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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Michelin Alpin A4 — Compared

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

Alpin A4 is ahead, 78–66

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Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 32 reviews

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

Tire BMichelin

Alpin A4

Winter

Tests 73 · 1 test Owners 83 · 54 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (wet braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Alpin A4 +13
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7675
    Reviews found online4982
  2. 66

    Wet

    Alpin A4 +14
    80
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score)6975
    Reviews found online6287
  3. 75

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7969
    Reviews found online7082
  4. 70

    Comfort

    Alpin A4 +7
    77
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7184
  5. 79

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Professional tests (TWG score)86–
    Reviews found online67–
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    Alpin A4 +16
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Reviews found online5481
  7. 60

    Handling

    Alpin A4 +26
    86
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Alpin A4
    Reviews found online6086
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Michelin Alpin A4
Relative Score 66 78
Dry 65 78
Wet 66 80
Snow 75 74
Comfort 70 77
Noise 79 –
Treadwear 59 75
Handling 60 86

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
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Important
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Alpin A4

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 7Alpin A4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 98% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +1.9 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 88% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +11.9 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #6/16 2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 85% #7/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +14.6 Different tests
Ice Handling Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 86% #6/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +14.0 Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 89% #6/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +11.3 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 98% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +2.3 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 95% #6/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 +4.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Wet 95% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 −0.8 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 −20.0 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 99% #2/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 −18.6 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 Alpin A4

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and braking performance on snow and ice
  • High level of confidence and stability in wet, cold conditions
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Reduced steering feedback and 'numb' handling feel
  • Performance decline in dry conditions when temperatures exceed 10°C
  • Occasional reports of increased rolling resistance
All owner themes in the Alpin A4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Michelin Alpin A4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1349
Rim diameters14″ – 22″14″ – 17″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Michelin Alpin A4

Winner: Michelin Alpin A4 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 86 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 75 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 80 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Alpin A4 scores 78 vs 65 on dry.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
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Tire B · Michelin Alpin A4
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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.

78

Leads

Alpin A4

Amazon