Bridgestone Blizzak 6 vs Continental WinterContact TS 870
- TR Score
- 9.4/10
- Owners say
- 88% · 9
- TR Score
- 9.2/10
- Owners say
- 83% · 26
In the 7 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 finished ahead 6 times and the Blizzak 6 once. The Blizzak 6 had 4% lower rolling resistance; the WinterContact TS 870 stopped 1.9% shorter in the dry.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Continental WinterContact TS 870 if you want the most consistently top-ranked winter tire with class-leading wet safety, strong aquaplaning resistance, quieter refinement, and more dependable snow handling. Choose the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 if you prioritize lower rolling resistance/efficiency and you value strong snow traction/braking and competitive value in your market-accepting that its weakest areas tend to be dry braking and (in several reports) ultimate snow-handling balance.
Where the Blizzak 6 is stronger
- Efficiency-focused: repeatedly lower rolling resistance (e.g., 6.6 vs 7.2 kg/t in TÜV; 7.85 vs 8.2 kg/t in Auto Express 2026), which can help fuel/EV range
- Often strong snow traction and snow braking metrics (wins snow traction 3-2 overall; wins snow braking in Auto Express 2026 and Auto Express 2025)
- Can deliver excellent wet braking in the right setups (e.g., wins wet braking in Auto Bild 2024 and the Winter 55 braking test; ADAC also notes very strong wet braking)
Where the WinterContact TS 870 is stronger
- Most consistent overall performer and test winner: ahead on overall placing in 5/6 shared tests (including multiple 1st places)
- Wet-safety benchmark: frequent class-leading wet braking/handling plus strong aquaplaning margins (e.g., ADAC straight aqua +7.36%; ADAC curved aqua +28%)
- More controlled winter dynamics: repeatedly better snow handling (wins 4-0), supporting stability and predictability on slippery roads
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Blizzak 6 vs WinterContact TS 870 at a glance
| Category | Blizzak 6 | Gap | WinterContact TS 870 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won7 shared tests | 1 | 6 | |
| Dry9 measurements | 3 | The WinterContact TS 870 stopped 1.9% shorter in the dry (6 tests) | 6 |
| Wet23 measurements | 8 | The WinterContact TS 870 resisted straight aquaplaning at a 3.2% higher speed (5 tests) | 15 |
| Snow17 measurements | 5 | The WinterContact TS 870 lapped the snow handling course 3.1% faster (3 tests) | 10 |
| Ice1 measurement | 0 | 1 | |
| Comfort4 measurements | 0 | The WinterContact TS 870 was 1.2 dB quieter (4 tests) | 4 |
| Value10 measurements | 5 | The Blizzak 6 had 4% lower rolling resistance (5 tests) | 4 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 9.4/10 | The Blizzak 6 by 0.2 | 9.2/10 |
| Owner rating9 and 26 reviews | 88% | The Blizzak 6 by 5 points | 83% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 75% | The WinterContact TS 870 by 8 points | 83% |
| Pricein the 5 tests that listed prices | Cheaper | The WinterContact TS 870 was dearer in 4 of 5 | +6.2% |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 193 | 17 sizes made in both | 44 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 7 tests, 2024 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Blizzak 6 | Field | WinterContact TS 870 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 AvD Winter Tire Test | P5 of 15 | P4 of 15 | |
| 2026 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 225/50 R17 | P5 of 16 | P2 of 16 | |
| 2026 Auto Express Winter Tire Test | P4 of 11 | P1 of 11 | |
| 2025 TUV Test of Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 vs Rivals | P4 of 5 | P2 of 5 | |
| 2025 Auto Express Winter Tire Test | P3 of 8 | P1 of 8 | |
| 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P4 of 20 | P1 of 20 | |
| 2024 Winter 55 Tire Braking Test | P1 of 55 | P8 of 55 |
Performance profile
14 measurements from the 7 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Blizzak 6
WinterContact TS 870
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 96%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 8 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Blizzak 6
WinterContact TS 870
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Blizzak 6
WinterContact TS 870
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the WinterContact TS 870 83% from 26. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Blizzak 6 | Gap | WinterContact TS 870 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 137 | 1.9% | 134 | 1-5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 57.92 | 0.8% | 58.42 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 68.5 | 0.4% | 68.7 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 129 | 1.2% | 132 | 3-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 126 | 0.8% | 125 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 79.81 | 1.7% | 78.4 | 0-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 47.2 | 1.2% | 46.7 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.32 | 1% | 12.2 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 49.5 | 3.2% | 51 | 1-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 75.7 | 7.2% | 66.5 | 2-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82 | 0.6% | 82 | 2-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 6.58 | 0.3% | 6.6 | 2-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 571 | 0.5% | 568 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 78.53 | 3.1% | 76.19 | 0-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 36.8 | 1.4% | 37.3 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 10.7 | 0.3% | 10.8 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 59 | 4.5% | 56 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 71.08 | 1.2 dB | 69.9 | 0-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 27,392 | 1.1% | 27,715 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7.71 | 4% | 8.01 | 4-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.6 | = | 5.6 | 0-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82 | 9.8% | 74 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Blizzak 6 scores 9.4 and the WinterContact TS 870 9.2 out of 10.
