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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Yokohama W.drive V905 — 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
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Yokohama

Yokohama W.drive V905

Ultra High Performance Winter tire

Yokohama W.drive V905 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
76/100
17 owner reviews
Dry
88
Wet
83
Snow
63
Comfort
75
Noise
–
Treadwear
86
Handling
83
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better snow, comfort 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 1
A
89
B
88
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Professional tests (TWG score) 93 –
Tyre Reviews owners 84 88

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) W.drive V905 leads by 2
A
81
B
83
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Professional tests (TWG score) 80 –
Tyre Reviews owners 82 83

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 24
A
87
B
63
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Professional tests (TWG score) 85 –
Tyre Reviews owners 89 63

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 13
A
88
B
75
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Tyre Reviews owners 88 75

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A
42
B
–
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Professional tests (TWG score) 42 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 2
A
88
B
86
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Tyre Reviews owners 88 86

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 4
A
87
B
83
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SW.drive V905
Tyre Reviews owners 87 83

Scores at a glance

CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SYokohama W.drive V905
Relative Score 86 81
Dry 89 88
Wet 81 83
Snow 87 63
Comfort 88 75
Noise 42 –
Treadwear 88 86
Handling 87 83

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 Yokohama W.drive V905

The Yokohama W drive V905 is generally regarded as a reliable, high-value winter tire that excels in snow and cold-weather traction. While most users praise its longevity and confidence-inspiring handling, a subset of drivers reports concerns regarding cabin noise and inconsistent performance in specific wet-weather conditions.

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and confidence in deep and fresh snow
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple winter seasons
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors
  • Predictable handling characteristics that provide good driver feedback

Cons

  • Higher-than-average road noise levels at highway speeds
  • Mixed performance in wet conditions, with some reports of aquaplaning sensitivity
  • Potential for reduced grip when temperatures rise above 10-15°C

Observations

  • Owners of rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicles, such as the BMW 3-series, reported surprisingly strong snow performance.
  • Users noted the tire remains robust and structurally sound even when encountering significant road hazards like potholes.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Yokohama W.drive V905
CategoryWinter Ultra High Performance tiresUltra High Performance Winter tire
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

Yokohama

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better snow, comfort 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 63 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 75 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 87 vs 83 on handling.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Yokohama W.drive V905
Check price on Amazon

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.