Tests 60 · 5 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 17 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (exterior noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice vs Continental VikingContact 8 — 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 5 + 8 road tests and 3 + 12 owner reviews. How we score
VikingContact 8 is ahead, 76–63
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Tests 74 · 8 tests Owners 79 · 12 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
VikingContact 8 +1075Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 6 tests 64 75 Reviews found online 67 75 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 63.6 + 40% × 66.8 = 65
VikingContact 8: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 75.2 = 75
-
54
Wet
VikingContact 8 +1872Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 7 tests 44 63 Reviews found online 70 85 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 43.6 + 40% × 69.6 = 54
VikingContact 8: 60% × 63 + 40% × 84.9 = 72
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62
Snow
VikingContact 8 +1678Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 6 tests 63 77 Reviews found online 62 80 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 62.6 + 40% × 61.9 = 62
VikingContact 8: 60% × 77.4 + 40% × 79.9 = 78
-
67
Comfort
VikingContact 8 +1885Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests 70 91 Reviews found online 65 82 Blizzak Ice: 40% × 70 + 60% × 65.3 = 67
VikingContact 8: 40% × 91.1 + 60% × 81.7 = 85
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76
Noise
VikingContact 8 +480Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 5 tests 83 79 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) 81 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 76
VikingContact 8: 60% × 78.8 + 40% × 81.3 = 80
No owner ratings of noise for Blizzak Ice. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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67
Treadwear
VikingContact 8 +673Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 67 77 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67
VikingContact 8: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77.1 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for VikingContact 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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65
Handling (owners)
VikingContact 8 +1176Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Reviews found online 65 76 -
48
Efficiency
VikingContact 8 +3078Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests 48 78
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | Continental VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 76 |
| Dry | 65 | 75 |
| Wet | 54 | 72 |
| Snow | 62 | 78 |
| Comfort | 67 | 85 |
| Noise | 76 | 80 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 65 | 76 |
| Efficiency | 48 | 78 |
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
Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Blizzak Ice
76
/ 100
VikingContact 8
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Blizzak Ice finished ahead 0 times and Continental VikingContact 8 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Blizzak Ice | VikingContact 8 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 95% #2/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 73% #10/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 70% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 99% #2/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 60% #19/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 99% #3/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 60% #18/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 60% #9/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 89% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 86% #3/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 88% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 86% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 92% #3/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 80% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 91% #3/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 80% #4/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 98% #2/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 80% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 96% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 98% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% #1/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 100% #6/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #2/3 · 2026 Tire Rack New Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 92% #8/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #8/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 70% #10/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/7 | #1/7 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Moottori Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Blizzak Ice
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B VikingContact 8
Pros
- Exceptional traction and grip on ice and hard-packed snow
- High level of ride comfort, effectively soaking up potholes and rough roads
- Remarkably quiet operation with minimal tread noise
Cons
- Slightly soft cornering feel
- Noticeable gap in steering response and lack of feel on straightaways
- Occasional slip reported on really dry roads at low speeds
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | B · Continental VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 60 | 123 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 35 | 35 |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
76
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 8
Winner: Continental VikingContact 8 — better efficiency, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 78 vs 48 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 72 vs 54 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 85 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 78 vs 62 on snow.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
Tire B · Continental VikingContact 8
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Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Which is better in the wet, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 72 vs 54 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 75 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 78 vs 62 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 80 vs 76 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 85 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 73 vs 67 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Blizzak Ice or VikingContact 8?
Continental VikingContact 8, 78 vs 48 on our efficiency score.
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