Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 32 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 5 in 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 (ice handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental VikingContact 7 vs Michelin X-Ice North 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
X-Ice North 4 leads, 69–66 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
X-Ice North 4 +570Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 76 80 Reviews found online 49 55 Dry Braking (% of best) 80% 99% -
66
Wet
VikingContact 7 +660Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 69 58 Reviews found online 62 64 Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best) 80% 94% Wet Braking (% of best) 86% 77% Wet Handling (% of best) 100% 97% -
75
Snow
X-Ice North 4 +782Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 86 Reviews found online 70 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 100% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) 100% 99% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 99% -
70
Comfort
X-Ice North 4 +272Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 76 Reviews found online 71 67 -
79
Noise
VikingContact 7 +1960Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 86 56 Reviews found online 67 – Exterior Noise (% of best) 100% 60% -
59
Treadwear
X-Ice North 4 +968Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 54 69 -
60
Handling
X-Ice North 4 +363Why this score
Source VikingContact 7 X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 60 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental VikingContact 7 | Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 69 |
| Dry | 65 | 70 |
| Wet | 66 | 60 |
| Snow | 75 | 82 |
| Comfort | 70 | 72 |
| Noise | 79 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 59 | 68 |
| Handling | 60 | 63 |
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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
VikingContact 7
69
/ 100
X-Ice North 4
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.
| Discipline | Category | VikingContact 7 | X-Ice North 4 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 99% #2/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −19.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 97% #4/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 70% #10/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +27.4 | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 96% #4/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 95% #3/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test | +0.5 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 60% #12/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #2/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −40.0 | Different tests |
| Ice Handling | Ice | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 98% #2/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test | +1.8 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 93% #4/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test | 95% #3/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −1.4 | Different tests |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 60% #11/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +40.0 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 97% #8/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test | +1.2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 50% #12/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 46% #15/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +3.9 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 75% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 86% #2/7 · 2021 Za Rulem Studded Winter Tire Test R16 | −10.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +0.8 | Same test |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #4/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | +0.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | +0.8 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #4/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test | 81% #12/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | +14.9 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 50% #13/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | +50.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 40% #6/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 89% #8/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −48.9 | Different tests |
| Subj. Noise | Subj | 100% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 67% #19/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +33.3 | Same test |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 70% #5/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 50% #17/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | +20.0 | Different tests |
| Longitudinal Aquaplaning | Wet | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 94% #4/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −13.5 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 86% #6/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 77% #15/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +8.0 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #2/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test | 97% #8/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test | +2.5 | 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
Tire B X-Ice North 4
Pros
- Outstanding grip and traction on ice and snow
- Significantly lower road noise compared to competing studded tires
- Comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Premature stud loss reported by some users over multiple seasons
- Slightly slippery feel on rain and dry concrete
- Light studs can struggle to penetrate loose snow sitting on top of hard ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental VikingContact 7 | B · Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 134 | — |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 7
69
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice North 4
Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better treadwear, snow and dry. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if noise and wet matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental VikingContact 7 scores 79 vs 60 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 68 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 82 vs 75 on snow.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental VikingContact 7 scores 66 vs 60 on wet.
Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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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.