80
/ 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 Pirelli Scorpion Winter — 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
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
77/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
80/100
17 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P and Pirelli Scorpion Winter are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 850 P is stronger on treadwear, wet and handling. Pirelli Scorpion Winter is stronger on noise, dry and snow.
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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)
Scorpion Winter leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | 94 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 80 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 93% | 97% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 99% | 100% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 850 P leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | 81 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 91 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 90 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 94% | 99% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 98% | 93% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Scorpion Winter leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | 81 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 78 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 93 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 93% | 90% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 96% | 97% |
| Snow Traction (% of best) | 86% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Scorpion Winter leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 81 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 93 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Scorpion Winter leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 61 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 73 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 850 P leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 81 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 72 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 73 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 850 P leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | Pirelli Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 81 |
| Dry | 85 | 91 |
| Wet | 87 | 82 |
| Snow | 75 | 78 |
| Comfort | 78 | 80 |
| Noise | 61 | 85 |
| Treadwear | 82 | 73 |
| Handling | 84 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
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
80
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 93% #13/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 97% #4/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -4.7 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #4/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | -0.3 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 89% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 86% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +2.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 98% #8/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 100% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 100% #10/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 94% #7/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | +5.9 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 50% #2/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | 0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 93% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 90% #9/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | +3.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 96% #9/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 97% #4/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | -1.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 86% #5/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 97% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -10.4 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 94% #6/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +2.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 94% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test | -5 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #2/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 93% #6/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +5.2 | Different tests |
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 Pirelli Scorpion Winter is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in wet and dry conditions, often mimicking the handling characteristics of a summer tire. While many users praise its confidence-inspiring grip on highways and in heavy rain, consensus is mixed regarding its performance in severe ice and deep slush, where some drivers report a lack of traction.
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather performance and resistance to aquaplaning
- Strong dry road handling and stability at high speeds
- Comfortable and quiet ride quality for long-distance cruising
- Predictable and confidence-inspiring grip in light to moderate snow
Cons
- Inconsistent performance on hard ice and slushy conditions
- Faster tread wear compared to standard summer tires
- Reduced snow traction as the tire ages and tread depth decreases
- High-speed stability can feel vague at extreme velocities
Observations
- Users with heavy SUVs and performance crossovers report high satisfaction with highway handling but note faster tread wear.
- Drivers utilizing staggered fitments on 20-inch wheels report good feedback and handling, though some note the design is aging compared to newer iterations.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Ultra High Performance tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 1 | 44 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | 50 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Continental
81
/ 100
Pirelli
Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P and Pirelli Scorpion Winter are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 850 P is stronger on treadwear, wet and handling. Pirelli Scorpion Winter is stronger on noise, dry and snow.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 85 vs 61 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 82 vs 73 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 91 vs 85 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 87 vs 82 on wet.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P also compared with
Pirelli Scorpion Winter 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.