Winter tire Updated October 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 860 review

Name: Continental WinterContact TS 860
Brand: Continental

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Owners 76 · 49 reviews analysed Road tests 78 · 35 tests

How scores work

Check price on Amazon · WinterContact TS 860 Compare with another tire

Add your size for an exact match

Width/AspectRRim

The Amazon link then searches this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

The Continental WinterContact TS 860 is widely regarded as a top-tier, balanced winter tire that excels in wet and snowy conditions while maintaining impressive comfort and low noise levels. While the vast majority of users report high satisfaction with its safety and handling, a minority of owners noted a significant drop in performance as the tires aged or after several seasons of use.

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

76/100

From 49 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 87%

Dry

Overall dry

78.4

Corner stability

76.7

Dry traction

77.2

Steering response

76.4

Wet

Overall wet

82.9

Wet traction

79.2

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

71.1

Ice

64.9

Comfort

Overall comfort

76.4

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

71.3

Handling

Overall handling

78.9

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

78/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry

74.4

Wet

Snow

77.8

Comfort

77.3

Noise

77.8

Treadwear

72.2

By discipline (% of best in test)

Dry Braking

68.4%

Dry Handling

80.6%

Subj. Dry Handling

77.2%

Wet Braking

92.8%

Subj. Wet Handling

90%

Wet Handling

96.4%

Straight Aquaplaning

95%

Curved Aquaplaning

98.7%

Side G-Force on Wet surface

98.7%

Snow Braking

87.3%

Snow Handling

87.6%

Subj. Snow Handling

91.4%

Snow Traction

78.5%

Ice Braking

81.9%

Ice Handling

88.3%

Ice Traction

30%

Inside Noise level

90.8%

Outside Noise

91.7%

Subjective Comfort

77.9%

Rolling Resistance

76.5%

Price

23.2%

Wear

88.2%

Continental WinterContact TS 860 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

Size	Retailer
155/70 R13	Amazon
155/80 R13	Amazon
165/70 R13	Amazon
155/65 R14	Amazon
165/60 R14	Amazon
165/65 R14	Amazon
165/70 R14	Amazon
175/65 R14	Amazon
175/70 R14	Amazon
175/80 R14	Amazon
185/55 R14	Amazon
185/60 R14	Amazon
185/65 R14	Amazon
185/70 R14	Amazon
155/65 R15	Amazon
165/60 R15	Amazon
165/65 R15	Amazon
175/60 R15	Amazon
185/55 R15	Amazon
185/60 R15	Amazon
185/65 R15	Amazon
195/50 R15	Amazon
195/55 R15	Amazon
195/60 R15	Amazon
195/65 R15	Amazon
205/60 R15	Amazon
205/65 R15	Amazon
215/65 R15	Amazon
185/50 R16	Amazon
185/55 R16	Amazon
185/60 R16	Amazon
195/45 R16	Amazon
195/55 R16	Amazon
195/60 R16	Amazon
195/65 R16	Amazon
205/45 R16	Amazon
205/50 R16	Amazon
205/55 R16	Amazon
205/60 R16	Amazon
205/65 R16	Amazon
215/45 R16	Amazon
215/55 R16	Amazon
195/45 R17	Amazon
205/65 R17	Amazon
215/40 R17	Amazon
225/45 R17	Amazon
225/50 R17	Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 49 owner reviews found online.

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
Strong fuel efficiency and balanced overall performance
Predictable handling on dry roads, often compared favorably to summer tires

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
Inconsistent reports regarding tread wear, with some users experiencing faster-than-expected depletion

Worth knowing

Users with high-torque vehicles noted that the tire can struggle with traction under heavy acceleration on snow if the vehicle lacks advanced torque management.
Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., VW Polo, Golf) reported excellent handling and confidence in varied winter conditions.
Some users noted that the tire's soft sidewall is more noticeable on larger rim sizes or during spirited driving.

