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Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 — 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.
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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
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | – |
Wet
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | – |
Snow
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | – |
Comfort
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | – |
Noise
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 61 | – |
Treadwear
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | – |
Handling
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 850 P | Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | – |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 87 |
| Dry | 85 | 90 |
| Wet | 87 | 89 |
| Snow | 75 | 87 |
| Comfort | 78 | 86 |
| Noise | 61 | 85 |
| Treadwear | 82 | 83 |
| Handling | 84 | 90 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Tire A
Tire B
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.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | B · Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
Continental
Pirelli
Winner: Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 — better noise, snow and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 scores 85 vs 61 on noise.
Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 scores 87 vs 75 on snow.
Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 scores 86 vs 78 on comfort.
Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3 scores 90 vs 84 on handling.
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.