Continental VikingContact 8 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 89% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 79 · 12 reviews analysed Road tests 74 · 8 tests
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Continental VikingContact 8 has a Relative Score of 76 out of 100 among winter tires. In 12 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 6 times and in the top three 9 times. Testers rate it best for comfort (91) and weakest for wet (63). 12 owner reviews rate it 79 out of 100. 88% would buy it again.
- Strength: Comfort 91 — 2nd of 20 (2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter tire Test), 7th of 18 (2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test)
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
79/100From 12 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
74/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 12 owner reviews found online.
The Continental VikingContact 8 is widely praised as an exceptional winter tire, offering outstanding grip and confidence-inspiring handling in snow, slush, and particularly on ice. Users frequently highlight its impressive ride comfort and low noise levels, though a small minority note minor compromises in dry handling and initial steering response.
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
- Strong performance in wet and slushy conditions
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
Worth knowing
- One user driving a 2026 VW Tiguan reported underwhelming low-speed rear-end stability on dry or mixed surfaces, comparing it unfavorably to studded alternatives.
13 published test appearances (8 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2027 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 215/65R17
1st of 7
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: NAF Motor
2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17
6th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Wet Circle | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 10 | |
| Ice Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 6th of 10 | |
| Ice Traction | 8th of 10 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 6th of 10 | |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | 7th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Circle | 7th of 10 |
Source: Tire Rack
2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
7th of 18
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Aquaplaning | 10th of 18 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 7th of 18 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 9th of 18 | |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | 8th of 18 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 8th of 18 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 7th of 18 | |
| Dry Lane Change | 9th of 18 | |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | 7th of 18 |
Source: Teknikens Värld
2026 Tire Rack New Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17
2nd of 3
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 3 | |
| Wet Circle | 2nd of 3 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 3 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 3 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 3 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 3 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 1st of 3 | |
| Ice Traction | 3rd of 3 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 2nd of 3 | |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | 2nd of 3 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 3 | |
| Dry Circle | 2nd of 3 |
Source: Tire Rack
2025 Friction Winter tire Test · 235/60 R18
1st of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 1st of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 3rd of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 3rd of 8 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 8th of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
6th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Aquaplaning | 19th of 20 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 2nd of 20 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 6th of 20 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 1st of 20 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 1st of 20 | |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | 4th of 20 |
2025 Friction and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
1st of 14
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 14 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 14 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 14 | |
| Snow Braking | 2nd of 14 | |
| Snow Traction | 1st of 14 | |
| Ice Braking | 2nd of 14 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 14 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 3rd of 14 | |
| Ice Traction | 1st of 14 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 5th of 14 |
Source: Tekniikan Maailma
2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
2nd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Braking | 4th of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Exterior Noise | 5th of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 5th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 3rd of 8 |
Source: NAF Motor
2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17
1st of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Teknikens Värld
2025 UTAC Ivalo Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
1st of 9
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: UTAC Ivalo
2025 Moottori Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
1st of 7
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Moottori
2024 Nordic Friction Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
2nd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 7th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 5th of 8 | |
| Noise | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 3rd of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 3rd of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
The Best Studded / Friction Winter tires for 2024 · 225/50 R17
3rd of 17
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Continental VikingContact 8 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi |
| EU label: wet grip | D |
| EU label: energy | B in 65% of sizes |
| EU label: external noise | 68–72 dB |
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