tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 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 1 + 8 road tests and 21 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Blizzak WS90 68, VikingContact 7 69.

Check price on Amazon · Blizzak WS90 Check price on Amazon · VikingContact 7
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Continental VikingContact 7
Tire BContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

± 5

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. 73

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests8577
    Reviews found online5553

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 52.8 = 67

  2. 67

    Wet

    VikingContact 7 +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests6568
    Reviews found online6967

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 68.9 = 67

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

  3. 73

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests6979
    Reviews found online7972

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.1 = 73

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

  4. 61

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6870
    Reviews found online5671

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +18
    81
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests7089
    Reviews found online5269

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.6 = 63

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 68.7 = 81

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +1
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online5856

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.1 (est.) + 40% × 57.6 = 61

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.7 = 60

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. 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. 62

    Handling (owners)

    VikingContact 7 +2
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Reviews found online6264
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests–77
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Continental VikingContact 7
Relative Score 68 69
Dry 73 67
Wet 67 68
Snow 73 76
Comfort 61 71
Noise 63 81
Treadwear 61 60
Handling (owners) 62 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
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 5

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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 finished ahead 1 times and Continental VikingContact 7 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90VikingContact 7ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/15 #3/15 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires · 215/60R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 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 WS90 B · Continental VikingContact 7
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available45134
Rim diameters15″ – 19″14″ – 22″
Tread depth11/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 psi44 - 51 psi
Sizes in common3737

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Continental VikingContact 7

Too close to call: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and Continental VikingContact 7 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is stronger on dry. Continental VikingContact 7 is stronger on noise, comfort and snow.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 81 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 71 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 76 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental VikingContact 7
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Continental VikingContact 7, 76 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Continental VikingContact 7, 81 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Continental VikingContact 7, 71 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or VikingContact 7?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 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