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Continental VikingContact 7 Test Results

Tyre Reviews tests: 2 Tested 2019 to 2024 4 publications

Tested 9 times by independent publications, the Continental VikingContact 7 has taken 5 test wins with an average finish of 2nd. Its strongest discipline is Ice Handling, beating 95% of the field across 7 tests; its weakest is Straight Aqua, at 40% across 5 tests.

  • 9Independent tests
  • 5Test wins
  • 9Podium finishes
  • 2ndAverage finish
  • 81%Field beaten on average
  • 4Publications
Continental VikingContact 7

9 tests, 2019 to 2024

0%50%100%201920202021202220232024Average 81%2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (2019): P3 of 8, Beat 71% of the field2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020): P2 of 12 (Nordic Friction Winter Tyres), Beat 91% of the fieldThe Best Winter Tyres for 2020 (2020): P1 of 19, Beat 67% of the field2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020): P1 of 8, Beat 100% of the field2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2021): P1 of 6 (Nordic Friction Winter Tyres), Beat 100% of the field2022/23 Tyre Reviews Studless Winter Tyre Test (2022): P1 of 7, Beat 67% of the field2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test (2022): P3 of 8, Beat 71% of the field2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test (2023): P1 of 8, Beat 100% of the fieldThe Best Studded / Friction Winter Tyres for 2024 (2024): P3 of 6 (Nordic Friction Winter Tyres), Beat 60% of the field
Share of the field beaten in each test, oldest to newest. Hover or tap a point for the test.
  • Test win
  • Second
  • Third
  • Average 81%
The latest test

The Best Studded / Friction Winter Tyres for 2024 P3 of 6Nordic Friction Winter Tyres

The Continental ContiVikingContact 7, the previous year's winner, still showed strong performance, particularly in winter conditions. It maintained excellent grip on ice and snow, matching its successor in these crucial areas. However, its weaknesses became more apparent in this test, particularly in wet conditions and aquaplaning resistance. Despite these shortcomings, the CVC 7 still performed admirably overall, demonstrating good fuel efficiency and comfort. Its performance illustrates both the strengths of Continental's Nordic tyre design and the areas where improvement was needed in the newer model.

Winner: Continental VikingContact 8

Record by discipline

Where the Continental VikingContact 7 finished in each measured discipline, across every test that measured it against at least two other tyres. Field beaten is the share of the other tyres it outranked in that measurement.

Discipline Tests Avg finish Field beaten Firsts
Dry
Dry Braking 7 P3.4 of 8.3 66% 1
Dry Handling 1 P2 of 8 86% -
Subj. Dry Handling 6 P4.3 of 8.7 60% -
Wet
Wet Braking 7 P4.4 of 8.3 53% -
Wet Handling 7 P4.3 of 8.3 54% -
Subj. Wet Handling 2 P3 of 10 77% -
Straight Aqua Weak 5 P5.2 of 8 40% -
Curved Aquaplaning 1 P7 of 8 14% -
Snow
Snow Braking 7 P3.1 of 8.4 69% 2
Snow Traction 6 P2.5 of 8.5 78% 2
Snow Handling 7 P2.4 of 8.4 80% 3
Subj. Snow Handling 2 P1.5 of 10.5 94% 1
Snow Circle 1 P6 of 9 38% -
Ice
Ice Braking 7 P3 of 8.4 73% -
Ice Traction 6 P3.5 of 8.5 67% 1
Ice Handling Strong 7 P1.4 of 8.4 95% 5
Subj. Ice Handling 2 P1.5 of 10.5 94% 1
Comfort
Subj. Comfort 1 P4 of 8 57% -
Subj. Noise 3 P1 of 8.7 100% 3
Noise 3 P4 of 8 57% 1
Value
Rolling Resistance 3 P3.3 of 8.3 68% -
Fuel Consumption 1 P4 of 8 57% -

Head-to-head record

Overall finishing position against the tyres that have most often shared a test with the Continental VikingContact 7. Only tyres tested alongside it at least three times are listed.

Rival Shared tests Ahead Behind Level Finished ahead
Michelin X Ice Snow 7 shared: 5 ahead, 0 behind Compare with X Ice Snow 7 5 0 2 100%
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 5 shared: 4 ahead, 1 behind 5 4 1 - 80%
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 4 shared: 2 ahead, 1 behind 4 2 1 1 67%
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice 3 shared: 3 ahead, 0 behind 3 3 0 - 100%
Pirelli Ice Zero FR 3 shared: 3 ahead, 0 behind 3 3 0 - 100%
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 3 shared: 2 ahead, 1 behind 3 2 1 - 67%
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 3 shared: 2 ahead, 0 behind 3 2 0 1 100%
Continental IceContact 3 3 shared: 0 ahead, 2 behind 3 0 2 1 0%
Michelin X Ice North 4 3 shared: 0 ahead, 2 behind 3 0 2 1 0%

Against its own line

The same record for the tyre it replaced and the tyre that replaced it.

