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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 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 6 + 68 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Blizzak WS70 and Winter Sottozero 3 are level at 74.

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 68 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. 73

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 71 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7682

    Blizzak WS70: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak WS70. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 75 (est.)80
    Reviews found online7887

    Blizzak WS70: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 78.1 = 76

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak WS70. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    Blizzak WS70 +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 74 (est.)56
    Reviews found online8079

    Blizzak WS70: 60% × 73.5 (est.) + 40% × 80 = 76

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.8 = 65

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak WS70. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)72
    Reviews found online7775

    Blizzak WS70: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.5 = 74

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

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak WS70. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–64
    Reviews found online–82

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS70 +8
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 70 (est.)57
    Reviews found online7675

    Blizzak WS70: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 75.6 = 72

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS70. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +15
    82
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online6782
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS70Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS70Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 74 74
Dry 73 76
Wet 76 83
Snow 76 65
Comfort 74 74
Noise – 71
Treadwear 72 64
Handling (owners) 67 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

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

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 WS70

± 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 WS70

Pros

  • Phenomenal grip and traction on snow, ice, and slush
  • Impressively quiet operation for a winter tire
  • Excellent confidence in harsh, Nordic-style winter climates

Cons

  • Reduced stability and handling precision on dry pavement at highway speeds
  • Squishy or vague steering feel in wet conditions
  • Occasional difficulty with take-off traction on rear-wheel-drive vehicles
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS70 review

Tire B Winter Sottozero 3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and resistance to hydroplaning.
  • Strong dry-road handling and steering precision for a winter tire.
  • Excellent traction and stability in snow and slush.

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, particularly if driven in temperatures above 15°C or year-round.
  • Susceptibility to sidewall damage and bubbling when encountering road hazards.
  • Increased noise levels as the tire ages and tread depth decreases.
All owner themes in the Winter Sottozero 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—98
Rim diameters—16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Too close to call: Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 is stronger on snow and treadwear. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on handling, wet and dry. Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 scores 76 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 scores 72 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 76 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS70
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70, 76 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 74 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS70 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70, 72 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