82
/ 100
Objective (60%)
81/100
6 professional tests
User signal (40%)
79/100
20 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
Tire B
Dunlop
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
88
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
38 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — better comfort, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 93 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 75 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 93 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 61 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 88 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SP Winter Sport 4D leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 88 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 82 | 88 |
| Dry | 85 | 90 |
| Wet | 87 | 93 |
| Snow | 75 | 75 |
| Comfort | 78 | 93 |
| Noise | 61 | – |
| Treadwear | 82 | 88 |
| Handling | 84 | 88 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
82
/ 100
Tire A
88
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Continental WinterContact TS 850 P is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in wet and dry conditions, offering a comfortable and quiet ride. While most users praise its predictability and grip on snow and ice, a minority of drivers report inconsistent performance in extreme cold or icy conditions and concerns regarding tread longevity.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling in wet and dry conditions
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise output
- Predictable and confidence-inspiring performance on snow
- Strong braking performance on mixed surfaces
Cons
- Reports of rapid tread wear for some users
- Inconsistent lateral grip on ice and deep snow for some drivers
- High price point compared to competitors
- Stiff sidewall construction noted by some as harsh
Observations
- Performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., BMW, Golf GTI) report excellent dry/wet handling, though some note a loss of steering feedback compared to summer tires.
- Heavy vehicles like the Mercedes E350 and Volvo XC70 report stable, comfortable, and balanced performance, particularly with larger wheel setups.
- Users with front-wheel-drive vehicles noted the tire provides surprising capability in challenging winter conditions, often keeping pace with 4x4 vehicles.
The Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in cold, wet, and slushy conditions while maintaining impressive comfort and low noise levels. While most users praise its stability and traction in snow and ice, a minority of drivers report a 'squirmy' handling sensation during high-speed cornering, likely due to the softer tread compound.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions.
- Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tire counterparts.
- High level of ride comfort and refined road manners.
- Strong performance in deep snow and on icy inclines.
- Good tread longevity for a dedicated winter compound.
Cons
- Noticeable 'squirm' or lack of sharpness during high-speed cornering.
- Occasional reports of understeer in specific wet or icy conditions.
- Some users noted a 'hard' ride quality compared to previous iterations like the 3D.
- Potential for clearance issues if incorrect aspect ratios are selected for specific vehicle fitments.
Observations
- Users with wider tire setups noted that while traction is excellent, they may be slightly less effective in deep snow compared to narrower configurations.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles (e.g., Mercedes S-Class, E-Class) reported high satisfaction with comfort and grip, though they noted the 'squirm' sensation more prominently during aggressive maneuvers.
- Fitment caution: Owners of vehicles like the Mercedes W213 should ensure correct aspect ratios to avoid clearance issues with suspension components.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Ultra High Performance tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Continental
88
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D — better comfort, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 93 vs 78 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 93 vs 87 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 88 vs 82 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 90 vs 85 on dry.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Tire B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P also compared with
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.