Tyre Tests Wins Avg finish Field beaten
Continental VikingContact 6 Predecessor 0 - - -
Continental VikingContact 7 This tyre 9 5 2nd 81%
Continental VikingContact 8 Successor 9 7 1st 93%

Performance Analysis

Drawn from 9 tests. Updated September 29, 2026.

Continental VikingContact 7 shows a very consistent pattern across nine Nordic friction winter-tyre tests: it is repeatedly at or near the top of its class overall (average overall position 1.8), largely on the back of strong winter-road performance and reassuring controllability. It won outright in major studless tests (1st of 8 in Vi Bilagare 2020; 1st of 9 in Tyre Reviews 2022/23 - Recommended; 1st of 8 in Vi Bilagare 2023) and remained competitive even when not winning (e.g. 2nd of 12 in Test World 2020, 3rd of 6 in Teknikens Värld 2024). Testers repeatedly highlight its ice and snow behaviour, with comments such as it "maintained excellent grip on ice and snow" and "remains easy to control on snow with a stable rear"; this is backed by frequent class-leading or near-leading ice/snow handling results (e.g. 1st in ice handling in Vi Bilagare 2023 and Tyre Reviews 2022/23; 1st in snow handling in Vi Bilagare 2020 and the Test World 2020 class test). Comfort and refinement are another recurring theme, including very low noise results (1st for noise in Tyre Reviews 2022/23 and Vi Bilagare 2020; also class 1st in subjective noise in the 2021 class test).

The main exception to that otherwise rounded profile is performance in standing water and, depending on test and size, wet-road braking: it can be notably off the best in aquaplaning tests (Tyre Reviews 2022/23: 7th of 8 in both straight and curved aquaplaning, ~25% from best), and several write-ups explicitly flag aquaplaning/wet as the weak point (Teknikens Värld 2024: "weaknesses... particularly in wet conditions and aquaplaning resistance"; 2019 studded-tyre comparison: "weak aquaplaning resistance"). In a few cases it also looks less convincing in subjective dry dynamics (e.g. 10th of 12 for subjective dry handling in the Test World 2020 class test, and "oversteer balance in the dry"), though objective dry braking can be very strong (1st of 8 in dry braking in the 2019 test; praised for "shortest dry braking" in Tyre Reviews 2022/23).

Performance Strengths

Performance Weaknesses

  • Aquaplaning resistance Strong in 2 of 8 tests
    Details
    • 7th of 8 in straight aquaplaning (+24.5% from best) and 7th of 8 in curved aquaplaning (+24.9%), 2022/23 Tyre Reviews studless winter test
    • 8th of 8 in straight aquaplaning (+8.4% from best), 2019 winter tyre test (non-studded tyre in a studded field; still flagged as weak aquaplaning)
    • Tester comment, 2024 Teknikens Värld: "weaknesses... particularly in wet conditions and aquaplaning resistance"
  • Wet braking Moderate
    Details
    • 35.9% longer than best in wet braking (3rd of 8), 2022/23 Tyre Reviews studless winter test
    • 6th of 8 in wet braking (+7% from best), 2022 Vi Bilagare Nordic SUV studless test
  • Dry handling Moderate
    Details
    • 10th of 12 in class for subjective dry handling (+30% from class best), 2020 Test World Nordic friction class test
    • Tester comment, 2020 Test World: "Oversteer balance in the dry"
    • 6th of 8 in subjective dry handling (+60% from best), 2019 winter tyre test (only non-studded tyre in a studded field)
  • Wet grip Moderate in 2 of 8 tests
    Details

Do owners agree with the tests?

Every tester write-up on the Continental VikingContact 7 (8 tests) and 23 owner reviews were tagged for the aspects they judge. Where both have spoken, this is how they line up.

Where owners and testers agree

  • Snow traction strength in 5 of 8 tests 13 praise, 0 criticise of 23 reviews · Read those reviews
  • Snow handling strength in 3 of 8 tests 5 praise, 2 criticise of 23 reviews · Read those reviews
  • Ride comfort strength in 1 of 8 tests 7 praise, 1 criticise of 23 reviews · Read those reviews

Raised by owners, not by any test of this tyre

  • Snow braking no test mentions it 3 praise, 1 criticise of 23 reviews · Read those reviews
  • Slush performance no test mentions it 3 praise, 0 criticise of 23 reviews · Read those reviews

Flagged by testers, not mentioned by owners

  • Wet braking strength in 2 of 8 tests no owner mentions it
  • Dry braking strength in 2 of 8 tests no owner mentions it

Every test, newest first 9

Strong = top two of the field in that measurement. Weak = bottom two.

