Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 57 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 850 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 57 + 69 owner reviews. How we score
WinterContact TS 850 leads, 76–74 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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75
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +176Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests ≈ 73 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 79 81 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.2 = 75
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.8 = 76
No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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81
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +283Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 78 (est.) 80 Reviews found online 84 87 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.3 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 81
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.6 = 83
No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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71
Snow
WinterContact TS 850 +566Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 72 79 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 71
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 79 = 66
No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
76
Comfort
WinterContact TS 850 +274Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 80 75 WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 79.6 = 76
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 850. 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 WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 64 Reviews found online – 81 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.4 = 71
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73
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 850 +964Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 78 75 WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 73
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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81
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +182Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 81 82 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 74 |
| Dry | 75 | 76 |
| Wet | 81 | 83 |
| Snow | 71 | 66 |
| Comfort | 76 | 74 |
| Noise | – | 71 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 81 | 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
76
/ 100
WinterContact TS 850
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.
In the overall rankings of 8 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 850 finished ahead 5 times and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 3 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 850 | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/8 | #6/8 | – | 5–3 in 8 shared tests Newest: 2015 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WinterContact TS 850
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
- Outstanding performance in wet weather with strong resistance to aquaplaning
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can result in a 'floating' or vague steering feel during cornering
- Performance degrades noticeably in temperatures above 10-15°C
- Reports of accelerated shoulder wear, particularly on heavier or RWD vehicles
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 WinterContact TS 850 | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 5 | 98 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 16″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 850
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 850 — better treadwear and snow. Where the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 73 vs 64 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 71 vs 66 on snow.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 81 vs 83 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 76 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Continental WinterContact TS 850, 71 vs 66 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 74 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Continental WinterContact TS 850, 73 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