Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Ahead in each discipline
The Continental WinterContact TS 860 and the Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ have met in 4 independent tests and the record is level at 2-2. The WinterContact TS 860 was stronger in wet, the UltraGrip 9+ in dry, comfort and value.
Performance profile
10 measurements from the 4 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
WinterContact TS 860
UltraGrip 9+
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 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
WinterContact TS 860
UltraGrip 9+
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
WinterContact TS 860
UltraGrip 9+
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the WinterContact TS 860 86% from 50 reviews and the UltraGrip 9+ 88% from 6. 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. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | WinterContact TS 860 | Gap | UltraGrip 9+ | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry UltraGrip 9+ ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 160 | 0.6% | 159 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 33.3% | scored | 0-1 |
| Wet WinterContact TS 860 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 178 | 2% | 182 | 1-0 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | 100% | scored | 1-0 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 49.8 | 2.6% | 51.1 | 0-1 |
| Snow Level | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 85 | 0.8% | 86 | 1-0 |
| Snow Traction lbf | 482 | 2.2% | 493 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Comfort UltraGrip 9+ ahead | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 11.1% | scored | 0-1 |
| Value UltraGrip 9+ ahead | ||||
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 8.47 | 2.5% | 8.26 | 0-1 |
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 4 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 860 | Field | UltraGrip 9+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter Tire Test | P6 of 16 | P1 of 16 | |
| The Best Winter Tires for 2020 | P3 of 19 | P2 of 19 | |
| 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test | P2 of 14 | P3 of 14 | |
| 2020 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 205/55 R16 | P7 of 15 | P8 of 15 |
WinterContact TS 860 vs UltraGrip 9+: your questions
Is the Continental WinterContact TS 860 or the Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ the better tire?
The Continental WinterContact TS 860 and the Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ have met in 4 independent tests and the record is level at 2-2. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the WinterContact TS 860 scores 9.2 and the UltraGrip 9+ 9.4 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the WinterContact TS 860 or the UltraGrip 9+?
The WinterContact TS 860 led 2 of the 3 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The UltraGrip 9+ led 2 of the 2 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
Across the shared tests the snow measurements are split 1-1 between the WinterContact TS 860 and the UltraGrip 9+.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the WinterContact TS 860 and 8.5/10 for the UltraGrip 9+.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the WinterContact TS 860 86% from 50 reviews and the UltraGrip 9+ 88% from 6. 86% of WinterContact TS 860 owners would buy it again, against 100% for the UltraGrip 9+.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The WinterContact TS 860 is made in 47 sizes (13 to 17 inch) and the UltraGrip 9+ in 19 (14 to 16 inch). 18 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the WinterContact TS 860 is graded B for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the UltraGrip 9+ B and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The UltraGrip 9+ is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the WinterContact TS 860 in 2016. The WinterContact TS 860 replaced the Continental WinterContact TS 850. The UltraGrip 9+ replaced the Goodyear UltraGrip 9.
More comparisons with these tires
Every Continental vs Goodyear test → All comparisons → Compare three or more tires →
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.
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.