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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 10 road tests and 9 + 69 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 73–71 Narrow edge

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 69 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 68

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 68 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6881

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.7 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 75

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 74 (est.)80
    Reviews found online7787

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 73.9 (est.) + 40% × 76.5 = 75

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 86.6 = 83

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 73 (est.)56
    Reviews found online7979

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 79 = 76

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 78.8 = 65

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 66

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6575

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 64.7 = 66

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 63

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 66 (est.)64
    Reviews found online5981

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 59 = 63

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.3 = 71

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)57
    Reviews found online6975

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.9 = 68

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +16
    82
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online6682
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFTPirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 71 73
Dry 68 76
Wet 75 83
Snow 76 65
Comfort 66 74
Noise 63 71
Treadwear 68 64
Handling (owners) 66 82
Efficiency – 76

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Blizzak LM-25 RFT

± 6

Winter Sottozero 3

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak LM-25 RFT

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and grip in deep, fresh, and compacted snow
  • Exceptional ice performance and handling on steep inclines in freezing temperatures
  • Effective slush dispersal and wet weather performance

Cons

  • Significantly longer braking distances on dry roads when temperatures rise above 20°C
  • Reduced braking performance in wet conditions if ambient temperatures are too high
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM-25 RFT review

Tire B Winter Sottozero 3

Pros

  • Excellent wet and slush performance, with strong resistance to aquaplaning and confident, stable braking
  • Very good snow traction, with several owners saying it beat previous winter tires such as Nokian, Michelin and Sottozero 2, including on rear-wheel-drive and performance cars
  • Sharp, precise steering and dry grip that feels close to a summer tire in cold conditions, which fits its UHP character

Cons

  • Tread wear can be fast, especially when the tires are used in warm weather or all year. Some reported 3 mm left after about 27k km, and others reported wear near the indicator after 30,000 km
  • Road noise is higher than on summer tires, particularly on the highway, and a few said it increased as the tires wore. Others reported feedback becoming vague and the tires getting louder above about 15°C
  • Sidewalls can be vulnerable. Reviewers reported cuts from curb contact, tires that broke on rough roads, and bulges in the sidewall
All owner themes in the Winter Sottozero 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available398
Rim diameters17″ – 20″16″ – 21″
Tread depth11/32″10/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Narrow edge: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, dry and wet. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT if snow and treadwear matter most to you. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT scores 76 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT, 76 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 71 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak LM-25 RFT or Winter Sottozero 3?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT, 68 vs 64 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology