WINTERCONTACT TS 860 S

Fitted on my car and driven for some 3 months, since I previously had WinterContact TS 860 (without S suffix) on my previous car.
Not sure what changed between S and non S version of this tire, but it lost a bit of ability in the snow and gained handling capabilities in the snow and ice.
Braking is still strong, but bellow Michelin Alpine5.

Bought it in December 2023 and for last 3 winters they are on my car. They have 40% on highway and 60% city drive. Comparing with regular wintercontact there is no standard noise when is temperature higher then 7 degC. On highway they feel really confident and handling on snow and icy road is really sporty. I will buy them again. I think one more seasson they will be ok to use.

Warning! Do not buy the standard tires if you have a staggered setup and RWD. Only OEM spec (star, MO, GO, etc).
I had a combination of 225/40R19 front with 255/35R19 on the rear. This is the standard for my car. And yet, on dry roads, in a straight line, the TC would cut power under acceleration.
After measuring the circumference of fronts and rears I found a difference of more than 2% in circumference between fronts and rears. This means a difference of 3km/h between front and rear wheels at highway speed. And under acceleration the rears would slip just enough to trigger TC.
Continental did not care about this. They said it’s normal to have a tolerance between -2% and +1% in circumference in the normal tires. They only limit these differences for OEM tires.
If you have a RWD and care about your life, don’t buy these.

As a fan of winter tyres and a self confessed "Michelin fanboy" these are the best winter tires I've ever used. Mostly because snow and ice are quite rare even in Scotland. So it's wet and dry performance in cold conditions that matter most.
These tyres just hang on to the road and give significantly more grip than you can reasonably expect for the conditions. Breakaway is progressive and not just controllable but fun and exploitable.
Due to unforseen circumstances (and because I have a second car) I've ended up using these throughout the summer. Grip levels reduce as expected in high temperatures but the progression and fun remain.
I'm definitely staying loyal to Continental in winter now. Long to see what their new winter tyres can do

Fitted to a 2017 E Class Mercedes estate. Really impressed with the wet / dry weather performance at low temperatures. Handles very similar to a summer tyre and last season were left on until late spring. This is the second season running them and they have hardly worn at all. My car has different tyre sizes front and rear so I was limited on choice for manufactures that can provide for both fitments. They were expensive but I have no regrets as they have proven faultless in all conditions and do not go off in warmer conditions like previous winter tyres I have had on other vehicles. Highly recommended if you can find them as they have now been superseded by other models.