winter: 60% × 75.8 + 40% × 73.5 = 75

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 72.7 = 76

  4. 66

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 860 +12
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests6477
    Reviews found online6879
    Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–150%90%

    Cinturato Winter: 40% × 64.3 + 60% × 67.6 = 66

    WinterContact TS 860: 40% × 77.4 + 60% × 78.8 = 78

  5. 71

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 860 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests7478
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–099%98%

    Cinturato Winter: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

    No owner ratings of noise for Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860. 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. 53

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 860 +21
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests4773
    Reviews found online6276
    Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–140%65%

    Cinturato Winter: 60% × 46.6 + 40% × 62.1 = 53

    WinterContact TS 860: 60% × 72.8 + 40% × 76 = 74

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 860 +15
    82
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Reviews found online6782
  8. 59

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 860 +17
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests5976
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–383%92%
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Cinturato WinterContinental WinterContact TS 860
Relative Score 67 79
Dry 60 77
Wet 79 88
Snow 75 76
Comfort 66 78
Noise 71 74
Treadwear 53 74
Handling (owners) 67 82
Efficiency 59 76

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
± 8

Cinturato Winter

± 5

WinterContact TS 860

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 16 tests that ran both, Pirelli Cinturato Winter finished ahead 1 times and Continental WinterContact TS 860 15 times.

DisciplineCategoryCinturato WinterWinterContact TS 860ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% 97% −2.1 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Dry Handling Dry 97% 99% −1.9 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 40% 60% −20.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 96% 96% −0.1 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking Wet 94% 98% −3.7 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Handling Wet 98% 100% −1.7 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 40% 100% −60.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Braking Snow 97% 97% +0.7 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Handling Snow 98% 98% +0.2 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 80% 90% −10.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Traction Snow 99% 98% +1.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 50% 90% −40.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 99% 98% +1.0 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Wear Treadwear 40% 65% −25.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 83% 92% −9.0 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 65% 61% +3.6 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #20/20 #6/20 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Value Cost 41% 60% −19.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15
Overall Ranking Overall #5/8 #1/8 – 1–15 in 16 shared tests Newest: 2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Cinturato Winter

Pros

  • Amazing snow and ice grip
  • Strong and reliable wet weather performance
  • Good initial noise levels and overall ride comfort

Cons

  • Average to deteriorating dry grip and emergency braking performance
  • Increases significantly in noise as the tire ages
  • Soft sidewalls affect handling precision
All owner themes in the Cinturato Winter review

Tire B WinterContact TS 860

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and safety in wet and slushy conditions
  • Outstanding performance on snow, providing high levels of confidence
  • Remarkably low noise levels and high ride comfort

Cons

  • Performance degradation noted by some users after 3-4 seasons
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a slight loss of steering precision or 'wobble' in tight corners
  • Tread pattern prone to picking up and throwing stones/sand
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 860 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Cinturato Winter B · Continental WinterContact TS 860
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3347
Rim diameters14″ – 17″13″ – 17″
Sizes in common2525

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Cinturato Winter

Continental WinterContact TS 860

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 — better treadwear, dry and efficiency. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 74 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 77 vs 60 on dry.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 76 vs 59 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 82 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is noise

Pirelli Cinturato Winter won 2 of 2 shared noise tests.

Tire A · Pirelli Cinturato Winter
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860
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Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Which is better in the wet, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 88 vs 79 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 77 vs 60 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

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

Which is quieter, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 74 vs 71 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 78 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 74 vs 53 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Cinturato Winter or WinterContact TS 860?

Continental WinterContact TS 860, 76 vs 59 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