Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires

Headquartered in Hanover, Germany, and founded in 1871, Continental is renowned for its world-class technologies and cutting-edge features. It offers tires for use on passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, industrial applications, commercial vehicles, and farm equipment. It manufactures all-season, UHP all-season, UHP summer, winter, all-terrain, highway, all-weather, touring, and commercial van tires to meet the diversified vehicle needs.

Nokian, on the other hand, is headquartered in Finland and has been making tires since 1932. Among the most reliable manufacturers of winter tires, the tire manufacturer utilizes highly advanced innovations that enable it to compete with the top-tier tire brands of the world. An array of tire families like Hakkapeliitta, Nordman, Outpost, and One dominate respective niches, ensuring a great driving experience. Nokian offers winter, all-season, all-weather, all-terrain, and mud-terrain tires in the US, and caters to the needs of passenger cars, EVs, CUVs, SUVs, pickup trucks, farm applications, and industrial equipment.

Coming from Continental and Nokian, the VikingContact 8 and the Hakkapeliitta R5 are the two respective winter tires picked for the comparison here. Both studless winter tires claim to offer exceptional traction and performance on snow and ice in sub-freezing temperatures. But, which of the two winter tires is truly the one that you should consider to best align with your driving needs?

Let’s do a Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires comparison, based on our proprietary tire rating system SimpleScore, and find out which tire excels overall, and in areas like traction, handling, and longevity. So, read on!

Continental VikingContact 8 tires

The Continental VikingContact 8 is the improved and advanced avatar of the VikingContact 8 and made its debut in February 2024. This tire is suitable for use on passenger cars, plug-in hybrids, and EVs, and comes with new-gen features and technologies. The tire is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, which means it is officially approved for use in harsh winter conditions, in temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Featuring an innovative tread pattern and an advanced rubber compound, the VikingContact 8 has the ability to dominate in harsh winter conditions. Continental has made the best of its efforts to make it quieter and more comfortable, and there are advancements made to improve fuel efficiency/drive range.

Overall, the VikingContact 8 achieves an 8.8 SimpleScore, thanks to its superior traction, sharper handling response, and extended service life.

Get Continental VikingContact 8 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 was introduced in January 2022 and can be used on coupes, sedans, and minivans. This tire is also Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified and is good for use in harsh winter conditions, allowing you to confidently drive in snowy and icy conditions. Nokian has optimized it for superior ice grip, improved snow and ice handling, enhanced durability, and better ride comfort. The eco-friendly construction underlines the brand’s efforts towards sustainable product development.

Overall, the Hakkapeliitta R5 achieves an exceptional 8.3 SimpleScore, thanks to its strong traction, confident handling, and longer tread life.

Get Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires on traction

Let’s compare and analyze the traction performances of both tires in this section and find out which one has better surface-biting ability in snow and ice, and can roll better on wet, slick, and snowy roads.

Starting with the VikingContact 8, it scores an excellent 9.3 SimpleScore in traction, indicating its pure dominance on snow and ice. Thanks to its optimized tread design, featuring 3D sipes, snow edges, and three-layer sipes on the shoulder blocks, the VikingContact 8 offers increased traction on watery, slushy, snowy, and icy roads in extreme winter conditions. The high-end rubber compound of this tire is engineered for increased flexibility in low temperatures, assuring excellent traction and grip on snow and ice. Likewise, the tread design with lateral grooves forces water and slush out of the contact patch for increased traction and keeps the tread much cleaner than its competing tires. The same also ensures optimum hydroplaning resistance.

On the other hand, the Hakkapeliitta R5 earns a great 8.7 SimpleScore in traction, assuring great traction and grip on snow and ice-covered roads in extreme winter weather. The Arctic Grip Crystals and Microscopic third-generation grip crystals are used in the rubber compound to improve grip throughout the tire’s life. The double block grip design ensures a solid grip, and the advanced engineering enhances the tire’s ability to perform better in Northern winter conditions, offering better traction performance on icy, wet, and snowy roads. Additionally, the wider footprint and detailed sipes offer extra traction and grip for optimum traction performance in sub-freezing temperatures.

While both tires offer promising traction and grip, the Continental winter tire excels with a better SimpleScore.

ADVANTAGE: Continental VikingContact 8

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires on handling

Now, let’s take a look at the handling performances of both tires and find out which one is better when it comes to steering response, braking efficiency, stability, ride control, and cornering.

