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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV — Compared

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

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV leads, 77–74 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

VikingContact 8

Winter

Tests 74 · 7 tests Owners 75 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Winter

Tests 83 · 6 tests Owners 76 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7575
    Reviews found online7278
    Dry Braking (% of best)69%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)93%98%
  2. 68

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +13
    81
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)6081
    Reviews found online8081
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best)70%87%
    Wet Braking (% of best)87%93%
    Wet Circle (% of best)85%96%
    Wet Handling (% of best)98%100%
  3. 78

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +4
    82
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7987
    Reviews found online7676
    Snow Braking (% of best)72%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best)86%100%
    Snow Traction (% of best)100%92%
  4. 88

    Comfort

    VikingContact 8 +15
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)94–
    Reviews found online7976
  5. 78

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +10
    88
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7899
    Reviews found online7772
    Exterior Noise (% of best)98%99%
  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Reviews found online7374
  7. 74

    Handling

    VikingContact 8 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Reviews found online7473
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 8Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Relative Score 74 77
Dry 74 76
Wet 68 81
Snow 78 82
Comfort 88 73
Noise 78 88
Treadwear 70 70
Handling 74 73

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

VikingContact 8

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

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 8Pilot Alpin 5 SUVΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 69% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 100% #2/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −31.2 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 93% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 98% #6/7 · 2023 AMS SUV Winter Tyre Test −4.8 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 96% #3/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −1.8 Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 98% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 99% #3/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −0.4 Different tests
Noise Other 100% #4/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −0.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/15 · 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 71% #3/7 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Winter Tire Test R18 +28.6 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 72% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test −26.7 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 86% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −13.8 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 92% #7/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 +8.2 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 74% #19/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test −21.2 Different tests
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 70% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 87% #7/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −17.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 93% #4/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −6.0 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 85% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/7 · 2023 AMS SUV Winter Tyre Test −10.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 98% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 −2.1 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
All owner themes in the VikingContact 8 review

Tire B Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and handling on wet and slushy roads
  • High tread life and durability over long distances
  • Excellent dry road comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Abrupt loss of grip when reaching the limit on hard-packed snow
  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Performance can feel less predictable than dedicated Nordic winter tires in extreme ice/snow conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 SUV review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 8 B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available12371
Rim diameters15″ – 22″17″ – 23″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 8

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV — better wet, noise and snow. Pick the Continental VikingContact 8 if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental VikingContact 8 scores 88 vs 73 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 81 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 88 vs 78 on noise.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 82 vs 78 on snow.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 8
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
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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.

77

Narrow edge

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Amazon