| Blizzak 6 | Category | WinterContact TS 870 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | Dry | 84 | ||
| 92 | Wet | 98 | ||
| 49 | Comfort | 53 | ||
| 67 | Value | 68 | ||
| 74 | Snow | 70 | ||
| 61 | Ice | 16 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Blizzak 6 | Category | WinterContact TS 870 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | Dry Grip | 8.8 | ||
| 9.2 | Wet Grip | 9 | ||
| 8.7 | Road Feedback | 7.3 | ||
| 8.9 | Handling | 8.1 | ||
| 8.3 | Wear | 8.8 | ||
| 8.6 | Comfort | 8.4 | ||
| 9.1 | Snow Grip | 7.9 | ||
| 9.1 | Ice Grip | 7.3 | ||
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the WinterContact TS 870 83% from 26. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
- 88%from 9 reviews
- 75%would buy again
- 75,369 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers report the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 delivers excellent winter performance, with strong grip on snow and ice and confident climbing and cornering in cold, mountain conditions. Multiple reviewers describe it as very stable and among the best winter tires they've used. Overall sentiment is strongly positive across all reviews.
- Strong grip on snow and ice
- Confident traction in cold/mountain conditions
- Stable, secure feel
- High overall satisfaction as a winter tire
Summarised by AI from 5 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 9 Blizzak 6 reviewsI might be one of the first people to buy Bridgestone winter tires and I've never regretted it. I used them for 2 years, and now I'm thinking of switching to all-season tires, so I'll be looking for other options. After 40,000 km, the insides of the rear tires wore out; I think it's related to the alignment and balance, so I'll be replacing them.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
- 83%from 26 reviews
- 83%would buy again
- 166,321 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers generally rate the Continental WinterContact TS 870 very highly, highlighting strong wet-road grip, impressive aquaplaning resistance, and a secure, confidence-inspiring feel at speed. Many also report good comfort/low noise and solid all-round performance across typical European winter conditions, with several noting decent wear. A smaller but noticeable group reports weaker traction on hard-packed snow/ice (especially hill starts/climbing) and a few mention efficiency/range penalties and some wet-surface noise/whistling.
- Excellent wet grip and wet braking
- Strong resistance to aquaplaning/standing water
- High stability and confidence at motorway speeds
- Comfortable ride with generally low noise
- Hard-packed snow/ice traction and hill-start/climbing can be disappointing for some
- Efficiency/rolling resistance concerns (reduced EV range or worse fuel economy) mentioned by a few
- Some report noticeable noise/whistling, particularly on wet roads
Summarised by AI from 22 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 26 WinterContact TS 870 reviewsBeen a few years with these tires now and they are ok. Not as great as everyone makes them out to be, but a solid winter tire nonetheless.
The pros:
-Quiet
-Economic (no difference in fuel consumption compared to my summer tires)
- Good grip in all conditions but snow.The cons:
-Not very good on snow. I've had cheap tires that performed the same for half of the price. They are fine on Ice though.
-I got them on sale for 70ish Euros and that's a good price for what you are getting. But I have seen them go for 140 and more (same size and all) and that is honestly a rip-off. Check that you are getting a decent price.Would I buy them again? At 70 euros maybe. But I think I will opt for Nordic Winter Tires next time.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 193 sizes of the Blizzak 6 and 44 of the WinterContact TS 870, 17 of them made in both.
