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Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 72–67

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Tire ABridgestone

Blizzak WS90

Winter

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 64 · 21 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 78 · 66 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter 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. 72

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)8373
    Reviews found online5479
    Dry Braking (% of best)90%96%
  2. 67

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +14
    81
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6580
    Reviews found online7083
    Wet Braking (% of best)79%86%
  3. 73

    Snow

    Blizzak WS90 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6957
    Reviews found online7876
    Snow Braking (% of best)70%93%
    Snow Handling (% of best)85%99%
  4. 65

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6872
    Reviews found online5974
  5. 64

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7060
    Reviews found online5578
  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Level
    62
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–56
    Reviews found online6071
  7. 63

    Handling

    Winter Sottozero 3 +17
    80
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online6380
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 67 72
Dry 72 75
Wet 67 81
Snow 73 65
Comfort 65 73
Noise 64 67
Treadwear 62 62
Handling 63 80

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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

Blizzak WS90

Winter Sottozero 3

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Winter Sottozero 3ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test −5.6 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires 25% #4/6 · 2016 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test +75.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 93% #8/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test −23.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test −13.6 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test +3.8 Different tests
Subj. Snow Handling Subj 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 80% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test −25.5 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 86% #16/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test −6.9 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 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 WS90 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4598
Rim diameters15″ – 19″16″ – 21″
Tread depth11/32″10/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and comfort. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 80 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 81 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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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.

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

72

Leads

Winter Sottozero 3

Amazon