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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — 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 + 1 road tests and 32 + 21 owner reviews. How we score

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

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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

    Blizzak WS90 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7785
    Reviews found online5355

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

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

  2. 68

    Wet

    VikingContact 7 +1
    67
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests6865
    Reviews found online6769

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

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

  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7969
    Reviews found online7279

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

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

  4. 71

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +10
    61
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7068
    Reviews found online7156

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

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

  5. 81

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +18
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests8970
    Reviews found online6952

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

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

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +1
    61
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5658

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

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

    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 WS90. 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 +2
    62
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Reviews found online6462
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Relative Score 69 68
Dry 67 73
Wet 68 67
Snow 76 73
Comfort 71 61
Noise 81 63
Treadwear 60 61
Handling (owners) 64 62
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
± 5

VikingContact 7

± 7

Blizzak WS90

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, Continental VikingContact 7 finished ahead 0 times and Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Blizzak WS90ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/15 #1/15 – 0–1 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 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
Sizes in common3737

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.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 81 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 71 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 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
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Check price on Amazon

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VikingContact 7 or Blizzak WS90?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak WS90?

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

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak WS90?

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

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Blizzak WS90?

Neither, by our numbers: 60 vs 61 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