88
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
90/100
33 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 vs Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — 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%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
85/100
14 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better noise, snow and wet. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if handling and treadwear matter most to you.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
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)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 93 |
| Tire Rack owners | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 84 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 80 |
| Tire Rack owners | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 85 |
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | 89 |
| SimpleTire owners | 99 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 46
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 42 |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 86 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 87 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | Continental WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 88 | 81 |
| Dry | 90 | 89 |
| Wet | 90 | 81 |
| Snow | 99 | 87 |
| Comfort | 90 | 88 |
| Noise | 88 | 42 |
| Treadwear | 82 | 88 |
| Handling | 80 | 87 |
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.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
88
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is widely regarded as a premier dedicated winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and braking performance on snow and ice. While users acknowledge that the soft rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used in warmer temperatures, the consensus is that the safety and handling benefits in harsh winter conditions far outweigh these longevity concerns.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
- High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Significant improvement over all-season tires for winter handling
Cons
- Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
- Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
- Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
Observations
- Users report excellent performance across a variety of vehicle types, including heavy SUVs like the BMW X5 and VW Touareg, as well as light trucks like the Ford F-150.
- Owners of hybrid vehicles noted that the tire's soft compound may wear more quickly under the specific torque characteristics of their vehicles.
- Some users successfully utilize oversized tire diameters for increased ground clearance in deep snow without sacrificing ride quality.
The Continental WinterContact TS 860 S is widely regarded as a premium performance winter tire that excels in cold, dry, and wet conditions, often mimicking the handling characteristics of a summer tire. While the majority of users praise its sporty feedback and snow traction, some owners report specific issues with lateral grip in wet conditions and potential compatibility challenges with staggered wheel setups.
Pros
- Exceptional handling and feedback on dry and wet roads in cold temperatures
- Strong performance and confidence in snow and icy conditions
- Stiffer sidewalls compared to predecessors, offering improved cornering stability
- High durability and slow tread wear over multiple seasons
Cons
- Long break-in period required before optimal grip is achieved
- Potential for traction control interference on staggered RWD setups due to circumference variances
- Limited lateral grip in wet conditions compared to some competitors
- High price point relative to other winter tire options
Observations
- Users with staggered RWD setups reported significant issues with traction control systems when using non-OEM specific tire variants.
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., BMW M2) noted that the stiffer sidewalls provide a more precise, less 'squishy' feel during spirited driving.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Winter Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 48 | 4 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | 18″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 13/32″ | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
88
/ 100
Bridgestone
81
/ 100
Continental
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better noise, snow and wet. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if handling and treadwear matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 88 vs 42 on noise.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 99 vs 87 on snow.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 81 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 87 vs 80 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S 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.