tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 — Compared

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

Hakkapeliitta R5 is ahead, 71–66

Check price on Amazon · Hakkapeliitta R5 or VikingContact 7 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.

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 (subj. comfort)

Tire BNokian

Hakkapeliitta R5

Winter

Tests 69 · 12 tests Owners 73 · 22 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 5 in 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 (subj. comfort)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Hakkapeliitta R5 +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7670
    Reviews found online4971
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests90%90%
    Subj. Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests75%65%
  2. 66

    Wet

    VikingContact 7 +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Professional tests (TWG score)6953
    Reviews found online6273
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test80%80%
    Straight Aqua (% of best) · 1 shared test95%93%
    Subj. Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test70%70%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests75%70%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests90%84%
  3. 75

    Snow

    Hakkapeliitta R5 +4
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7979
    Reviews found online7078
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests80%85%
    Ice Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests90%86%
    Ice Traction (% of best) · 3 shared tests85%86%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests90%95%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests97%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 3 shared tests93%89%
    Deep Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test100%70%
  4. 70

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +8
    62
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7052
    Reviews found online7176
    Subj. Comfort (% of best) · 1 shared test100%100%
  5. 79

    Noise

    Hakkapeliitta R5 +7
    86
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Professional tests (TWG score)8698
    Reviews found online6768
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test100%99%
    Exterior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test100%100%
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    Hakkapeliitta R5 +8
    67
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Reviews found online5468
  7. 60

    Handling

    Hakkapeliitta R5 +19
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Hakkapeliitta R5
    Reviews found online6079
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
Relative Score 66 71
Dry 65 70
Wet 66 61
Snow 75 79
Comfort 70 62
Noise 79 86
Treadwear 59 67
Handling 60 79

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Hakkapeliitta R5

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 7Hakkapeliitta R5ΔHead-to-head
Subj. Comfort Comfort 100% 100% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Dry Braking Dry 90% 90% 0.0 0–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Subj. Dry Handling Dry 75% 65% +10.0 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 96% 98% −2.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% 100% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16
Noise Noise 100% 99% +0.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test
Exterior Noise Noise 100% 100% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16
Subj. Noise Noise 100% #1/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 #4/15 – 7–1 in 8 shared tests Newest: 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17
Ice Braking Snow 80% 85% −5.0 0–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Ice Handling Snow 90% 86% +4.3 2–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Ice Traction Snow 85% 86% −1.3 0–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Snow Braking Snow 90% 95% −5.0 0–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Snow Handling Snow 97% 97% −0.1 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Snow Traction Snow 93% 89% +3.4 2–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Deep Snow Traction Snow 100% 70% +30.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 80% 80% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Straight Aqua Wet 95% 93% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test
Subj. Wet Handling Wet 70% 70% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16
Wet Braking Wet 75% 70% +5.0 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16
Wet Handling Wet 90% 84% +5.7 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16

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 Hakkapeliitta R5

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and braking on snow and packed ice
  • Significantly lower road noise and higher comfort than traditional studded tires
  • Good fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance

Cons

  • Reduced stability and wandering feel at high speeds on dry pavement
  • Occasional unexpected sliding or lack of confidence in heavy slush
  • Potential concerns regarding sidewall strength or vulnerability to pothole damage
All owner themes in the Hakkapeliitta R5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13460
Rim diameters14″ – 22″14″ – 20″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10.5/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5

Winner: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 — better handling, treadwear and noise. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if comfort and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 scores 79 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 70 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 scores 67 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 scores 86 vs 79 on noise.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
Check price on Amazon

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

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.

71

Leads

Hakkapeliitta R5

Amazon