Tests 74 · 8 tests Owners 79 · 12 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus — 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 + 12 road tests and 12 + 3 owner reviews. How we score
VikingContact 8 leads, 76–73 Narrow edge
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.
Tests 69 · 12 tests Owners 75 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 30 in 2026 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 50 Sets (snow braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
VikingContact 8 +372Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 10 tests 75 70 Reviews found online 75 74 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 84% 90% Dry Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 97% VikingContact 8: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 75.2 = 75
Wintrac Pro plus: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 73.8 = 72
-
72
Wet
Wintrac Pro plus +1587Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 12 tests 63 91 Reviews found online 85 80 Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 79% 93% Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 85% 96% VikingContact 8: 60% × 63 + 40% × 84.9 = 72
Wintrac Pro plus: 60% × 91.5 + 40% × 79.7 = 87
-
78
Snow
VikingContact 8 +375Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 12 tests 77 75 Reviews found online 80 76 Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 89% 73% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 95% 83% Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 73% 77% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 86% 91% Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 56% 64% VikingContact 8: 60% × 77.4 + 40% × 79.9 = 78
Wintrac Pro plus: 60% × 74.9 + 40% × 76.2 = 75
-
85
Comfort
VikingContact 8 +778Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 5 tests 91 85 Reviews found online 82 73 Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 97% VikingContact 8: 40% × 91.1 + 60% × 81.7 = 85
Wintrac Pro plus: 40% × 84.6 + 60% × 72.9 = 78
-
80
Noise
VikingContact 8 +1862Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 9 tests 79 60 Reviews found online 81 ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 97% 88% VikingContact 8: 60% × 78.8 + 40% × 81.3 = 80
Wintrac Pro plus: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 62
No owner ratings of noise for Wintrac Pro plus. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
73
Treadwear
VikingContact 8 +2350Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 37 Reviews found online 77 70 VikingContact 8: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77.1 = 73
Wintrac Pro plus: 60% × 37.2 + 40% × 70 = 50
No road tests of treadwear for VikingContact 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
76
Handling (owners)
Wintrac Pro plus +177Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Reviews found online 76 77 -
78
Efficiency
VikingContact 8 +4137Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 8 tests 78 37
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental VikingContact 8 | Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 73 |
| Dry | 75 | 72 |
| Wet | 72 | 87 |
| Snow | 78 | 75 |
| Comfort | 85 | 78 |
| Noise | 80 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 76 | 77 |
| Efficiency | 78 | 37 |
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
76
/ 100
VikingContact 8
73
/ 100
Wintrac Pro plus
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Continental VikingContact 8 finished ahead 1 times and Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | VikingContact 8 | Wintrac Pro plus | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 84% | 90% | −5.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Dry Circle | Dry | 94% | 97% | −2.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 93% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 99% #11/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #3/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 73% #10/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 99% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 79% | 93% | −13.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 85% | 96% | −10.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #3/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 60% #9/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 98% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 89% | 73% | +16.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 95% | 83% | +11.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 73% | 77% | −4.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% | 91% | −4.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | Snow | 56% | 64% | −8.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 96% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 97% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 100% | 97% | +3.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 98% #14/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 97% | 88% | +9.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 99% #8/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 93% #14/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 85% #20/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | Other | 91% | 85% | +6.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/10 | #10/10 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A VikingContact 8
Pros
- Exceptional traction and grip on ice and hard-packed snow
- High level of ride comfort, effectively soaking up potholes and rough roads
- Remarkably quiet operation with minimal tread noise
Cons
- Slightly soft cornering feel
- Noticeable gap in steering response and lack of feel on straightaways
- Occasional slip reported on really dry roads at low speeds
Tire B Wintrac Pro plus
Pros
- Excellent quietness and stability on heavy electric vehicles
- Strong performance in cold wet and cold dry conditions
- Long-lasting tread life under demanding vehicle weights
Cons
- Pricing compared to alternative options like the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
- Some users question the performance jump of dedicated winter tires over top-tier all-season tires
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental VikingContact 8 | B · Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 123 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 8
73
/ 100
Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus
Narrow edge: Continental VikingContact 8 — better efficiency, treadwear and noise. Pick the Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus if wet matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 78 vs 37 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 73 vs 50 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 80 vs 62 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus scores 87 vs 72 on wet.
Tire A · Continental VikingContact 8
Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus, 87 vs 72 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 75 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 78 vs 75 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 80 vs 62 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 85 vs 78 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 73 vs 50 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, VikingContact 8 or Wintrac Pro plus?
Continental VikingContact 8, 78 vs 37 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