I have a pair of top contacts and so far so good after 1500 miles. They roll well and handle gravel, dirt, and sand pretty well. Also, the reflective sidewall is a nice touch. However, no unstudded tire is going to give you good grip on ice in comparison to studded. The winter version of the TC is supposed to contain sharp-edged granules for added grip, but I seriously doubt that it would work nearly as well as studs.

I'd love to buy a pair of studded tires, I just don't have enough snow and ice days per year to justify the cost.