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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 vs Continental VikingContact 7 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 8 road tests and 35 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Blizzak DM-V2 leads, 72–69 Narrow edge

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Continental VikingContact 7
Tire BContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 63 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 68

    Dry

    Blizzak DM-V2 +1
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 68 (est.)77
    Reviews found online6953

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 52.7 = 67

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Blizzak DM-V2 +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 75 (est.)68
    Reviews found online7867

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 76

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.4 + 40% × 66.5 = 68

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 80

    Snow

    Blizzak DM-V2 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 76 (est.)79
    Reviews found online8672

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 76.4 (est.) + 40% × 85.8 = 80

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 79.1 + 40% × 72.4 = 76

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)70
    Reviews found online7071

    Blizzak DM-V2: 40% × 69.3 (est.) + 60% × 70.1 = 70

    VikingContact 7: 40% × 70 + 60% × 71.3 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 68

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +13
    81
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 67 (est.)89
    Reviews found online7069

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 68

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 68.8 = 81

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Blizzak DM-V2 +2
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5956

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 59 = 62

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for VikingContact 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 76

    Handling (owners)

    Blizzak DM-V2 +12
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Reviews found online7664
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests–77
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak DM-V2Continental VikingContact 7
Relative Score 72 69
Dry 68 67
Wet 76 68
Snow 80 76
Comfort 70 71
Noise 68 81
Treadwear 62 60
Handling (owners) 76 64
Efficiency – 77

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score

Blizzak DM-V2

VikingContact 7

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak DM-V2VikingContact 7ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak DM-V2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
  • High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
  • Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
  • Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
  • Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
All owner themes in the Blizzak DM-V2 review

Tire B VikingContact 7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong performance in slush and deep snow
  • Stable and predictable handling at highway speeds

Cons

  • Mixed reports regarding tread life and longevity
  • Noticeable decline in ice-braking performance compared to top-tier ice specialists
  • Compound may harden or performance may degrade after multiple seasons
All owner themes in the VikingContact 7 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 B · Continental VikingContact 7
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available73134
Rim diameters15″ – 22″14″ – 22″
Tread depth13/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 psi44 - 51 psi
Sizes in common3535

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Continental VikingContact 7

Narrow edge: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better handling, wet and snow. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 81 vs 68 on noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 76 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 76 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 80 vs 76 on snow.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
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Tire B · Continental VikingContact 7
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Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 76 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 67 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 80 vs 76 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Continental VikingContact 7, 81 vs 68 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 71 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak DM-V2 or VikingContact 7?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 60 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology