tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs General Altimax Arctic — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 8 + 0 road tests and 32 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

VikingContact 7 is ahead, 68–59

Check price on Amazon · VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic 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

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 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. 66

    Dry

    VikingContact 7 +9
    57
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests76≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online4951

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 49.4 = 66

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 66

    Wet

    VikingContact 7 +4
    62
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests68≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6260

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.4 + 40% × 62.1 = 66

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 75

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +16
    59
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests79≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7052

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 70.1 = 75

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +10
    60
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7151

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

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

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

  5. 80

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +18
    62
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests88≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6854

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.1 + 40% × 68.1 = 80

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

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

  6. 59

    Treadwear

    VikingContact 7 +2
    57
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online5450

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62 (est.) + 40% × 54 = 59

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    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 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 60

    Handling (owners)

    VikingContact 7 +11
    49
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Altimax Arctic
    Reviews found online6049
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7General Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 68 59
Dry 66 57
Wet 66 62
Snow 75 59
Comfort 70 60
Noise 80 62
Treadwear 59 57
Handling (owners) 60 49

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
Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Altimax Arctic

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

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · General Altimax Arctic
CategoryWinterWinter Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1341
Rim diameters14″ – 22″17″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

General Altimax Arctic

Winner: Continental VikingContact 7 — better noise, snow and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 80 vs 62 on noise.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 75 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 60 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 70 vs 60 on comfort.

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

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

VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic?

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

Continental VikingContact 7, 66 vs 62 on our wet score.

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

Continental VikingContact 7, 66 vs 57 on our dry score.

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

Continental VikingContact 7, 75 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental VikingContact 7, 80 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental VikingContact 7, 70 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Altimax Arctic?

Neither, by our numbers: 59 vs 57 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