80
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
5 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 vs Continental VikingContact 7 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
70/100
7 professional tests
User signal (40%)
78/100
30 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 — better dry, treadwear and snow. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if comfort matters most to you.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Blizzak WS80 leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 48 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 68 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 77 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 70 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 89 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Blizzak WS80 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 85 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 96 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 87 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
VikingContact 7 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 89 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 94 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Blizzak WS80 leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 85 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 61 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 90 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
VikingContact 7 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS80 | VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 | Continental VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 74 |
| Dry | 74 | 59 |
| Wet | 76 | 76 |
| Snow | 96 | 86 |
| Comfort | 83 | 88 |
| Noise | – | 84 |
| Treadwear | 82 | 68 |
| Handling | 70 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
Tire A
74
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, praised for its exceptional traction in deep snow and on icy inclines. While some users note a 'squishy' feel on wet pavement, the consensus highlights its reliability and longevity in harsh, rural winter conditions.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and climbing ability on deep snow and ice
- Impressive tread longevity when properly rotated
- High confidence and stability in severe winter weather conditions
- Quiet road noise levels
Cons
- Noticeable 'squishy' or soft handling characteristics on wet roads
- Potential for reduced performance in slush compared to newer compounds
- Handling feedback can feel vague to the average driver
Observations
- Subaru Forester owners report excellent capability in deep snow, even when conditions exceed subframe depth.
- Small vehicle owners, such as those driving Scion XDs, noted significant performance advantages on steep, snow-covered hills compared to other vehicles.
The Continental VikingContact 7 is widely regarded as a premium, well-rounded studless winter tire that excels in comfort, noise suppression, and slush performance. While it receives high praise for its predictable handling and stability on cold, dry, or wet pavement, user consensus suggests it may slightly trail dedicated ice-focused competitors like the Bridgestone Blizzak in extreme stopping grip on pure ice.
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Strong performance in slush and deep snow
- Stable and predictable handling at highway speeds
- Excellent dry and wet road manners for a winter tire
Cons
- Mixed reports regarding tread life and longevity
- Noticeable decline in ice-braking performance compared to top-tier ice specialists
- Compound may harden or performance may degrade after multiple seasons
- Potential for reduced traction if driven in warmer, non-winter conditions
Observations
- Users noted that the tire maintains excellent fuel economy and low noise levels even on electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and Mazda MX-30.
- Drivers of rear-wheel-drive sports cars (e.g., Mazda Miata) reported that the tire's soft compound can feel overwhelmed during aggressive acceleration on dry pavement.
- Downsizing to a smaller wheel diameter (e.g., -2 from OE) was successfully used to improve the tire's profile and winter performance on hybrid SUVs.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 | B · Continental VikingContact 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 18 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10 - 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 44 - 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Bridgestone
74
/ 100
Continental
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 — better dry, treadwear and snow. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 74 vs 59 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 82 vs 68 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 96 vs 86 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 7 scores 88 vs 83 on comfort.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
Tire B · Continental VikingContact 7
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 also compared with
Continental VikingContact 7 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.