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Pirelli P Zero Winter vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — 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 1 + 27 road tests and 9 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P is ahead, 81–70

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Pirelli P Zero Winter
Tire APirelli

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)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire BContinental

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)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 870 P +14
    81
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 22 tests6882
    Reviews found online6579
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–195%99%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–199%99%

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

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

  2. 74

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +16
    90
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 27 tests7593
    Reviews found online7486
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–188%97%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–191%100%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–098%98%

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

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

  3. 69

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 26 tests6579
    Reviews found online7476
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–188%93%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–197%99%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–191%95%

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

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

  4. 71

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +11
    82
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 70 (est.)84
    Reviews found online7181

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

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

    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. 69

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    74
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 19 tests7078
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%98%

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

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

    No owner ratings of noise for P Zero Winter or WinterContact TS 870 P. 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. 71

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 870 P +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 69 (est.)71
    Reviews found online7580

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

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

    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. 67

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +16
    83
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Reviews found online6783
  8. 66

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +20
    86
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 21 tests6686
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–191%99%
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P Zero WinterContinental WinterContact TS 870 P
Relative Score 70 81
Dry 67 81
Wet 74 90
Snow 69 78
Comfort 71 82
Noise 69 74
Treadwear 71 74
Handling (owners) 67 83
Efficiency 66 86

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
± 8

P Zero Winter

± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

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, Pirelli P Zero Winter finished ahead 0 times and Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryP Zero WinterWinterContact TS 870 PΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% 99% −4.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% −0.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 88% 97% −8.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Wet Braking Wet 91% 100% −9.1 0–1 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 88% 93% −5.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Snow Handling Snow 97% 99% −1.9 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Snow Traction Snow 91% 95% −3.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Noise Noise 99% 98% +0.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 245/45 R18
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 91% 99% −8.7 0–1 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 #9/12 #2/12 – 0–1 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 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

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero Winter B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available56121
Rim diameters18″ – 23″16″ – 23″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero Winter

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

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 B You want lower fuel or energy use

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

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

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

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

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

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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