2024 1 test
P3 of 6 Nordic Friction Winter Tyres Beat 60% of the field

The Best Studded / Friction Winter Tyres for 2024

Teknikens Varld 225/50 R17

The Continental ContiVikingContact 7, the previous year's winner, still showed strong performance, particularly in winter conditions. It maintained excellent grip on ice and snow, matching its successor in these crucial areas. However, its weaknesses became more apparent in this test, particularly in wet conditions and aquaplaning resistance. Despite these shortcomings, the CVC 7 still performed admirably overall, demonstrating good fuel efficiency and comfort. Its performance illustrates both the strengths of Continental's Nordic tyre design and the areas where improvement was needed in the newer model.

WinnerContinental VikingContact 8

2023 1 test
P1 of 8 Beat 100% of the field

2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test

Vi Bilagare 225/45 R17

The VikingContact7, despite being one of the oldest tires on the market, still performs at the top. Following a third-place finish in last year's test of SUV sizes, Continental is once again number one. The tire manages to maintain steering grip even in really tight curves on ice. It also remains easy to control on snow with a stable rear without sliding tendencies under pressure. Despite its excellent characteristics on winter roads, Continental continues to convince in dry road conditions. The steering feel on asphalt is good; it handles understeering tests well and shows reasonable stopping distances on both wet and dry asphalt. Almost always being top three in every subtest earns it a well-deserved overall victory. The Continental is suitable for all types of winter needs. To summarize, the VikingContact7 tire by Continental is praised for its exceptional performance across various conditions, from ice and snow to dry asphalt, showcasing its suitability for diverse winter requirements.

StrongWet HandlingSnow HandlingIce BrakingIce Handling

2022 2 tests
P3 of 8 Beat 71% of the field

2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test

Vi Bilagare 235/55 R18

VikingContact7 has several victories from our tests of traditional passenger car tires in the bag. Now it collects a bronze medal. To adapt to the higher weight of the SUVs, Continental has made a stiffer tire with a harder rubber compound. It provides slightly less convincing driver properties on ice and snow, with longer sliding phases than we previously experienced from VC7. However, the level of grip is still good compared to the competition. The upside is that the tire in this larger dimension, with a more open pattern, handles aquaplaning really well. It also has fine stability on asphalt with maintained steering precision in the evasive maneuver tests. Never the best but often at the top, regardless of the surface, results a well-deserved podium.

StrongSubj. Dry HandlingWet HandlingIce HandlingRolling Resistance WeakSnow BrakingNoise WinnerNokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV

P1 of 7 Beat 67% of the field

2022/23 Tyre Reviews Studless Winter Tyre Test

Tyre Reviews 205/55 R16 Tested by Tyre Reviews Recommended

The Continental was the best in the dry and had a small advantage in the wet grip tests, but did struggle in the deeper water of the two aquaplaning tests. It was excellent in the snow and ice, had the lowest internal noise and was comfortable, but of the top three tyres it did have the highest rolling resistance, but even that was just 3.1% off the best.

StrongDry BrakingDry HandlingSubj. Dry HandlingWet HandlingSnow TractionSubj. Snow HandlingIce HandlingSubj. Ice HandlingNoise WeakStraight AquaCurved Aquaplaning

2021 1 test
P1 of 6 Nordic Friction Winter Tyres Beat 100% of the field

2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test

Teknikens Varld 205/55 R16

StrongSnow BrakingSnow TractionSnow HandlingIce BrakingIce TractionIce HandlingSubj. Noise WeakDry BrakingWet Handling

2020 3 tests
P2 of 12 Nordic Friction Winter Tyres Beat 91% of the field

2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test

Test World 205/55 R16

StrongSnow BrakingSnow TractionSnow HandlingSubj. Snow HandlingSubj. Ice HandlingSubj. Noise WinnerNokian Hakkapeliitta R3

2019 1 test
P3 of 8 Beat 71% of the field

2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test

Vi Bilagare 225/50 R17

As the only non-studded tyre on test, the Viking Contact 7 had an impressive all round ability.

StrongDry BrakingSnow BrakingSnow TractionSnow HandlingIce Handling WeakWet HandlingStraight AquaIce Traction WinnerContinental IceContact 3

Back to the Continental VikingContact 7 overview

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