1. Continental
WinterContact TS 860
SUCH is the focused performance of the Continental WinterContact TS 860 that you could almost be justified in calling it an all-season tyre. It will keep you safe on snow, and then it will excel in the wet and on dry roads – exactly the conditions UK drivers will face for much of the winter.
Critically, that performance has not come at the expense of fuel economy, as is the case with its fellow podium finishers. It even managed to top the Goodyear Dunlop pair, which have set the pace in fuel use in recent tests.
The only real weakness was in deep water, when it struggled in the curved aquaplaning test.
However, in the shallower depths of the handling track it felt really strong, turning in directly and accelerating through corners where other tyres would just spin up and run wide.
Despite that impressive front grip, it kept the rear under control. That sharpness was still there in the dry, although we still needed to wait to get on the throttle in longer turns.
Continental makes braking one of its priorities when designing a tyre and that could be felt in the wet, dry and even on snow – which was its weakest surface. It wasn’t far off the best there and felt better than its lap time may suggest on the handling track. With the front dictating the overall grip, it felt reassuringly stable and secure.