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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Bridgestone Blizzak LM30 — 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 8 + 0 road tests and 32 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

VikingContact 7 is ahead, 66–61

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Continental VikingContact 7
Tire AContinental

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. 67

    Dry

    VikingContact 7 +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests77≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online5357

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

    Blizzak LM30: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 57.2 = 61

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM30. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 68

    Wet

    VikingContact 7 +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests68≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6762

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

    Blizzak LM30: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 62 = 64

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM30. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests79–
    Reviews found online72–

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

  4. 71

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +12
    59
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7155

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

    Blizzak LM30: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.7 = 59

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak LM30. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 81

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests89–
    Reviews found online69–

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

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    Blizzak LM30 +3
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online5660

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

    Blizzak LM30: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 60.2 = 63

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak LM30. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    VikingContact 7 +13
    51
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Reviews found online6451
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak LM30
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Bridgestone Blizzak LM30
Relative Score 66 61
Dry 67 61
Wet 68 64
Snow 76 –
Comfort 71 59
Noise 81 –
Treadwear 60 63
Handling (owners) 64 51
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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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
± 5

VikingContact 7

± 8

Blizzak LM30

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

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 LM30

Pros

  • Strong performance in deep snow and slushy conditions
  • Excellent resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain
  • Progressive breakaway characteristics in dry, cold conditions

Cons

  • Inconsistent grip on greasy or thawed road surfaces
  • Faster than expected tread wear for some users
  • Higher noise levels compared to summer tires
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM30 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM30
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1343
Rim diameters14″ – 22″14″ – 16″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Bridgestone Blizzak LM30

Winner: Continental VikingContact 7 — better handling, comfort and dry. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak LM30 if treadwear matters most to you. Bridgestone Blizzak LM30 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 64 vs 51 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 71 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 67 vs 61 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 68 vs 64 on wet.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM30
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VikingContact 7 or Blizzak LM30?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak LM30?

Continental VikingContact 7, 68 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak LM30?

Continental VikingContact 7, 67 vs 61 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak LM30?

Continental VikingContact 7, 71 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak LM30?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM30, 63 vs 60 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