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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Pirelli Scorpion Winter — 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 + 3 road tests and 32 + 20 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: VikingContact 7 69, Scorpion Winter 70.

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Continental VikingContact 7
Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

± 5

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 63 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)

Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Tire BPirelli

Scorpion Winter

Winter

± 6

Tests 72 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    Scorpion Winter +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 3 tests7776
    Reviews found online5367

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 52.7 = 67

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 67 = 72

  2. 68

    Wet

    Scorpion Winter +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 3 tests6871
    Reviews found online6775

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.4 + 40% × 66.5 = 68

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 75.4 = 73

  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +5
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 3 tests7969
    Reviews found online7273

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 79.1 + 40% × 72.4 = 76

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 72.5 = 71

  4. 71

    Comfort

    VikingContact 7 +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7169

    VikingContact 7: 40% × 70 + 60% × 71.3 = 71

    Scorpion Winter: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 69.2 = 69

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

  5. 81

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +18
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 3 tests8967
    Reviews found online6958

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 68.8 = 81

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 67 + 40% × 58 = 63

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    Scorpion Winter +1
    61
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5658

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Scorpion Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Scorpion Winter +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Reviews found online6471
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    VikingContact 7 +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 3 tests7772
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Relative Score 69 70
Dry 67 72
Wet 68 73
Snow 76 71
Comfort 71 69
Noise 81 63
Treadwear 60 61
Handling (owners) 64 71
Efficiency 77 72

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

VikingContact 7

± 6

Scorpion Winter

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 7Scorpion WinterΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 97% #4/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 88% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 87% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 90% #3/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 96% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 86% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 69% #5/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test 80% #6/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #2/7 2025 Autobild Pirelli All-Terrain Tire Test R19 – 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 Scorpion Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional wet grip and resistance to aquaplaning
  • Strong dry road handling and high-speed stability
  • Comfortable and quiet ride quality for highway cruising

Cons

  • Reduced performance on mud, heavy slush, and hard ice
  • Faster tread wear, particularly when driven in warmer temperatures
  • Vague high-speed handling at extreme velocities (over 130 mph)
All owner themes in the Scorpion Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available13488
Rim diameters14″ – 22″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common5151

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Pirelli Scorpion Winter

Too close to call: Continental VikingContact 7 and Pirelli Scorpion Winter are within 2 points overall. Continental VikingContact 7 is stronger on noise, snow and efficiency. Pirelli Scorpion Winter is stronger on handling, dry and wet.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 81 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 71 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 76 vs 71 on snow.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 77 vs 72 on efficiency.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
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VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Scorpion Winter, 73 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Scorpion Winter, 72 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Continental VikingContact 7, 76 vs 71 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Continental VikingContact 7, 81 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 69 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 60 vs 61 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, VikingContact 7 or Scorpion Winter?

Continental VikingContact 7, 77 vs 72 on our efficiency 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