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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 — 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.

Tire A Continental

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

Winter Ultra High Performance tires

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
85/100
14 owner reviews
Dry
89
Wet
81
Snow
87
Comfort
88
Noise
42
Treadwear
88
Handling
87
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Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Goodyear

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2

Winter Ultra High Performance tires

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
60/100
9 owner reviews
Dry
79
Wet
73
Snow
10
Comfort
81
Noise
–
Treadwear
70
Handling
71
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better snow, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 10
A
89
B
79
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 93 –
Tyre Reviews owners 84 79

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 8
A
81
B
73
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 80 –
Tyre Reviews owners 82 73

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 77
A
87
B
10
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 85 –
Tyre Reviews owners 89 10

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 7
A
88
B
81
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Tyre Reviews owners 88 81

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A
42
B
–
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 42 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 18
A
88
B
70
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Tyre Reviews owners 88 70

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 16
A
87
B
71
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SUltra Grip Performance 2
Tyre Reviews owners 87 71

Scores at a glance

CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SGoodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
Relative Score 86 66
Dry 89 79
Wet 81 73
Snow 87 10
Comfort 88 81
Noise 42 –
Treadwear 88 70
Handling 87 71

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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

Tire A

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.

Tire A Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

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.
Tire B Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2

The Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 receives highly polarized feedback, with users divided between those who find it a top-tier performance winter tire and those who report significant traction failures in snow and ice. While many praise its comfort, quietness, and wet-weather handling, a notable subset of reviewers experienced poor grip in winter conditions, leading to inconsistent performance reports.

Pros

  • Excellent comfort and low noise levels
  • Strong performance in wet and cold conditions
  • Reliable handling and traction on dry tarmac
  • High-quality compound offering superior braking and cornering for some users

Cons

  • Inconsistent and sometimes dangerous traction on snow and ice
  • Vague steering feedback on tarmac
  • Performance degradation in warmer temperatures
  • High price point relative to some competitors

Observations

  • Users noted that the tire performs best in cold temperatures and loses its 'sticky' feel when ambient temperatures rise.
  • Some users reported that the tire's performance is highly dependent on specific road conditions, with some finding it superior to Michelin Alpin and Continental alternatives, while others found it inferior to Nokian products.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
CategoryWinter Ultra High Performance tiresWinter Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4—
Rim diameters18″ – 22″—
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Goodyear

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better snow, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 87 vs 10 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 87 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 89 vs 79 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
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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.