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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — Compared

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

Blizzak DM-V2 is ahead, 73–68

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Continental VikingContact 7
Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 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. 66

    Dry

    Blizzak DM-V2 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests76≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online4970

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 49.4 = 66

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 69

    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 0.40).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Blizzak DM-V2 +9
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests68≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6277

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.4 + 40% × 62.1 = 66

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 77.4 = 75

    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 0.56).

  3. 75

    Snow

    Blizzak DM-V2 +4
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests79≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7085

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 70.1 = 75

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 74.8 (est.) + 40% × 84.7 = 79

    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 0.33).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Blizzak DM-V2 +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7172

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

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 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. 80

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests88≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6871

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.1 + 40% × 68.1 = 80

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 69

    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. 59

    Treadwear

    Blizzak DM-V2 +5
    64
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5462

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62 (est.) + 40% × 54 = 59

    Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 62 = 64

    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 0.31).

    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 0.31).

  7. 60

    Handling (owners)

    Blizzak DM-V2 +17
    77
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2
    Reviews found online6077
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Relative Score 68 73
Dry 66 69
Wet 66 75
Snow 75 79
Comfort 70 71
Noise 80 69
Treadwear 59 64
Handling (owners) 60 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
Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Blizzak DM-V2

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.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Blizzak DM-V2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #5/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13473
Rim diameters14″ – 22″15″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″13/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi44 psi
Sizes in common3535

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

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

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 77 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 80 vs 69 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 75 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 64 vs 59 on treadwear.

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

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

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 75 vs 66 on our wet score.

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

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 69 vs 66 on our dry score.

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

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 79 vs 75 on our snow score.

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

Continental VikingContact 7, 80 vs 69 on our noise score.

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

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

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

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 64 vs 59 on our treadwear 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