Comparison: Continental WinterContact TS 860 vs. GoodYear UltraGrip 9+ (2026)

Wet performance is where the TS 860 really separates itself. Its wet braking score of 89.5 against the UltraGrip 9+'s 75.6 is a substantial margin, and the Continental's wet handling scores — averaging 94.3 across measured tests — are class-leading. Real owners consistently praise its behaviour in wet and snowy conditions, and the tyre earns a mostly B wet grip EU label rating. The Goodyear counters with one genuine trump card: aquaplaning resistance. Its aquaplaning score of 90.2 edges the Continental's 87.6, with cross-aquaplaning scores of 93 particularly impressive. In standing water at speed, the UltraGrip 9+ actually holds more reserve. ADAC twice highlighted the Goodyear as especially capable on wet surfaces, and the pattern of owner feedback — praising grip in cold rain, sleet, and muddy conditions — backs this up. So the TS 860 wins on braking and handling response in the wet; the UltraGrip 9+ wins when water depth becomes a concern.

On dry roads, the gap between these two is meaningful. The TS 860 carries a dry braking score of 81.7 versus the UltraGrip 9+'s 69.8 — a significant difference that reflects Continental's sharper steering response and more confident dry-road character. Testers consistently highlight the TS 860 as balanced with strong dry-road capability, and owners on mixed roads in Romania and elsewhere echo this, noting dry grip that's very good if not quite matching a summer tyre. The UltraGrip 9+ is honest about its limitations here — ADAC flagged minor precision weaknesses on dry asphalt — but for typical winter driving speeds and conditions, it remains safe and predictable. It simply isn't the driver's choice when the roads clear.

Snow is another area where Continental holds a clear statistical edge — a snow score of 90.5 versus the Goodyear's 80.5, with snow braking averaging 89.8 against 87.3 and snow handling averaging 94 versus 86.5. The TS 860 is a genuinely accomplished snow tyre; one owner put it through a full Romanian winter across highways, city streets, country roads, and gravel, reporting strong results across all surfaces. The UltraGrip 9+ is by no means weak here — ADAC rated it as well-balanced on all surfaces including snow, and owners describe confidently climbing hills in snow past stranded vehicles — but it trails the Continental in measured performance. Goodyear positions the UltraGrip 9+ as a specialist for smaller vehicles, and in that context it performs admirably; it's only when stacked against the TS 860's winter credentials that the gap shows.

Comfort and efficiency is where the Goodyear makes its most compelling case. The UltraGrip 9+ was rated best in efficiency in the ADAC 2023 test, and its rolling resistance of 80.3 combined with a ride comfort score of 88.7 — higher than the Continental's 79.2 comfort score — makes it an exceptionally refined winter option. Owners frequently praise its low noise levels, with quietness mentioned ten times in customer feedback. ADAC rated fuel consumption as low, and multiple UltraGrip 9+ owners describe the tyre as behaving so unobtrusively they could barely tell they were on winter rubber. The TS 860 is no slouch — quiet operation is among its most praised qualities, with eight customer mentions — but a wear concern does emerge: one owner recorded 4mm of tread loss over 6,000km in a mild winter. The UltraGrip 9+ owners, by contrast, specifically cite slow tread wear as a positive. For long-term economy, the Goodyear appears the more prudent choice.