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Continental WinterContact TS 870 vs Uniroyal WinterExpert

In the 3 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 finished ahead 2 times and the WinterExpert once. The WinterContact TS 870 was stronger in dry, wet, snow and comfort.

Performance profile

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

Dry BrakingDry HandlingWet BrakingWet HandlingWet CircleStraight AquaCurved AquaplaningSnow BrakingSnow TractionSnow HandlingSnow SlalomNoiseWearRolling Resistance

Where each is furthest ahead

WinterContact TS 870

WinterExpert

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 95%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.

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 870 Gap WinterExpert Wins
Dry WinterContact TS 870 ahead
Dry Braking ft 144 0.5% 145 1-0
Dry Handling mph 68.7 1.3% 67.9 1-0
Wet WinterContact TS 870 ahead
Wet Braking ft 156 1.5% 154 0-2
Wet Handling mph 46.7 1.4% 46.1 1-0
Wet Circle s 12.29 0.7% 12.38 1-0
Straight Aqua mph 52.4 4.1% 50.3 1-0
Curved Aquaplaning ft/s² 12.5 12.4% 11.2 1-0
Snow WinterContact TS 870 ahead
Snow Braking ft 95 1.4% 97 2-0
Snow Traction lbf 567 2.9% 551 1-0
Snow Handling mph 37.3 3.4% 36 1-0
Snow Slalom ft/s² 10.8 4.1% 10.3 1-0
Comfort WinterContact TS 870 ahead
Noise dB 71 0.8 dB 71.8 1-0
Value Level
Wear miles 29,807 5.3% 28,297 1-0
Rolling Resistance kg / t 7.83 2.4% 7.64 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 3 tests, 2022 to 2024

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 870 Field WinterExpert
2024 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test Auto Bild · 2024 · 205/55 R16 P1 of 20 P9 of 20
2024 Winter 55 Tire Braking Test Auto Bild · 2024 · 205/55 R16 P8 of 55 P7 of 55
2022 ADAC SUV Winter Tire Test - 215/60 R16 ADAC · 2022 · 215/60 R16 P1 of 17 P12 of 17

WinterContact TS 870 vs WinterExpert: your questions

Is the Continental WinterContact TS 870 or the Uniroyal WinterExpert the better tire?

In the 3 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 finished ahead 2 times and the WinterExpert once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the WinterContact TS 870 scores 9.2 and the WinterExpert 7.8 out of 10.

Which is better in the wet, the WinterContact TS 870 or the WinterExpert?

The WinterContact TS 870 led 4 of the 6 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.

Which is better in the dry?

The WinterContact TS 870 led 2 of the 2 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.

Which is better in snow?

The WinterContact TS 870 led 5 of the 5 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1.4% shorter on snow across 2 tests.

Which is quieter and more comfortable?

Owners rate comfort 8.4/10 for the WinterContact TS 870 and 7.4/10 for the WinterExpert.

What do owners say?

Owners rate the WinterContact TS 870 83% from 26 reviews and the WinterExpert 76% from 7. 83% of WinterContact TS 870 owners would buy it again, against 71% for the WinterExpert.

Are they available in the same sizes?

The WinterContact TS 870 is made in 44 sizes (14 to 19 inch) and the WinterExpert in 90 (13 to 20 inch). 29 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the WinterContact TS 870 is graded B for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the WinterExpert C 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 870 Review the WinterExpert

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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