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.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat — 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
85
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
Owner ratings
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat — better noise and wet. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if comfort, treadwear and snow matter most to you.
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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)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 93 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 80 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 85 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 89 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat leads by 39
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 42 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 S | Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | – |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 860 S | Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 85 |
| Dry | 89 | 87 |
| Wet | 81 | 90 |
| Snow | 87 | 84 |
| Comfort | 88 | 83 |
| Noise | 42 | 81 |
| Treadwear | 88 | 84 |
| Handling | 87 | 87 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
81
/ 100
Tire A
85
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
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.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Ultra High Performance tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 4 | — |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Continental
85
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat — better noise and wet. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S if comfort, treadwear and snow matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat scores 81 vs 42 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat scores 90 vs 81 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 83 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 84 on treadwear.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S also compared with
Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat 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.