Tests 67 · 4 tests Owners 59 · 8 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (price)
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Winterhawk 3 vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 72–64
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Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 78 · 66 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Autobild UHP 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.
-
63
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +1275Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 66 73 Reviews found online 58 79 Dry Braking (% of best) 98% 100% Dry Handling (% of best) 98% 98% -
63
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1881Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 64 80 Reviews found online 62 83 Wet Braking (% of best) 85% 89% Wet Handling (% of best) 93% 96% -
65
Snow
Level65Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 57 Reviews found online 56 77 Snow Braking (% of best) 94% 94% Snow Handling (% of best) 98% 95% -
64
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +973Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 60 74 -
67
Noise
Level67Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 67 60 Reviews found online – 78 -
67
Treadwear
Winterhawk 3 +562Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 56 Reviews found online 62 71 -
58
Handling
Winter Sottozero 3 +2280Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 58 80
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterhawk 3 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 72 |
| Dry | 63 | 75 |
| Wet | 63 | 81 |
| Snow | 65 | 65 |
| Comfort | 64 | 73 |
| Noise | 67 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 62 |
| Handling | 58 | 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
64
/ 100
Winterhawk 3
72
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Winterhawk 3 | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #6/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | −2.5 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #10/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −0.2 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 84% #19/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −16.1 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 96% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #4/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | −2.3 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 87% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 71% #13/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | +15.5 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 80% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 65% #19/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | +14.2 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 72% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 70% #19/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | +1.7 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 3% #32/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | 60% #5/11 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 | −56.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | −0.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +2.7 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 92% #15/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −2.3 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 85% #29/44 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | 89% #8/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | −3.6 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 93% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #9/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | −3.3 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winterhawk 3
Pros
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise
- Good longevity and tread wear resistance
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Inconsistent or poor grip on snow and ice
- Unreliable wet weather performance and braking
- Pronounced understeering tendencies
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.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterhawk 3 | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 39 | 98 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 18″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Firestone Winterhawk 3
72
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. Pick the Firestone Winterhawk 3 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 80 vs 58 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 81 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 75 vs 63 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 64 on comfort.
Tire A · Firestone Winterhawk 3
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.