Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 68 · 2 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)
Continental IceContact 2 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental IceContact 2 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 2 + 10 road tests and 2 + 69 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 74–70 Narrow edge
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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.
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69
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +776Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 8 tests 71 73 Reviews found online 66 81 IceContact 2: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 65.8 = 69
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.7 = 76
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71
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1283Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 10 tests 70 80 Reviews found online 72 87 IceContact 2: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 71.6 = 71
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 86.5 = 83
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76
Snow
IceContact 2 +1165Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 10 tests 78 56 Reviews found online 73 79 IceContact 2: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 72.7 = 76
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 78.9 = 65
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64
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +973Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 62 74 IceContact 2: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.9 = 64
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.4 = 73
No road tests of comfort for IceContact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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–
Noise
No comparison71Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 64 Reviews found online – 81 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.3 = 71
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65
Treadwear
IceContact 2 +164Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 65 75 IceContact 2: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.5 = 65
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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69
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +1382Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 69 82 -
63
Efficiency
Winter Sottozero 3 +1376Why this score
Source IceContact 2 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests 63 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental IceContact 2 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 74 |
| Dry | 69 | 76 |
| Wet | 71 | 83 |
| Snow | 76 | 65 |
| Comfort | 64 | 73 |
| Noise | – | 71 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 82 |
| Efficiency | 63 | 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
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
IceContact 2
74
/ 100
Winter Sottozero 3
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | IceContact 2 | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 96% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 86% #18/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 97% #5/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 94% #22/30 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 91% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/5 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 | #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A IceContact 2
Pros
- Excellent traction on snow and ice-covered surfaces
- Surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride for a studded tire
- Reliable handling and stability in severe winter conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise when driving on dry or clean pavement
- Noticeable degradation in ice grip performance after two seasons of use
- Requires precise tire pressure maintenance to ensure optimal wet-weather handling
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental IceContact 2 | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger 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?
70
/ 100
Continental IceContact 2
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Narrow edge: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, efficiency and wet. Pick the Continental IceContact 2 if snow matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 69 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 63 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 71 on wet.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Continental IceContact 2 scores 76 vs 65 on snow.
Tire A · Continental IceContact 2
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Which is better in the wet, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 71 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 69 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Continental IceContact 2, 76 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 73 vs 64 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 64 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
Which rolls more easily, IceContact 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 63 on our efficiency 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