| Category | Blizzak 6 | WinterContact TS 870 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Winter | Winter |
| Sizes made | 193 sizes, 16 to 22 inch | 44 sizes, 14 to 19 inch |
| Made in both | 17 sizes 185/50 R16185/55 R16195/45 R16195/55 R16195/60 R16205/45 R16205/55 R16205/60 R16205/65 R16215/55 R16215/60 R16175/65 R17and 5 more | |
| EU label wet grip | B100% | B82%C18% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C75%B25% | C78%D22% |
| EU label noise | 70-75 dB B87%A13% | 69-72 dB B100% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 275 of 275 | 90 of 90 |
| Replaced | Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 (2019) | Continental WinterContact TS 860 (2016) |
| Awards | - | Winner: Best Winter Tire (DriverReviews, 2025/26) Highly Recommended: Best Winter Tires (DriverReviews, 2024/25) |
| Price in the shared tests | The WinterContact TS 870 was the dearer tire in 4 of the 5 tests that listed prices, by 6.2% on average. Each test priced the tires in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Previous generation: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 (11 shared tests)
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
Bridgestone's Blizzak 6 and Continental's WinterContact TS 870 sit in the same premium-touring winter bracket, but the shared tests show they achieve their “do-everything winter tire” goal in different ways. Across six head-to-head appearances (ADAC, Auto Express, Auto Bild, TÜV benchmarking and a large braking shootout), the TS 870 is the more consistently top-ranked tire overall, while the Blizzak 6 repeatedly flashes standout single-discipline strengths.
The pattern that emerges is clear: Continental tends to dominate the wet-safety and refinement narrative (including aquaplaning and noise), and it carries that balance strongly into snow handling. Bridgestone fights back with a mix of strong wet braking in several tests, better rolling resistance/efficiency, and often-strong snow traction/braking-making it a compelling alternative if your priorities skew toward economy and certain winter metrics rather than “no-questions-asked” all-round polish.
Conclusion
Looking across the shared results, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 is the safer, more complete winter package and the more reliable bet if you want top-tier performance in the widest range of real-world winter conditions. It won 5 of the 6 shared tests on overall placing (including 1st/20 in Auto Bild 2024, 1st/11 and 1st/8 in Auto Express 2026 and 2025, and 2nd/16 in ADAC 2026). Its advantage is most repeatable in wet security and stability: for example, in ADAC 2026 it led straight aquaplaning by 7.36% (83.1 vs 77.4 km/h) and crushed curved aquaplaning by 28% (3.2 vs 2.5 m/s²), while also being consistently quieter (e.g., 71.2 vs 73.1 dB in ADAC). It also repeatedly beats the Bridgestone on snow handling (4 wins to 0 across the shared set), which matters more for avoiding slides than a small traction or braking edge.
The Bridgestone Blizzak 6 is still a high-performing winter tire, but it's the one you choose for specific strengths rather than outright category leadership. It frequently delivers better rolling resistance (wins 3 of 4 shared RR results, including 8.33% better in the TÜV set) and can be excellent value depending on market pricing (ADAC value index: 3.12 vs 3.47 price/1000 in Bridgestone's favor). It also shows real winter bite in snow traction and some braking disciplines (e.g., Auto Express 2026 snow traction 6.21s vs 6.37s; Winter 55 braking test: 1st/55 overall with a strong wet stop). The practical takeaway: TS 870 is the more confidence-inspiring “set-and-forget” choice-especially in rain-soaked, slushy winters-while Blizzak 6 makes sense if you're targeting efficiency and you like a slightly sportier feel, accepting that its weakest moments tend to be dry braking and (depending on test) snow handling balance.
Blizzak 6 vs WinterContact TS 870: your questions
Is the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 or the Continental WinterContact TS 870 the better tire?
In the 7 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 finished ahead 6 times and the Blizzak 6 once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Blizzak 6 scores 9.4 and the WinterContact TS 870 9.2 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Blizzak 6 or the WinterContact TS 870?
The WinterContact TS 870 led 15 of the 23 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it resisted straight aquaplaning at a 3.2% higher speed across 5 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The WinterContact TS 870 led 6 of the 9 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1.9% shorter in the dry across 6 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The WinterContact TS 870 led 10 of the 17 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it lapped the snow handling course 3.1% faster across 3 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Blizzak 6 had 4% lower rolling resistance (5 tests); the WinterContact TS 870 lasted 1.1% longer in the wear tests (3 tests). Owners rate wear 8.3/10 for the Blizzak 6 and 8.8/10 for the WinterContact TS 870.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The WinterContact TS 870 was 1.2 dB quieter (4 tests). Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the Blizzak 6 and 8.4/10 for the WinterContact TS 870.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the WinterContact TS 870 83% from 26. 75% of Blizzak 6 owners would buy it again, against 83% for the WinterContact TS 870.
Which is more expensive?
In the 5 tests that listed prices, the WinterContact TS 870 was the dearer tire in 4 of them, by 6.2% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Blizzak 6 is made in 193 sizes (16 to 22 inch) and the WinterContact TS 870 in 44 (14 to 19 inch). 17 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Blizzak 6 is graded B for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the WinterContact TS 870 B and C.
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Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.
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