Continental WinterContact TS 870 P Reviews - Page 3

This is a quick review to help out some folk to buy these tires. My plan before was to buy 860S however the new model intrigued me but I'd say that 860S may in fact be better in terms of subjective feel. Dry grip wasn't half bad, definitely could launch the car hard in the dry however at around 8C or more after prolonged driving session it does start to drop off so I assume it may perform even better in fairly cold weather. Braking in the dry could be better as my previous TS860 tires did better in dry braking. Handling had bit understeer in the dry but nothing that made the drive boring. Wet was where it was king and will be even better once it is broken in. Superb braking, handling and grip on the level of my summer Pilot Sport 4 tires. I would say that it had slight tendency to oversteer, it did feel very sharp in the wet. Comfort was also on the same level as my TS860 but the best part was that it didn't feel floaty and neutered which made me hate WinterContact TS860. TS860 imitated smoothness by isolating the driver from all the feedback of brake actuation, feel of acceleration and the chassis to extent which made the driving jerky and boring, these however did not need to compromise and retain exact comfort and smoothness. Can't comment on snow and ice as we didn't have any here and in Baltic States. We have less snow for the past 5 years so I'll rate them based on tests. My real only complaint with this tire is road feedback. Turn in is just as slow as it was with WinterContact TS860 although the stiffer construction makes it feel less laggy in comparison. Still surprised that with a stiffer construction they didn't perform how I expected because for now I find rear wheels quite disconnected from the chassis, they simply feel strange for instance it is slow to turn at first few degrees then suddenly the tire progressively corners swiftly the next which is fun but not something I prefer, I rather have sharp quick turn in that is predictable. In the dry you do not feel anything on a smooth road. Irregular roads give some of the feedback but you can tell the middle of the tire is quite disconnected, rides on the sidewalls a lot more. Wet feedback again just like its grip and handling is on top however these shortcomings most likely due to being fresh and new as well as weather still being not optimal for winter tires but the fears I had for WinterContact tires came true. There is no reason to make an UHP winter tire numb and disconnected. I really feel like my power steering was broken because the steering is super soft and no longer heavy like I had with my summers. Dare I say worse feedback than with TS860 although at least it doesn't look like it is underinflated. WinterContact TS860 had this bulge on the sidewall which always made me feel like the tires are underinflated, this tire has only a minimal amount. Not all winter tires are like this, I had driven other cars that had winter tires and they didn't feel as bad. I'll miss the summer tire feel TS860 brought though but it's not an issue, I can live with it. I'd shortlist these tires and look for something else as subjectively they do not feel sporty. It's more like a souped-up touring tire. I'd choose Blizzaks and UltraGrip Performance+ for true sporty feel but time will tell because I do think in the cold and after some miles this tire will surprise me.