Tests 86 · 3 tests Owners 80 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 3 in 2025 Autobild EV All Season Mini-Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook iON FlexClimate vs Continental VikingContact 8 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
iON FlexClimate is ahead, 83–73
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Tests 74 · 7 tests Owners 75 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
89
Dry
iON FlexClimate +1574Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 96 75 Reviews found online 79 72 Dry Braking (% of best) 99% 98% Dry Handling (% of best) 100% 93% -
89
Wet
iON FlexClimate +2168Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 93 60 Reviews found online 82 80 Wet Braking (% of best) 100% 83% Wet Circle (% of best) 100% 85% Wet Handling (% of best) 100% 98% -
79
Snow
iON FlexClimate +178Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 81 79 Reviews found online 77 76 Snow Braking (% of best) 99% 98% Snow Handling (% of best) 96% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 96% -
74
Comfort
VikingContact 8 +1488Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 94 Reviews found online 79 79 -
72
Noise
VikingContact 8 +678Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 76 78 Reviews found online – 77 -
79
Treadwear
iON FlexClimate +970Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 – Reviews found online 80 73 -
81
Handling
iON FlexClimate +774Why this score
Source iON FlexClimate VikingContact 8 Reviews found online 81 74
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook iON FlexClimate | Continental VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 73 |
| Dry | 89 | 74 |
| Wet | 89 | 68 |
| Snow | 79 | 78 |
| Comfort | 74 | 88 |
| Noise | 72 | 78 |
| Treadwear | 79 | 70 |
| Handling | 81 | 74 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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
83
/ 100
iON FlexClimate
73
/ 100
VikingContact 8
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 | iON FlexClimate | VikingContact 8 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% #2/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 98% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | +1.0 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #1/3 · 2025 Autobild EV All Season Mini-Test | 93% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | +6.8 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% #5/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 95% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | −4.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #3/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 99% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | +0.4 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 100% #1/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 100% #1/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 99% #4/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 98% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | +1.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 96% #5/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 100% #3/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | −3.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #6/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 96% #2/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | −1.9 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 100% #1/5 · 2025 TUV Hankook iON FlexClimate EV Report | 74% #19/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | +26.2 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 91% #3/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 100% #7/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | −8.8 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% #1/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 83% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | +17.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 100% #1/5 · 2025 TUV Hankook iON FlexClimate EV Report | 85% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | +14.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #1/8 · 2026 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test for EVs (215/55 R18) | 98% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | +2.1 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A iON FlexClimate
Pros
- Exceptionally low road noise and quiet cabin experience
- Superior ride comfort over bumpy roads
- Excellent grip and braking performance in wet and snowy winter conditions
Cons
- Slightly reduced dry grip compared to dedicated summer tires
- Some EV drivers reported a noticeable negative impact on driving range and efficiency
Tire B 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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook iON FlexClimate | B · Continental VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 15 | 123 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 20″ | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Hankook iON FlexClimate
73
/ 100
Continental VikingContact 8
Winner: Hankook iON FlexClimate — better wet, dry and treadwear. Pick the Continental VikingContact 8 if comfort and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook iON FlexClimate scores 89 vs 68 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook iON FlexClimate scores 89 vs 74 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 8 scores 88 vs 74 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook iON FlexClimate scores 79 vs 70 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook iON FlexClimate
Tire B · Continental VikingContact 8
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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.