83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
79/100
8 professional tests
User signal (40%)
84/100
49 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme — 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
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
84/100
44 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 860 and Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 860 is stronger on handling. Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme is stronger on comfort and dry.
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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)
Wintrac 4 Extreme leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 76 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 89 | 86 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 92 | 89 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Wintrac 4 Extreme leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 80 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Wintrac 4 Extreme leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 67 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 88 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 62 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 83 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 860 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 860 | Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 78 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 860 | Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 84 |
| Dry | 81 | 86 |
| Wet | 90 | 89 |
| Snow | 78 | 80 |
| Comfort | 75 | 88 |
| Noise | 62 | – |
| Treadwear | 83 | 83 |
| Handling | 86 | 78 |
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
83
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 100
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.
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.
The Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme is widely regarded by users as a high-performance winter tire that excels in deep snow, ice, and cold, wet conditions. While it offers exceptional traction and safety margins in harsh weather, users note that its performance degrades in warmer temperatures, where the compound becomes soft and handling feels less precise.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and stability in deep snow and on ice
- Strong performance in cold, wet, and greasy road conditions
- Impressive tread longevity and durability
- High value-for-money compared to premium competitors
- Noticeable improvement in handling and confidence over standard summer or all-season tires
Cons
- Reduced handling precision and 'squidgy' feel in temperatures above 13°C
- Initial stiffness or harsh ride quality during the break-in period
- Increased tread wear if used consistently in warm summer weather
- Less effective on clay-based mud when tread depth drops below 4mm
Observations
- Owners of heavy SUVs and 4x4s (e.g., Land Rover Freelander, Volvo XC90) frequently report that these tires transform vehicle capability in extreme winter conditions.
- Users noted that the tires significantly improved the handling of rear-wheel-drive vehicles, which are typically prone to losing traction in cold weather.
- Some users reported a harsh ride initially on larger wheel sizes, which improved significantly after a break-in period of approximately 2,000 miles.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 | B · Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | Winter High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Continental
84
/ 100
Vredestein
Too close to call: Continental WinterContact TS 860 and Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme are within 2 points overall. Continental WinterContact TS 860 is stronger on handling. Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme is stronger on comfort and dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme scores 88 vs 75 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 860 scores 86 vs 78 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme scores 86 vs 81 on dry.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860
Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 860 also compared with
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme 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.