WinterContactTS860SSSR tyre reviews

Tyre size and vehicle make
205 / 55 16 H
SKODA Octavia Combi 1.6 TDI
Result: Would you buy again? Probably
Comment:
The tyres perform well. At that price I would expect no less. (But Michelins tend to cost even more than Continentals.) We don't get a lot of snow in Essex, England these days, but when we lived in parts of Germany where (at least then) it snowed in winter we always found Continental Winter Tyres performed well. And indeed I've left the winter tyres on for the summer this year. Partly through laziness. But also, low profile summer tyres look "cool" with alloy in the show rooms, but with all the pot holes and broken roads here in England, slightly thicker tyres on (slightly smaller) steel rims offer better resilience (and comfort). Economy penalty must existnotably inrespect of fuel, but appears very marginal as long as the tyres remain fully inflated. Which (so far) they do without frequent top-ups. Though I appreciate that reading what I just wrote makes me sounds very old. Ainsi soit il. And it still feels odd to be asked to review Winter Tyres in June.

Tyre size and vehicle make
225 / 45 18 V
BMW 3 335d xDrive
Result: Would you buy again? Definitely
Comment:
These are great winter tyres which I run all year round ( living in rural Wales). The problem is getting them in the size I need. I generally have to order at least 3 months before I am going to need them so this review is actually for the tyres I bought two years ago and which still have about 5000 miles (8000 km) wear left. The original summer tyres fitted to the car when I bought it new only lasted 25000 miles so these Continentals actually represent good value for money - and they don’t skid on muddy farm tracks in summer. I had a puncture and the runflat function worked well. But these tyres cannot be repaired by the usual method and there was no chance of getting a new pair of tyres in this size (have to replace in pairs on this car). My only option was the ‘slime’ injection which has worked perfectly. No loss of pressure over the last 5000 miles.

Tyre size and vehicle make
225 / 45 18 H
BMW X1 xDrive 20d
Result: Would you buy again? Definitely
Comment:
A much more balanced and user friendly tyre than the Pirelli winters they replaced which were supplied by BMW. Less tramlining. More precise grip and steering yet also more comfortable ride. Unable to accurately comment on fuel consumption as I haven’t monitored it that closely. Snow use not really tested this winter in the UK so can’t comment with any true experience.