The VikingContact 8 is rated an 8.8 score in handling, promising great control and steering response in winter weather. The tread design is optimized to keep the noise levels in control and ensure better ride comfort. There are sipes that reduce stopping distance, assuring better braking performance on snowy and icy roads. The wide and flat contact patch provides increased stability and enhanced steering response, while the extended shoulders improve cornering performance.

Contrarily, the Hakkapeliitta R5 earns an 8.3 SimpleScore for its reliable handling in winter weather. The ride comfort of the tire is on the next level as the tire keeps the noise levels in control, whereas the Double Block Grip design improves steering response. The solid shoulder blocks are optimized for better cornering performance, while the increased number of sipes assures solid braking performance. The contact patch of the Hakkapeliitta R5 is flat, which helps in maintaining stability in wet, slushy, icy, and snowy conditions.

In the handling area as well, the VikingContact 8 leads the race and comes as a better option than the Hakkapeliitta R5. But, this doesn’t mean the Nokian tire is on the negative side; it just loses the handling race by a small margin.

ADVANTAGE: Continental VikingContact 8

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 tires on longevity

Coming to another important area of purchase consideration – longevity! Let’s find out which of the two tires lasts longer.

The VikingContact 8 is rated an 8.2 SimpleScore in longevity, which is quite good from a winter tire’s standpoint, as it wears faster than a standard all-season tire. Likewise, the energy-efficient construction of the VikingContact 8 improves its rolling resistance and promotes longer and even wear. Its advanced rubber compound additionally helps in maintaining long life by preventing deformation. The flat contact patch of the tire additionally protects from premature wear.

Talking about the Hakkapeliitta R5, it also surprises with a great 8.1 SimpleScore in longevity. The rubber compound is strong and durable and protects the tread from wearing fast, while the wider, flat contact patch evenly distributes driving pressures across the footprint in even and longer wear. Additionally, the sipes of the tire are arranged and designed to hold the blocks firmly and prevent premature wear.

In this section, we see a very tough competition, and with a mere margin of 0.1, it is the VikingContact 8 that surpasses the Hakkapeliitta R5 in the longevity race.

ADVANTAGE: Continental VikingContact 8

When to use each

It is to be noted that both the VikingContact 8 and the Hakkapeliitta R5 are winter tires and therefore, they should be used only in extreme winter conditions, when the temperature is consistently below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Use them on roads covered with snow or ice, or when the pavement is layered with slush or water in the colder months. Both of these tires are Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, which approves their usability in winter weather conditions.

That being said, do not consider them for use in warmer weather conditions or for your off-road adventures, as they are purely made for driving on paved surfaces.

When it comes to rim sizes, the VikingContact 8 is available in 15- to 22-inch rim sizes, while the Hakkapeliitta R5 is offered in 14- to 20-inch rim choices.

Which one should you choose?

Based on the overall SimpleScore, the VikingContact 8 is comparatively better than the Hakkapeliitta R5 (8.8 vs 8.3). However, it is to be noted that both tires are highly capable and come with their own unique attributes. Therefore, pick the one that better aligns with your budget, preferences, and driving needs.

Let’s talk about the prices of these tires now. The VikingContact 8 is offered at a starting price of at least $119 per tire, while the Hakkapeliitta R5 is available at a starting price of at least $136 per tire. This means that a set of four VikingContact 8 tires will cost you at least $476, while a set of four Hakkapeliitta R5 tires is available at a starting price of at least $544.

Looking at SimpleScore, you should consider the Continental VikingContact 8 if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Subaru Crosstrek, Ford Escape, or Chevrolet Cruze.
• Want a tire that’s better in traction (9.3 vs 8.7).
• Want a tire that’s better in handling (8.8 vs 8.1).
• Want a tire that’s better in longevity (8.2 vs 8.1).
• Want a tire that’s more affordable and overall performs better.
• Want a tire that can be used on vehicles with rim sizes in the range of 15- to 22-inch.

Contrarily, you should choose the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Tesla Model Y, Audi A6, or Honda Accord.
• Want a tire that offers a decent tread life in wintry conditions.
• Are comfortable paying more to own a tire that’s tried and tested to withstand Northern winter conditions.
• Want a tire that’s a great choice, specifically for EVs and plug-in hybrids.
• Want a tire that’s built using sustainable materials to promote eco-friendliness.
• Want a tire in the rim size range of 14- to 20-inch.

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.