Continental WinterContact TS870 review
With wins across all disciplines and lovely feel, the Continental is an exceptional, unbeatable winter tyre for the third time
Only an exceptional tyre could keep the Goodyear off the top spot, but the Continental is such a product, winning this test for a third time in a row. It took five victories overall, in different conditions, and was both economical and the most refined, too, helping to put clear air between itself and the excellent Goodyear.
Curiously, the Continental was last in the snow braking test, taking more than 2.5m longer to stop than the best, yet on its way to the fastest lap on the snow handling circuit it felt good on the brakes. It also demonstrated fine traction, useful adjustability and the ability to recover from slides quickly, all of which made it quick and reassuring.
It was even more impressive in the wet, claiming second in both aquaplaning tests and wet braking, just 0.4m off matching the best, and was quickest around the wet circle and handling circuit, where it was so grippy it felt like the test car was suddenly underpowered. Superb traction, rock-solid stability and an easy precision made it the most impressive around the wet track. To cap it all, it returned the lowest recorded cabin noise and was the third most economical tyre, too.
Blackcircles.com says…
“Appraised as ‘fantastic tyres’, and rated 4.7/5 for ‘would buy again’. Feedback suggests these tyres give confidence in the cold, wet or snow.”
| Continental WinterContact TS870 | ||
| Overall | 100% | |
| Price | £154 | |
| Snow braking | 90.9% | 8th |
| Snow traction | 96.8% | 5th |
| Snow handling | 100% | 1st |
| Wet braking | 98.8% | 2nd |
| Wet handling | 100% | 1st |
| Wet cornering | 100% | 1st |
| Straight aquaplaning | 98.6% | 2nd |
| Curved aquaplaning | 99.0% | 2nd |
| Dry braking | 100% | 1st |
| Dry handling | 97.8% | 5th |
| Cabin noise | 100% | 1st |
| Rolling resistance | 93.0% | 3rd |
Buy the Continental WinterContact TS870 from Blackcircles.com…
