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.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental VikingContact 7 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — 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
79
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
9 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better dry and treadwear. 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)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 48 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 87 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 68 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 87 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 78 |
| SimpleTire owners | 89 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 85 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
VikingContact 7 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 77 |
| SimpleTire owners | 94 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 80 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 85 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 61 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | VikingContact 7 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 71 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental VikingContact 7 | Kumho WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 79 |
| Dry | 59 | 82 |
| Wet | 76 | 78 |
| Snow | 86 | 86 |
| Comfort | 88 | 77 |
| Noise | 84 | – |
| Treadwear | 68 | 80 |
| Handling | 71 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Tire A
79
/ 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 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.
The Kumho WinterCraft WP72 is widely regarded as a high-value performance winter tire that balances dry and wet road handling with competent snow traction. While most users praise its comfort, low noise levels, and affordability compared to premium alternatives, some report concerns regarding high-speed stability and potential issues with tire uniformity.
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium winter tire brands
- Impressive noise suppression and ride comfort
- Strong performance on dry and wet surfaces
- Reliable traction in typical winter snow and slush conditions
Cons
- Vague handling and stability at higher highway speeds
- Reports of soft sidewalls leading to a 'jelly' feel
- Potential for flat-spotting and balancing issues
- Diminishing snow grip as the tread wears down
Observations
- Users with heavy EVs and RWD vehicles report good snow traction, though some note minor slippage during aggressive cornering on wet surfaces.
- Performance-oriented vehicles like the Subaru BRZ and Tesla Model 3 find the tire to be a capable, budget-friendly alternative to extreme winter tires.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental VikingContact 7 | B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| 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?
74
/ 100
Continental
79
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better dry and treadwear. Pick the Continental VikingContact 7 if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 82 vs 59 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 80 vs 68 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental VikingContact 7 scores 88 vs 77 on comfort.
Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental VikingContact 7 also compared with
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 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.