tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — 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 33 + 33 owner reviews. How we score

VikingContact 7 leads, 69–66 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Continental VikingContact 7
Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

± 5

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 62 · 33 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. 66

    Dry

    VikingContact 7 +17
    49
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7747
    Reviews found online5153

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 50.7 = 66

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 52.9 = 49

  2. 67

    Wet

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests6966
    Reviews found online6672

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.7 + 40% × 65.7 = 67

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 72.3 = 68

  3. 76

    Snow

    Level
    76
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests7974
    Reviews found online7280

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 79 + 40% × 72.2 = 76

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 79.8 = 76

  4. 70

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7069
    Reviews found online7162

    VikingContact 7: 40% × 70.1 + 60% × 70.5 = 70

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 61.9 = 65

  5. 80

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests8772
    Reviews found online6863

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 87 + 40% × 68.3 = 80

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 62.8 = 69

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +11
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5674

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.8 = 71

    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 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic 12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6465
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 69 66
Dry 66 49
Wet 67 68
Snow 76 76
Comfort 70 65
Noise 80 69
Treadwear 60 71
Handling (owners) 64 65
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

Altimax Arctic 12

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 1 times and General Altimax Arctic 12 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic 12ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/15 #6/15 – 1–0 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 Altimax Arctic 12

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in heavy snow, slush, and ice
  • Excellent value and affordable price point compared to premium winter tires
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability across multiple winter seasons

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, which can increase as the tires wear
  • Slightly soft, squishy, or vague handling characteristics on dry pavement
  • Higher rolling resistance resulting in a minor decrease in fuel economy
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic 12 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13438
Rim diameters14″ – 22″15″ – 19″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″12/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi51 psi
Sizes in common3434

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

General Altimax Arctic 12

Narrow edge: Continental VikingContact 7 — better dry, noise and comfort. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 66 vs 49 on dry.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 80 vs 69 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 71 vs 60 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 70 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental VikingContact 7, 66 vs 49 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 76 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental VikingContact 7, 80 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental VikingContact 7, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 71 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