Tests 74 · 7 tests Owners 75 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (fuel consumption)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
UltraGrip 9+ leads, 75–74 Narrow edge
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Tests 74 · 5 tests Owners 77 · 6 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test (ice braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
74
Dry
VikingContact 8 +767Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) 76 60 Reviews found online 72 78 Dry Braking (% of best) 69% 95% Dry Handling (% of best) 93% 98% -
69
Wet
UltraGrip 9+ +1584Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) 62 85 Reviews found online 80 81 Wet Braking (% of best) 87% 87% Wet Handling (% of best) 98% 99% -
78
Snow
UltraGrip 9+ +179Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) 79 84 Reviews found online 76 72 Snow Braking (% of best) 100% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) 86% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 97% -
88
Comfort
VikingContact 8 +1276Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) 94 77 Reviews found online 79 76 -
78
Noise
VikingContact 8 +1464Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) 78 63 Reviews found online 77 – -
70
Treadwear
UltraGrip 9+ +474Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Professional tests (TWG score) – 71 Reviews found online 73 79 -
74
Handling
Level74Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 UltraGrip 9+ Reviews found online 74 74
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental VikingContact 8 | Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 75 |
| Dry | 74 | 67 |
| Wet | 69 | 84 |
| Snow | 78 | 79 |
| Comfort | 88 | 76 |
| Noise | 78 | 64 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 74 |
| Handling | 74 | 74 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
VikingContact 8
75
/ 100
UltraGrip 9+
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 8 | UltraGrip 9+ | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 69% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 95% #11/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −26.0 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 93% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 98% #9/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | −4.8 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 87% #9/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +7.2 | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 100% #1/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 98% #3/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test | +1.8 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 89% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test | −10.6 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 99% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 97% #10/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +2.3 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 100% #1/7 · 2025 Moottori Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 33% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | +66.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.5 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #4/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | −10.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #7/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test | +3.0 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 74% #19/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 96% #4/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −21.8 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 90% #2/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | −10.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 80% #5/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | +20.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Snow Handling | Subj | 100% #7/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 90% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | +10.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 89% #3/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 50% #7/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | +38.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 87% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 87% #9/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | −0.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | −1.1 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A VikingContact 8
Pros
- Exceptional ice and snow traction that rivals studded tires
- High level of ride comfort and ability to soak up potholes
- Very low noise levels and quiet operation
Cons
- Slightly loose grip or slipping behavior on completely dry roads
- Lack of steering feel and a noticeable gap in response on straightaways
- Occasional underperformance reports regarding rear-end stability at low speeds on specific SUVs
Tire B UltraGrip 9+
Pros
- Excellent wet and cold weather grip
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise
- Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors
Cons
- Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
- Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
- Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental VikingContact 8 | B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 123 | 19 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | 14″ – 16″ |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 8
75
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Too close to call: Continental VikingContact 8 and Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ are within 2 points overall. Continental VikingContact 8 is stronger on noise, comfort and dry. Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ is stronger on wet and treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 84 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 78 vs 64 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 88 vs 76 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 74 vs 67 on dry.
Tire A · Continental VikingContact 8
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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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.