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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs Dunlop Graspic DS2 — 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

Winter Premium Touring tires

Continental WinterContact TS 860 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
79/100
8 professional tests
User signal (40%)
84/100
49 owner reviews
Dry
81
Wet
90
Snow
78
Comfort
75
Noise
62
Treadwear
83
Handling
86
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Dunlop

Dunlop Graspic DS2

Winter High Performance tires

Dunlop Graspic DS2 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
7 owner reviews
Dry
59
Wet
53
Snow
–
Comfort
83
Noise
–
Treadwear
86
Handling
60
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Dunlop Graspic DS2 if comfort and treadwear 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 leads by 22
A
81
B
59
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Professional tests (TWG score) 76 –
Tyre Reviews owners 89 59

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 leads by 37
A
90
B
53
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Professional tests (TWG score) 89 –
Tyre Reviews owners 92 53

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A
78
B
–
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Professional tests (TWG score) 77 –
Tyre Reviews owners 80 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Graspic DS2 leads by 8
A
75
B
83
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Professional tests (TWG score) 67 –
Tyre Reviews owners 86 83

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A
62
B
–
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Professional tests (TWG score) 62 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Graspic DS2 leads by 3
A
83
B
86
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Tyre Reviews owners 83 86

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 leads by 26
A
86
B
60
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860Graspic DS2
Tyre Reviews owners 86 60

Scores at a glance

CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860Dunlop Graspic DS2
Relative Score 84 69
Dry 81 59
Wet 90 53
Snow 78 –
Comfort 75 83
Noise 62 –
Treadwear 83 86
Handling 86 60

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

The Continental WinterContact TS 860 is widely regarded as a top-tier, balanced winter tire that excels in wet and snowy conditions while maintaining impressive comfort and low noise levels. While the vast majority of users report high satisfaction with its safety and handling, a minority of owners noted a significant drop in performance as the tires aged or after several seasons of use.

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and safety in wet and slushy conditions
  • Outstanding performance on snow, providing high levels of confidence
  • Remarkably low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Strong fuel efficiency and balanced overall performance
  • Predictable handling on dry roads, often compared favorably to summer tires

Cons

  • Performance degradation noted by some users after 3-4 seasons
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a slight loss of steering precision or 'wobble' in tight corners
  • Tread pattern prone to picking up and throwing stones/sand
  • Inconsistent reports regarding tread wear, with some users experiencing faster-than-expected depletion

Observations

  • Users with high-torque vehicles noted that the tire can struggle with traction under heavy acceleration on snow if the vehicle lacks advanced torque management.
  • Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., VW Polo, Golf) reported excellent handling and confidence in varied winter conditions.
  • Some users noted that the tire's soft sidewall is more noticeable on larger rim sizes or during spirited driving.
Tire B Dunlop Graspic DS2

The Dunlop Graspic DS2 is widely regarded as a highly capable winter tire, particularly excelling in deep snow and challenging winter conditions. While users praise its traction and longevity, the tire's soft compound results in a noticeable lack of steering response and a 'floating' sensation when driven on dry pavement.

Pros

  • Exceptional traction in deep snow
  • Strong performance on ice
  • Good tread life and durability
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Vague steering feel and lack of road response
  • Unstable handling on dry asphalt
  • Poor performance on muddy or slushy surfaces

Observations

  • Lightweight vehicles like the Honda Civic benefit from the tire's snow-clearing capability but may exacerbate the 'floating' sensation on dry roads.
  • Users report consistent winter performance across various passenger vehicle platforms, including compact sedans like the Mitsubishi Carisma.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 B · Dunlop Graspic DS2
CategoryWinter Premium Touring tiresWinter High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Dunlop

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Dunlop Graspic DS2 if comfort and treadwear matter most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 90 vs 53 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 86 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 81 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Graspic DS2 scores 83 vs 75 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860
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Tire B · Dunlop Graspic DS2
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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.