Tests 74 · 7 tests Owners 75 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
VikingContact 8 leads, 74–70 Narrow edge
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Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 74 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 7 in 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test (subj. wet handling)
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 +371Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) 76 70 Reviews found online 72 73 Dry Braking (% of best) 98% 94% Dry Circle (% of best) 94% 97% Dry Handling (% of best) 93% 98% -
69
Wet
Wintrac Pro plus +1685Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) 62 89 Reviews found online 80 78 Wet Braking (% of best) 87% 91% Wet Circle (% of best) 85% 99% Wet Handling (% of best) 93% 97% -
78
Snow
VikingContact 8 +573Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) 79 72 Reviews found online 76 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 98% 77% Snow Handling (% of best) 86% 92% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 95% -
88
Comfort
VikingContact 8 +1276Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) 94 77 Reviews found online 79 73 -
78
Noise
VikingContact 8 +2058Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) 78 52 Reviews found online 77 – -
70
Treadwear
VikingContact 8 +2248Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Professional tests (TWG score) – 34 Reviews found online 73 69 -
74
Handling
Wintrac Pro plus +276Why this score
Source VikingContact 8 Wintrac Pro plus Reviews found online 74 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental VikingContact 8 | Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 70 |
| Dry | 74 | 71 |
| Wet | 69 | 85 |
| Snow | 78 | 73 |
| Comfort | 88 | 76 |
| Noise | 78 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 48 |
| Handling | 74 | 76 |
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
74
/ 100
VikingContact 8
70
/ 100
Wintrac Pro plus
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 | Wintrac Pro plus | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 94% #6/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test | +4.2 | Different tests |
| Dry Circle | Dry | 94% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | −2.3 | Same test |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 93% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 98% #9/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test | −4.8 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 80% #6/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test | +14.6 | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 99% #3/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 93% #14/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 | +6.2 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 89% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 89% #13/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 | +0.7 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 95% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 83% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +11.3 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 100% #4/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 97% #10/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 | +3.0 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 86% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 10% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +75.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 77% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +20.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 92% #8/8 · 2025 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test | −5.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 95% #6/8 · 2025 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test | +5.2 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 73% #10/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 90% #8/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 | −17.6 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 90% #2/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 84% #18/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +6.3 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 80% #5/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #3/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | −20.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Noise | Subj | 97% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 88% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +9.4 | Same test |
| Subj. Road Score | Subj | 91% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 85% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +6.1 | Same test |
| Subj. Snow Handling | Subj | 100% #1/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 64% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +35.7 | Different tests |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 60% #6/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 98% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test | −37.5 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 87% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 91% #8/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test | −4.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 85% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −14.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 93% #3/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 97% #6/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −4.2 | 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 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?
74
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 8
70
/ 100
Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus
Winner: Continental VikingContact 8 — better treadwear, noise and comfort. Pick the Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus if wet matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 70 vs 48 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 78 vs 58 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus scores 85 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 88 vs 76 on comfort.
Tire A · Continental VikingContact 8
Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac Pro plus
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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.