Continental VikingContact 8 vs Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires

For drivers in regions that experience harsh winter weather - featuring persistent ice, deep snow, and freezing temperatures - a dedicated winter tire is just what they demand for safety. Let’s have a look at two solid contenders in this category from Continental and Yokohama. The German tire manufacturer, Continental, offers a premium range of world-class tires in all-season, all-terrain, rugged-terrain, mud-terrain, winter, and all-weather categories for coupes, sedans, passenger cars, minivans, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, and commercial vehicles. Similarly, Yokohama is also a frontline tire manufacturer that has a presence in almost all the categories of the Conti.

The VikingContact 8 from Continental and iceGUARD G075 from Yokohama are great studdable winter tires that offer superb traction, grip, handling, and longevity. The Continental VikingContact 8 represents the latest evolution in Nordic-compound technology. Developed with an emphasis on low rolling resistance and flexibility in the coldest climates, it appeals strongly to owners of modern cars, CUVs, and electric vehicles. Designed for CUVs and SUVs, Yokohama iceGUARD G075 incorporates an Absorptive Silica Compound—designed to literally absorb the thin film of water on ice—along with high-density reinforcement for block stability. This tire is built to deliver dependable traction, stability, and on-road durability for larger winter vehicles.

So, which one to go for? Let’s do the Continental VikingContact 8 vs Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires comparison to know which one suits your needs better. We will be using SimpleScore to help you ease your buying decision. SimpleScore is our proprietary scoring mechanism that lists each tire’s traction, handling, and longevity capabilities on a scale of 0 to 10.

Continental VikingContact 8 tires

The Continental VikingContact 8, launched in August 2025, stands as the German manufacturer's latest winter tire, engineered for superior performance in severe conditions of deep snow and ice. This tire has earned the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, assuring exceptional performance in severe winter weather.

The Conti’s directional tread design features lateral grooves that not only enhance traction and control on slippery surfaces but also actively clear water and slush, avoiding the risk of hydroplaning and boosting wet braking. Its low rolling resistance benefits drivers by improving fuel efficiency and extending electric vehicle (EV) ranges. Additionally, the next-generation Nordic rubber compound ensures the tire maintains flexibility even in sub-freezing temperatures and does not harden with the dipping temperature.

Achieving an excellent 8.8 overall SimpleScore, the VikingContact 8 delivers confident grip, traction, stability, and handling in frigid conditions.

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

Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires

Introduced in 2019, the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 is a studless winter tire, designed for CUVs and SUVs, that offers dependable traction, grip, and handling along with superior service life. By using Yokohama’s innovative Absorptive Silica Compound, the iceGUARD G075 returns great severe winter weather performance, as it contains micro-bubbles and multi-layered reinforcing filler that aid in improving its grip. This technology works by absorbing the thin film of water that forms on top of ice, improving traction and braking performance.

Designed with a high-density, directional tread pattern, the iceGUARD G075 features numerous high-density sipes that create the necessary biting edges for confident stability on snowy roads. The reinforced construction is optimized to support the weight and handling characteristics of larger vehicles. This tire provides a safe, stable, and reliable platform for winter driving without the noise and maintenance associated with traditional studded tires.

Securing an 8.7 in its overall SimpleScore, the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 returns great control, stability, traction, and an excellent tread life.

Get Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires on traction

Winter demands absolute grip and control, making traction a critical aspect in the tire-buying process. The Continental and Yokohama tires return solid grip, braking, and acceleration, but one tire offers exceptional performance. Which one is it? Let’s find out.

The Continental VikingContact 8 boasts an incredible 9.3 in traction, largely due to its directional tread design. This pattern helps clear water and slush from the tread to reduce the risk of slushplaning and hydroplaning while boosting wet performance. Additionally, the incorporation of numerous sipes improves grip and traction, thanks to the extra biting edges that significantly enhance confidence in challenging winter conditions.

