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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow 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.

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
VerdictWinner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat if noise and wet 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 S leads by 7
A
89
B
82
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Professional tests (TWG score) 93 –
Tire Rack owners – 84
Tyre Reviews owners 84 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat leads by 4
A
81
B
85
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Professional tests (TWG score) 80 –
Tire Rack owners – 85
Tyre Reviews owners 82 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 5
A
87
B
82
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Professional tests (TWG score) 85 –
Tire Rack owners – 82
Tyre Reviews owners 89 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 8
A
88
B
80
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Tire Rack owners – 77
Tyre Reviews owners 88 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat leads by 36
A
42
B
78
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Professional tests (TWG score) 42 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 32
A
88
B
56
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Tire Rack owners – 57
Tyre Reviews owners 88 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterContact TS 860 S leads by 4
A
87
B
83
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 860 SScorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Tyre Reviews owners 87 –

Scores at a glance

CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 860 SPirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
Relative Score 81 77
Dry 89 82
Wet 81 85
Snow 87 82
Comfort 88 80
Noise 42 78
Treadwear 88 56
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

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 Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S B · Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
CategoryWinter Ultra High Performance tires—
Vehicle typePassenger 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

Pirelli

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 860 S — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat if noise and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat scores 78 vs 42 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 88 vs 80 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S scores 89 vs 82 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow Run Flat
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.