Continental WinterContact TS 850 P review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 81% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 72 · 20 reviews analysed Road tests 76 · 9 tests
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Continental WinterContact TS 850 P has a Relative Score of 74 out of 100 among winter tires. In 19 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 5 times and in the top three 10 times. Testers rate it best for wet (88) and weakest for noise (67). 20 owner reviews rate it 72 out of 100. 79% would buy it again.
Projected tread life in 1 wear test: about 43,000 km (27,000 miles), newest 2020.
- Strength: Wet 88 — 1st of 20 (2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test), 1st of 10 (2018 Autobild UHP Winter tire Test)
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
72/100From 20 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
76/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 20 owner reviews found online.
The Continental WinterContact TS 850 P is generally well-regarded as a high-performing winter tire, particularly praised for its exceptional wet and dry handling, low noise levels, and impressive cold-weather grip. While most users highlight its predictability, comfort, and composure on snow, a few drivers report faster-than-expected tread wear and occasional limitations regarding ice or slush traction.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet and dry conditions
- Low noise levels and high ride comfort
- Predictable handling and good feedback on cold, ungritted roads
- Strong snow traction and braking performance
Cons
- Faster than expected tread wear reported by some users
- High initial purchase price
- Mixed performance on ice and slush for certain drivers
- Stiffer sidewalls leading to a firmer ride on some vehicles
Worth knowing
- Drivers of heavy vehicles like the Mercedes E350 estate (running 245/40/18 front and 265/35/18 rear sizes) reported sublime ride quality and excellent wear during predominantly highway driving.
- Owners of sporty front-wheel-drive hatchbacks (such as the Golf GTI and Peugeot 208 XY) found the tire provided high confidence, predictability, and stability in mixed winter conditions and cold temperatures.
19 published test appearances (9 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 · 245/40R18
7th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter tire Test · 245/40 R18
7th of 13
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 13 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 13 | |
| Dry Braking | 13th of 13 | |
| Dry Handling | 7th of 13 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 13 | |
| Snow Traction | 5th of 13 | |
| Snow Handling | 9th of 13 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 13 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 10th of 13 | |
| Noise | 8th of 13 | |
| Price | 12th of 13 |
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter tire Test · 235/55 R18
5th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 9th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Snow Traction | 6th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 10 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 8th of 10 | |
| Noise | 9th of 10 | |
| Price | 9th of 10 |
Source: Auto Bild Allrad
2020 ADAC Winter tire Test - 235/55 R17 · 235/55 R17
12th of 13
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test · 245/45 R18
7th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 19th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 14th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 8th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 11th of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 12th of 20 | |
| Noise | 8th of 20 | |
| Value | 17th of 20 | |
| Wear | 4th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 17th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2020 Winter tire Market Overview - 52 tire Braking Test · 245/45 R18
4th of 48
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 48 | |
| Snow Braking | 17th of 48 |
Source: Auto Bild
2020 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test R18 · 225/40R18
7th of 12
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2019 AMS Winter SUV tire Test · 215/55 R17
4th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 6th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 6th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 11 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 4th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 11 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 3rd of 11 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 5th of 11 | |
| Noise | 9th of 11 | |
| Price | 10th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 11 |
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17
7th of 13
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Zeitung
2019 Sport Auto Winter Tire Test R18 · 235/40R18
1st of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Sport Auto
2018 Autobild UHP Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
2nd of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 5th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 5th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 10 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 6th of 10 | |
| Noise | 6th of 10 | |
| Price | 10th of 10 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 Sport Auto Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18
1st of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 10 |
Source: Sport Auto
2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter tire Test · 225/55 R17
2nd of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 9th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 5th of 10 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 10 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18
1st of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 5th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 7th of 10 | |
| Noise | 10th of 10 |
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
2016 Sport Auto Winter tire Test · 235/40 R18
1st of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Sport Auto
2016 AutoBild Winter UHP tire Test · 245/40 R18
2nd of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2015 Sport Auto 19 Inch Winter tire Test · 235/35 R19
1st of 7
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Sport Auto
2015 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18
2nd of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2014 AutoBild 235/35 R19 Winter tire Test · 235/35 R19
3rd of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi |
| EU label: wet grip | C in 55% of sizes |
| EU label: energy | C in 78% of sizes |
| EU label: external noise | 71–75 dB |
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