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Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Hankook Winter i cept evo3

In the 3 independent tests that ran both tires, the Hankook Winter i cept evo3 finished ahead 2 times and the WinterContact TS 850 P once. The WinterContact TS 850 P was stronger in comfort and value, the Winter i cept evo3 in dry and snow.

Performance profile

10 measurements from the 3 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.

Dry BrakingDry HandlingWet BrakingWet HandlingStraight AquaSnow BrakingSnow TractionSnow HandlingNoiseRolling Resistance

Where each is furthest ahead

WinterContact TS 850 P

Winter i cept evo3

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. 4 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.

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. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.

Measurement WinterContact TS 850 P Gap Winter i cept evo3 Wins
Dry Winter i cept evo3 ahead
Dry Braking ft 149 3.2% 144 0-2
Dry Handling mph 65.6 0.1% 65.6 1-1
Wet Level
Wet Braking ft 144 0.7% 145 2-1
Wet Handling mph 45.5 0.8% 45.1 1-0
Wet Circle s 12.44 1.7% 12.65 1-0
Straight Aqua mph 56.3 2.7% 57.8 0-2
Curved Aquaplaning ft/s² 11.9 16.6% 13.8 0-1
Snow Winter i cept evo3 ahead
Snow Braking ft 91 1.5% 89 0-3
Snow Traction lbf 635 0.7% 640 1-1
Snow Handling mph 32.2 1.7% 32.6 1-1
Snow Slalom ft/s² 11.4 7.8% 12.2 0-1
Comfort WinterContact TS 850 P ahead
Noise dB 72.55 1.9 dB 74.45 2-0
Value WinterContact TS 850 P ahead
Wear miles 27,005 9.3% 24,712 1-0
Rolling Resistance kg / t 8.59 1% 8.67 1-1

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.

Head to head in 3 tests, 2020 to 2021

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 WinterContact TS 850 P Field Winter i cept evo3
2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars · 2021 · 245/40 R18 P7 of 13 P1 of 13
2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tire Test Auto Bild · 2020 · 245/45 R18 P7 of 20 P6 of 20
2020 Winter Tire Market Overview - 52 Tire Braking Test Auto Bild · 2020 · 245/45 R18 P4 of 51 P5 of 51

WinterContact TS 850 P vs Winter i cept evo3: your questions

Is the Continental WinterContact TS 850 P or the Hankook Winter i cept evo3 the better tire?

In the 3 independent tests that ran both tires, the Hankook Winter i cept evo3 finished ahead 2 times and the WinterContact TS 850 P once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the WinterContact TS 850 P scores 8.9 and the Winter i cept evo3 9.2 out of 10.

Which is better in the wet, the WinterContact TS 850 P or the Winter i cept evo3?

Across the shared tests the wet measurements are split 4-4 between the WinterContact TS 850 P and the Winter i cept evo3.

Which is better in the dry?

The Winter i cept evo3 led 3 of the 4 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 3.2% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.

Which is better in snow?

The Winter i cept evo3 led 6 of the 8 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1.5% shorter on snow across 3 tests.

Which is quieter and more comfortable?

The WinterContact TS 850 P was 1.9 dB quieter (2 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.9/10 for the WinterContact TS 850 P and 7.8/10 for the Winter i cept evo3.

What do owners say?

Owners rate the WinterContact TS 850 P 81% from 20 reviews and the Winter i cept evo3 86% from 23. 75% of WinterContact TS 850 P owners would buy it again, against 91% for the Winter i cept evo3.

Are they available in the same sizes?

The WinterContact TS 850 P is made in 122 sizes (15 to 22 inch) and the Winter i cept evo3 in 86 (17 to 22 inch). 39 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the WinterContact TS 850 P is graded C for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Winter i cept evo3 B and C.

Which is the newer tire?

The Winter i cept evo3 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the WinterContact TS 850 P in 2014. The WinterContact TS 850 P replaced the Continental WinterContact TS 830 P. The Winter i cept evo3 replaced the Hankook Winter i cept evo2.

Run either of these?

Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.

Review the WinterContact TS 850 P Review the Winter i cept evo3

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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