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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Continental WinterContact TS 850 P — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 850 P is ahead, 73–67

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Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

Tests 76 · 8 tests Owners 59 · 32 reviews

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

Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 850 P

Winter

Tests 74 · 9 tests Owners 72 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 69

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 850 P +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)8171
    Reviews found online5073
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%93%
  2. 65

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 850 P +14
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)6881
    Reviews found online6175
    Wet Braking (% of best)77%100%
    Wet Handling (% of best)80%98%
  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)7976
    Reviews found online7170
    Snow Braking (% of best)100%98%
    Snow Handling (% of best)100%96%
    Snow Traction (% of best)100%94%
  4. 71

    Comfort

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)7072
    Reviews found online7169
  5. 82

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +18
    64
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)9164
    Reviews found online6864
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 P +12
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online5470
  7. 60

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 850 P +15
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7WinterContact TS 850 P
    Reviews found online6075
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Relative Score 67 73
Dry 69 72
Wet 65 79
Snow 76 73
Comfort 71 71
Noise 82 64
Treadwear 59 71
Handling 60 75

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
Important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

WinterContact TS 850 P

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 7WinterContact TS 850 PΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 93% #13/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test +7.2 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 89% #6/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test +10.6 Different tests
Noise Other 97% #8/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −2.2 Different tests
Price Other 50% #12/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 61% #12/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test −11.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test 8% #12/13 · 2020 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 235/55 R17 +25.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 98% #4/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test +2.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #1/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #9/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test +4.5 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 94% #8/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test +5.5 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 97% #7/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test −2.0 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 90% #3/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test +10.0 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 80% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test −10.0 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 70% #5/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 90% #5/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test −20.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 77% #13/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test −22.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 98% #2/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test −18.1 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 WinterContact TS 850 P

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability in wet and dry conditions
  • Low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Predictable handling and good feedback on cold, ungritted roads

Cons

  • Faster than expected tread wear reported by some users
  • High initial purchase price
  • Mixed performance on ice and slush for certain drivers
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 850 P review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available181
Rim diameters15″ – 22″18″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 850 P — better handling, wet and treadwear. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if noise and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 82 vs 64 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 75 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 79 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 71 vs 59 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
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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.

73

Leads

WinterContact TS 850 P

Amazon