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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Pirelli Scorpion Winter — Compared

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

Scorpion Winter leads, 69–66 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 60 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BPirelli

Scorpion Winter

Winter

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 69 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Scorpion Winter +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)7675
    Reviews found online4968
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%99%
  2. 66

    Wet

    Scorpion Winter +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)6971
    Reviews found online6275
    Wet Braking (% of best)70%87%
    Wet Handling (% of best)95%96%
  3. 75

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)7969
    Reviews found online7071
    Snow Braking (% of best)100%95%
    Snow Handling (% of best)98%96%
    Snow Traction (% of best)98%95%
  4. 70

    Comfort

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7170
  5. 79

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +14
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)8667
    Reviews found online6762
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    Scorpion Winter +4
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Reviews found online5461
  7. 60

    Handling

    Scorpion Winter +11
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Scorpion Winter
    Reviews found online6071
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Relative Score 66 69
Dry 65 72
Wet 66 72
Snow 75 70
Comfort 70 70
Noise 79 65
Treadwear 59 63
Handling 60 71

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
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Important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

VikingContact 7

Scorpion Winter

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.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Scorpion WinterΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 96% #12/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test −3.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 97% #4/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Noise Other 100% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 99% #4/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test +0.9 Different tests
Price Other 69% #5/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test 80% #6/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test −11.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test 50% #2/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test +50.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test +4.8 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 96% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test +1.5 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 98% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test +2.9 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 92% #8/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 94% #7/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 70% #9/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 87% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test −17.3 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 95% #8/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test −1.4 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

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Pirelli Scorpion Winter

Winner: Pirelli Scorpion Winter — better handling, dry and wet. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if noise and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental VikingContact 7 scores 79 vs 65 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 71 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 72 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 72 vs 66 on wet.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
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Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
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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.

69

Narrow edge

Scorpion Winter

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