Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Too close to call: VikingContact 7 and Blizzak WS90 are level at 67.

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Tests 77 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 5 in 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 (dry braking)

Blizzak WS90

Winter

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 64 · 21 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)7983
    Reviews found online4954
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%90%
  2. 67

    Wet

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)7065
    Reviews found online6270
    Wet Braking (% of best)86%79%
  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)7969
    Reviews found online7078
    Snow Braking (% of best)99%70%
    Snow Handling (% of best)100%85%
  4. 70

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)7068
    Reviews found online7159
  5. 80

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +16
    64
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)8870
    Reviews found online6755
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    62
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Reviews found online5460
  7. 60

    Handling

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Reviews found online6063
Scores at a glance
Continental VikingContact 7 vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Relative Score 67 67
Dry 67 72
Wet 67 67
Snow 76 73
Comfort 70 65
Noise 80 64
Treadwear 59 62
Handling 60 63

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Blizzak WS90

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +9.8 Different tests
Ice Braking Ice 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Ice Traction Ice 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 57% #4/6 · 2023 Moottori Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires −42.9 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #5/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +29.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +14.3 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +6.3 Different tests
Subj. Noise Subj 100% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 91% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +9.4 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 86% #6/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +6.4 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 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13445
Rim diameters14″ – 22″15″ – 19″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi44 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

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

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 80 vs 64 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 70 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 72 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 76 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

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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.

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

67

Too close to call

VikingContact 7

Amazon