Boasting an 8.4 in traction, the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 features micro-diagonal grooves and a unique tread design that provides enhanced water and slush evacuation to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and improve wet and slush performance. With the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, the Yokohama tire’s innovative rubber compound allows the tire to maintain flexibility even in severe winter weather conditions.

With an incredible score, the Continental tire is miles ahead of the Yokohama in traction.

ADVANTAGE: Continental VikingContact 8

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires on handling

Better control and steering response bring safety, especially in challenging winter conditions of deep snow and ice. The VikingContact 8 and iceGUARD G075 provide great handling and stability in harsh winter conditions.

The Continental VikingContact 8 bags an 8.8 in handling, thanks to its sophisticated snow edge shoulders, multi-layered sipe design, and 3D sipes to ensure superior control and steering response in temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the next-generation rubber compound maintains flexibility for enhanced cornering and straight-line maneuvers. The unidirectional tread pattern provides better grip required for accurate handling, control, and stability in severe snow.

On the other hand, the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 secures an 8.1 in handling, ensuring decent control in moderate to severe snowy conditions. The Yokohama tire features Triple 3D sipes that improve stability in severe winter conditions. The unidirectional tread pattern provides enough contact area for improved grip on snow and ice. Additionally, the low-heat-generating under-tread compound lowers rolling resistance, leading to enhanced fuel efficiency.

Securing a superb score, the Continental VikingContact 8 beats the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 quite comprehensively.

ADVANTAGE: Continental VikingContact 8

Continental VikingContact 8 vs Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires on longevity

You don’t expect winter tires to last too long due to their special rubber compound. Both the tires, the VikingContact 8 and iceGUARD G075, provide great longevity. However, one tire returns exceptional tread life – rarely seen in winter tires.

The VikingContact 8 returns an 8.2 in longevity, which means it is a reliable winter tire that can be trusted for tread life. The use of an advanced rubber compound promotes uniform wear across the tread life. Backed by an optimized tread design, it strategically distributes driving pressure across the contact patch for increased wearability and reduced uneven wear.

Contrarily, the iceGUARD G075 stuns with its exceptional longevity score of 9.6 out of 10. Thanks to the high-density rubber compound and wide profile, the Yokohama winter tire allows strategic pressure distribution across the contact patch to resist uneven wear and promote uniform wear throughout its lifecycle.

The Yokohama iceGUARD G075 returns incredible longevity, and finally, gets to taste a win here.

ADVANTAGE: Yokohama iceGUARD G075

When to use each

Winter tires are purpose-built for driving in temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. They feature flexible rubber compounds, deep grooves, and dense siping to maintain superior grip on ice, snow, and slush. This specialized design ensures significantly shorter braking distances and better handling stability than all-season tires, offering critical safety in severe cold.

If you can’t compromise on grip, traction, and control in winter conditions, the Continental VikingContact 8 is the tire for you. However, longevity is the forte of Yokohama iceGUARD G075, which offers outstanding tread life. So, if you need a tire that lasts long, you know which one to pick.

Which one should you choose?

In a nutshell, the Continental VikingContact 8 turns out to be a better winter tire than the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 as it bags traction and handling attributes by comprehensive margins. However, the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 has a superb tread life that only a few winter tires can match. Before going in for any tire, we suggest checking its individual characteristics and choosing the one that best matches your driving needs and habits. Let’s have a look at the prices now.

Comparing the starting prices of the Continental VikingContact 8, it costs around $146 per tire, and four such tires cost $584, while the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 costs around $150 per tire, and four such tires cost $600 (a difference of $16).

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Continental VikingContact 8 if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Dodge Charger, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A6
• Want a superior winter tire with incredible grip and traction (9.3 vs 8.4)
• Prefer a premium winter tire with superb handling (8.8 vs 8.1)

Conversely, you should choose the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, and Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Want a winter tire with an exceptionally longer tread life (9.6 vs 8.2)

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.