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Continental WinterContact TS 860 S vs Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+

In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ finished ahead 2 times and the WinterContact TS 860 S not once. The WinterContact TS 860 S was stronger in comfort and value, the UltraGrip Performance+ in wet and snow.

Performance profile

9 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.

Dry BrakingDry HandlingWet BrakingWet HandlingStraight AquaSnow BrakingSnow HandlingNoiseRolling Resistance

Where each is furthest ahead

WinterContact TS 860 S

UltraGrip Performance+

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.

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 860 S Gap UltraGrip Performance+ Wins
Dry Level
Dry Braking ft 135 2.4% 132 0-1
Dry Handling mph 75 1.1% 74.2 1-0
Wet UltraGrip Performance+ ahead
Wet Braking ft 164 8.6% 150 0-1
Wet Handling mph 57.7 2.7% 59.2 0-1
Straight Aqua mph 41.1 11.5% 45.8 0-1
Snow UltraGrip Performance+ ahead
Snow Braking ft 95 4.5% 91 0-1
Snow Handling mph 30.1 1% 30.4 0-1
Comfort WinterContact TS 860 S ahead
Noise dB 72.5 1.6 dB 74.1 1-0
Value WinterContact TS 860 S ahead
Rolling Resistance kg / t 8.06 6.9% 8.66 1-0

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 2 tests, 2019 to 2020

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 860 S Field UltraGrip Performance+
The Best Winter Tires for 2020 Tire Reviews · 2020 · 205/55 R16 Tire Reviews test P3 of 19 P2 of 19
2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars · 2019 · 255/35 R19 P4 of 11 P1 of 11

WinterContact TS 860 S vs UltraGrip Performance+: your questions

Is the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S or the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ the better tire?

In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ finished ahead 2 times and the WinterContact TS 860 S not once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the WinterContact TS 860 S scores 8.5 and the UltraGrip Performance+ 9.2 out of 10.

Which is better in the wet, the WinterContact TS 860 S or the UltraGrip Performance+?

The UltraGrip Performance+ led 3 of the 3 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.

Which is better in the dry?

Across the shared tests the dry measurements are split 1-1 between the WinterContact TS 860 S and the UltraGrip Performance+.

Which is better in snow?

The UltraGrip Performance+ led 2 of the 2 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.

Which is quieter and more comfortable?

Owners rate comfort 9/10 for the WinterContact TS 860 S and 8.9/10 for the UltraGrip Performance+.

What do owners say?

Owners rate the WinterContact TS 860 S 87% from 16 reviews and the UltraGrip Performance+ 86% from 20. 81% of WinterContact TS 860 S owners would buy it again, against 95% for the UltraGrip Performance+.

Are they available in the same sizes?

The WinterContact TS 860 S is made in 92 sizes (16 to 23 inch) and the UltraGrip Performance+ in 93 (15 to 22 inch). 33 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the WinterContact TS 860 S is graded C for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the UltraGrip Performance+ B and C.

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 860 S Review the UltraGrip Performance+

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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