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Head-to-head Updated

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — Compared

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

Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 72–71 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

ExtremeContact DWS 06

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 72 · 104 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 78 · 66 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 10 in 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online7879
  2. 77

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +4
    81
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–80
    Reviews found online8083
  3. 67

    Snow

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–57
    Reviews found online6576
  4. 69

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online6874
  5. 69

    Noise

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–60
    Reviews found online7278
  6. 66

    Treadwear

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +4
    62
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7056
    Reviews found online6171
  7. 74

    Handling

    Winter Sottozero 3 +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online7480
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ExtremeContact DWS 06Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 71 72
Dry 74 75
Wet 77 81
Snow 67 65
Comfort 69 73
Noise 69 67
Treadwear 66 62
Handling 74 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

ExtremeContact DWS 06

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.

DisciplineCategoryExtremeContact DWS 06Winter Sottozero 3ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 72% #6/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires 17% #6/10 · 2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test +55.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ExtremeContact DWS 06

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong performance in light snow and cold weather

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can reduce steering sharpness or cause rollover during heavy track/autocross use
  • Tread wear can be faster than expected with aggressive driving or on lower-profile sizes
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or vibration as the tire ages
All owner themes in the ExtremeContact DWS 06 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 · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—32
Rim diameters—17″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
UTQG560 A - AA A—
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Too close to call: Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 are within 2 points overall. Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 is stronger on treadwear. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on handling, wet and comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 80 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 66 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 81 vs 77 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 69 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06
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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

Narrow edge

Winter Sottozero 3

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