Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Continental AllSeasonContact 2: The Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, launched in 2021, is a dedicated winter tire designed to tackle harsh snow and icy conditions, while the Continental AllSeasonContact 2, launched in 2023, brings versatility as a 3-peak mountain certified all-season tire. But is an all-season tire truly enough for snow, or does a winter tire still reign supreme when the temperature drops? Let’s dive into this battle to find out!
Table of Contents
Results: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Continental AllseasonContact 2
Results below were taken from Auto Zeitung’s 2024 Winter Tire Test. A total of 10 tires were tested this time around with a mixture of middle European winter tires & all season tires. The graph below shows the comparison between Continental WinterContact TS 870 P vs Continental AllseasonContact 2 based on the relevant performance category. The Continental WinterContact TS 870 P was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
The handling criteria’s are evaluated by lap times rather than the average lap time speed or subjective evaluation. The tire size of interest is a 215/55 R17 which is a common tire size for Hyundai Kona Electric & Honda HR-V. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle of choice is a Volkswagen Passat.
Wet
In wet braking, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 stopped in 49.8 meters, outperforming the WinterContact TS 870 P by 1.4 meters. Wet handling was also slightly better for the AllSeasonContact 2, completing the course in 86.9 seconds compared to 87 seconds for the TS 870 P. For aquaplaning, the WinterContact TS 870 P had a marginal advantage at 78.3 km/h, while the AllSeasonContact 2 followed at 76.5 km/h. No surprise here—the all-season tire generally performs better in wet conditions.
AllSeasonContact 2:
- +3% in wet braking
- ~0% in wet handling (lap time)
- -2% in straight aquaplaning
Snow
We expected the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P to dominate clearly in snow, given its winter-specific design. However, in snow braking, the difference was almost negligible—22 meters for the WinterContact TS 870 P compared to 22.1 meters for the AllSeasonContact 2. In snow handling, the TS 870 P led by just half a second, with 67.9 seconds versus 68.4 seconds. Surprisingly, the AllSeasonContact 2 had a slight edge in snow traction, with 3226 Newtons compared to 3159 for the TS 870 P. The differences were so minute that the all-season tire doesn’t feel like a compromise at all.
AllSeasonContact 2:
- ~0% in snow braking
- -1% in snow handling (lap time)
- +2% in snow traction
Dry
In dry braking, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 stopped in 40.4 meters, significantly outperforming the WinterContact TS 870 P by 2.8 meters. For dry handling, the AllSeasonContact 2 completed the course in 72.8 seconds, slightly faster than the TS 870 P’s 73 seconds. The huge difference in dry braking highlights the AllSeasonContact 2’s clear advantage in dry conditions.
AllSeasonContact 2:
- +7% in dry braking
- ~0% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise
The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 produced 72.5 decibels of noise at 80 km/h, compared to 72.8 decibels for the WinterContact TS 870 P. The difference of 0.3 decibels is so minor that it’s too close to tell any real distinction in noise levels.
AllSeasonContact 2:
- ~0% in exterior noise (-0.3 dB)
Rolling Resistance
The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 had a rolling resistance of 6.58 N/kN, outperforming the WinterContact TS 870 P’s 7.26 N/kN. Once again, the advantage goes to the all-season tire.
AllSeasonContact 2:
- +10% in Rolling Resistance.
Price
The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 costs $152, making it 15% cheaper than the WinterContact TS 870 P, which is priced at $174.
Tire size: 215/55 R17
- WinterContact TS 870 P : $174
- AllSeasonContact 2 : $152
Difference: -15% more cheaper for AllSeasonContact 2
Summary
From my perspective as a tire expert, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 excels in wet and dry braking, offers lower rolling resistance, and comes at a 15% cheaper price. Snow performance is roughly equal between them, despite the Continental TS 870 P being a dedicated winter tire. Given these factors—better wet and dry performance, improved efficiency, lower cost, and no need to swap tires—it’s worth asking if the 3-peak mountain all-season tire might indeed be the way forward for many drivers.
Dr Edwin Pang