Continental Tires is synonymous with cutting-edge expertise in tire technology thanks to its premium portfolio in the car, truck, bus, two-wheeler, and special tires categories.

When temperatures drop below freezing, accompanied by snow and ice, whether or not you have all-wheel drive you have to think about winter tires. Winter tires are not only for people who live in cold regions or at high elevations; if you live in an area that has snowfall, investing in a set of winter tires is worthwhile.

The Continental VikingContact 7 is a winter tire which is designed for use on passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks. These winter tires give drivers excellent traction and stopping strength on icy and snowy roads.

However, is it the best tire for your car and your budget? Let's take a look at a review of Continental VikingContact 7 to see if it's the right tire for you.

Features and Benefits

Winter tires should be used when the outside temperature drops to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. In these cases, drivers who frequently travel on chilly, rainy, slick, and snow-covered roads need tires that can resist such conditions. You can choose whether to buy these tires by learning the features and benefits of the Continental VikingContact 7.

• Excellent winter traction: The tire is made from a unique winter weather rubber compound combination that uses silica and rapeseed oil to keep the rubber flexible in cooler temperatures. The silica compound improves wet grip and braking performance, while the rapeseed oil composition offers excellent snow and ice resistance. A symmetrical siping detail with a range of siping thickness and form is featured on the tread. Grip edges of the tread blocks improve snow traction by grasping onto the snow-covered road's surface and extending the tire's surface contact area. Above all, the interlocked block bridges and snow pockets in the tread boost a winter driving performance.
• Reduced Hydroplaning: By distributing water and slush from below the footprint, the optimized block pattern of the tread aids reduce hydroplaning. By doing so, the tire is able to perform better on slick and rainy road surfaces, ensuring high levels of driving experience.
• Enhanced Controllability: Moreover, the tread's strong connections and interlocking block bridges keep the tread stable when driving, maintaining the tire's touch with the road throughout its performance. This greatly improves both the stability and responsiveness of the steering. In reaction to the driver's orders, the steering gets quicker and more accurate, and the structure is stabilized against the driving pressure that affects the model.
• Powerful handling: High-density siping is incorporated into the shoulder tread block pattern as well, increasing the amount of biting edges that are able to cling to the road. As a result, the tire’s power and abilities for turning and maneuvering increase. At the time of braking, friction happens between the tire and the road surface thanks to the 3D Trapez Sipes and the strategically placed snow edges of the tread blocks. This reduces the braking distance and the stopping performance in winter weather also improves.
• Longer lasting tread life: The VikingContact 7 has stabilized components in the tread to stop uneven wear patterns from occurring throughout the tread area. The robust connections and interlocking block bridges guarantee structural stability and uniform pressure distribution along the tread area. There is even distribution of acceleration, cornering, and braking forces which prevents uneven wear and increases service life.

Pros and Cons

So, is it a good fit for your passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks? Before giving our final opinion, let's first look at its Pros and Cons:

• Winter tire tread pattern to improve traction on icy roads and during severe winter weather
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for use in cold weather ranging from moderate to severe winter weather conditions
• Nordic tread compound boosts traction on wet roads
• Grooves within the tread remove water and slush from the tread and reduce the risk of hydroplaning
• Interlocking blocks offer stability on snow covered roads
• Added biting edges offer powerful traction
• Backed by Continental's Total Confidence Plan

Despite having all of these features and benefits, the Continental VikingContact 7 tire could be better in some areas, such as:

• Cannot be used when temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit
• Not backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty
• Unable to be pinned with studs to further enhance grip (where permitted) in severe winter weather conditions

SimpleTire’s view on Continental VikingContact 7 tires

If you're looking for a unique winter tire, the Continental VikingContact 7 is a good choice. Consider VikingContact 7 tires if you seek excellent traction and performance in slick, icy and snowy situations.

In comparison to the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, the Continental VikingContact 7 offers superior traction, tread life, handling, and performance.

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 has a higher score because of its superior handling and tire life, but it has less traction than VikingContact 7. In addition, VikingContact 7 is less expensive than the other two tires.

With the Continental VikingContact 7, drivers can expect superb winter traction, handling, and control. Overall, the VikingContact 7 is an excellent choice for winter tires because of its excellent performance in difficult winter weather conditions and low cost.

Vehicles the Continental VikingContact 7 is a good replacement tire for

The Continental VikingContact 7 is a premium tire for passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks. Even though it is not used as original equipment, the Continental VikingContact 7 is a great replacement tire for vehicles like the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Caravan, Ford Windstar, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia sportage, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Forester, and Toyota Sienna.