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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Continental CrossContact LX25 — 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 + 26 owner reviews. How we score

CrossContact LX25 leads, 73–69 Narrow edge

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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

    CrossContact LX25 +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7770
    Reviews found online5384

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 83.5 = 76

  2. 68

    Wet

    CrossContact LX25 +12
    80
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests68≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online6784

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 77.9 (est.) + 40% × 83.6 = 80

    No road tests of wet for CrossContact LX25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +23
    53
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7940
    Reviews found online7272

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 40.3 + 40% × 72.2 = 53

  4. 71

    Comfort

    CrossContact LX25 +6
    77
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7180

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

    CrossContact LX25: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 80.2 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for CrossContact LX25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 81

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests89≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6978

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 71

    No road tests of noise for CrossContact LX25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    CrossContact LX25 +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5676

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 72

    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 CrossContact LX25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    CrossContact LX25 +15
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Reviews found online6479
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Continental CrossContact LX25
Relative Score 69 73
Dry 67 76
Wet 68 80
Snow 76 53
Comfort 71 77
Noise 81 71
Treadwear 60 72
Handling (owners) 64 79
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
Neutral
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

CrossContact LX25

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.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7CrossContact LX25ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 93% #2/3 · Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental CrossContact LX25 vs Goodyear WeatherReady – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 68% #3/3 · Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental CrossContact LX25 vs Goodyear WeatherReady – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #2/3 Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental CrossContact LX25 vs Goodyear WeatherReady – 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 CrossContact LX25

Pros

  • Extremely quiet and smooth ride quality at all speeds
  • Significantly improved wet and snow traction
  • Enhanced braking performance and responsiveness

Cons

  • Tends to pick up and throw gravel from the road surface
  • Can feel a bit harsh or firm when hitting deep potholes
  • Occasional reports of unexpectedly rapid treadwear in rare instances
All owner themes in the CrossContact LX25 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Continental CrossContact LX25
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available13440
Rim diameters14″ – 22″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10 - 12/32″
UTQG—740 A A - B
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure44 - 51 psi44 - 51 psi
Sizes in common3131

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Continental CrossContact LX25

Narrow edge: Continental CrossContact LX25 — better handling, wet and treadwear. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if snow and noise matter most to you.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 76 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental CrossContact LX25 scores 79 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental CrossContact LX25 scores 80 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental CrossContact LX25 scores 72 vs 60 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
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Tire B · Continental CrossContact LX25
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VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental CrossContact LX25, 80 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental CrossContact LX25, 76 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental VikingContact 7, 76 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental VikingContact 7, 81 vs 71 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental CrossContact LX25, 77 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or CrossContact LX25?

Continental CrossContact LX25, 72 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