Continental VikingContact 7 vs Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental VikingContact 7 finished ahead 2 times and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 not once. The VikingContact 7 was stronger in snow, ice and comfort, the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 in dry and wet.
Performance profile
10 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
VikingContact 7
Winter I cept iZ2 W616
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 4 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
VikingContact 7
Winter I cept iZ2 W616
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
VikingContact 7
Winter I cept iZ2 W616
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the VikingContact 7 74% from 25 reviews and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 84% from 5. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | VikingContact 7 | Gap | Winter I cept iZ2 W616 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Winter I cept iZ2 W616 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 102 | 0.5% | 101 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 28.6% | scored | 0-1 |
| Wet Winter I cept iZ2 W616 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 119 | 0.9% | 120 | 1-0 |
| Wet Handling s | 35.15 | 0.4% | 35 | 0-2 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Snow VikingContact 7 ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 166 | 2.1% | 170 | 2-0 |
| Snow Traction s | 5.85 | 2.5% | 6 | 2-0 |
| Snow Handling s | 50.5 | 1.7% | 51.35 | 2-0 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | scored | 12.5% | scored | 1-0 |
| Ice VikingContact 7 ahead | ||||
| Ice Braking ft | 146 | 5.9% | 156 | 2-0 |
| Ice Traction s | 5.3 | 10.9% | 5.95 | 2-0 |
| Ice Handling s | 63 | 5.9% | 67 | 2-0 |
| Subj. Ice Handling pts | scored | 33.3% | scored | 1-0 |
| Comfort VikingContact 7 ahead | ||||
| Subj. Noise pts | scored | 11.8% | scored | 2-0 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 2 tests, 2020 to 2021
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | VikingContact 7 | Field | Winter I cept iZ2 W616 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tire Test | P1 of 6 | P5 of 6 | |
| 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tire Test | P2 of 12 | P6 of 12 |
VikingContact 7 vs Winter I cept iZ2 W616: your questions
Is the Continental VikingContact 7 or the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 the better tire?
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental VikingContact 7 finished ahead 2 times and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 not once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the VikingContact 7 scores 8.6 and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 5.7 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the VikingContact 7 or the Winter I cept iZ2 W616?
The Winter I cept iZ2 W616 led 2 of the 5 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The Winter I cept iZ2 W616 led 2 of the 3 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 0.5% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The VikingContact 7 led 7 of the 7 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it was 2.5% quicker in the snow traction test across 2 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.5/10 for the VikingContact 7 and 9.2/10 for the Winter I cept iZ2 W616.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the VikingContact 7 74% from 25 reviews and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 84% from 5. 64% of VikingContact 7 owners would buy it again, against 100% for the Winter I cept iZ2 W616.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The VikingContact 7 is made in 134 sizes (14 to 22 inch) and the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 in 50 (13 to 19 inch). 42 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the VikingContact 7 is graded D for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Winter I cept iZ2 W616 E and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The Winter I cept iZ2 W616 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the VikingContact 7 in 2018. The VikingContact 7 replaced the Continental VikingContact 6.
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Review the VikingContact 7 Review the Winter I cept iZ2 W616
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.