Continental WinterContact TS 860 S review
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.
Owners rate it 13.8 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
85%By road tests
71.2%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 14 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
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
Worth knowing
- 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.
2 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
The Best Winter tires for 2020 · 205/55 R16
14th of 19
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2019 19 Inch Performance Winter tire Test · 255/35 R19
4th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 10th of 11 | |
| Noise | 5th of 11 | |
| Price | 10th of 11 |
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi |
| Size | Retailer |
|---|---|
| 205/45 R18 | Amazon |
| 295/35 R20 | Amazon |
| 275/35 R21 | Amazon |
| 285/35 R22 | Amazon |
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