35 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

6th of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2021 ADAC 17 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

6th of 18

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 · 195/65R15

6th of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2020 Auto Zeitung Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

2nd of 14

Best: Subj. Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 11th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 14
Dry Braking	11th of 14
Snow Braking	3rd of 14
Snow Traction	6th of 14
Rolling Resistance	5th of 14
Straight Aqua	5th of 14
Subj. Dry Handling	7th of 14
Subj. Comfort	5th of 14
Subj. Wet Handling	1st of 14
Subj. Snow Handling	2nd of 14

Source: Auto Zeitung

2020 ACE Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

4th of 9

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ACE

2020 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

7th of 15

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

1st of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Wybór Kierowców

2019 Auto Center Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

2nd of 10

Best: Snow Braking · 1st Weakest: Snow Traction · 8th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 10
Dry Braking	7th of 10
Snow Braking	1st of 10
Snow Traction	8th of 10
Ice Braking	6th of 10
Rolling Resistance	3rd of 10
Straight Aqua	1st of 10
Subj. Dry Handling	1st of 10
Subj. Comfort	4th of 10
Subj. Wet Handling	3rd of 10
Ice Traction	8th of 10
Subj. Snow Handling	2nd of 10

2019 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17

2nd of 12

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2019 Auto Express All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16

2nd of 11

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 20

Best: Dry Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 19th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	7th of 20
Wet Handling	4th of 20
Dry Braking	2nd of 20
Dry Handling	1st of 20
Snow Braking	9th of 20
Snow Handling	9th of 20
Rolling Resistance	9th of 20
Straight Aqua	2nd of 20
Noise	2nd of 20
Value	16th of 20
Price	19th of 20
Wear	2nd of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	10th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17

5th of 45

Best: Wet Braking · 8th Weakest: Snow Braking · 9th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	8th of 45
Snow Braking	9th of 45

Source: Auto Bild

2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter tire Test · 185/65 R15

4th of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2019 L’Argus Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

1st of 6

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: L’Argus

2019 Teknikens Värld Large Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17

5th of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Teknikens Värld

2018 Auto Express All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17

3rd of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2018 AMS Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

1st of 11

Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Price · 11th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	1st of 11
Wet Handling	1st of 11
Dry Braking	1st of 11
Dry Handling	4th of 11
Snow Braking	9th of 11
Snow Handling	4th of 11
Rolling Resistance	3rd of 11
Straight Aqua	4th of 11
Noise	6th of 11
Price	11th of 11

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2018 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

1st of 9

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2018 ACE All Season and Winter tire Test · 185/65 R15

1st of 12

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ACE

2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15

2nd of 20

Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 20
Wet Handling	1st of 20
Dry Braking	8th of 20
Dry Handling	12th of 20
Snow Braking	6th of 20
Snow Handling	8th of 20
Rolling Resistance	3rd of 20
Straight Aqua	2nd of 20
Noise	8th of 20
Value	18th of 20
Price	20th of 20
Wear	6th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	6th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2018 AMS All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16

2nd of 9

Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 7th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	1st of 9
Wet Handling	6th of 9
Dry Braking	5th of 9
Dry Handling	7th of 9
Snow Braking	1st of 9
Snow Handling	1st of 9
Rolling Resistance	4th of 9
Straight Aqua	1st of 9
Noise	1st of 9
Price	4th of 9

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14

1st of 12

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

1st of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15

1st of 51

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17

2nd of 45

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

1st of 20

Best: Dry Handling · 1st Weakest: Value · 17th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	5th of 20
Wet Handling	4th of 20
Dry Braking	3rd of 20
Dry Handling	1st of 20
Snow Braking	5th of 20
Snow Handling	4th of 20
Rolling Resistance	8th of 20
Straight Aqua	11th of 20
Noise	12th of 20
Value	17th of 20
Wear	15th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	17th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15 · 195/65 R15

1st of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2017 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2017 All Season VS Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

1st of 11

Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 8th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 11
Wet Handling	1st of 11
Dry Braking	6th of 11
Dry Handling	8th of 11
Snow Braking	2nd of 11
Snow Handling	2nd of 11
Rolling Resistance	3rd of 11
Straight Aqua	1st of 11
Noise	3rd of 11

2017 ADAC Winter Tire Test R16 · 195/65R16

1st of 9

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2016 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

1st of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Express

2016 AutoBild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

1st of 20

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Bild

2016 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16

1st of 43

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

2016 AZ Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

1st of 14

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

All Season vs Winter vs Nordic vs Studded tires · 205/60 R16

2nd of 2

Best: Snow Traction · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 2nd

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 2
Wet Handling	2nd of 2
Dry Braking	2nd of 2
Snow Traction	1st of 2
Snow Handling	1st of 2
Ice Handling	1st of 2
Rolling Resistance	2nd of 2
Straight Aqua	1st of 2
Noise	1st of 2
Ice Traction	1st of 2