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General Altimax Arctic 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. Based on 0 + 10 road tests and 32 + 66 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 72–59

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 77 · 66 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.

  1. 57

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +18
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 61 (est.)73
    Reviews found online5179

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.8 + 40% × 79.2 = 75

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +19
    81
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 64 (est.)80
    Reviews found online6083

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 79.9 + 40% × 82.7 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    Winter Sottozero 3 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 64 (est.)57
    Reviews found online5276

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.8 + 40% × 76.4 = 65

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +13
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)72
    Reviews found online5174

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 73.8 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 67 (est.)65
    Reviews found online5479

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.6 + 40% × 78.8 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Winter Sottozero 3 +5
    62
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 61 (est.)56
    Reviews found online5071

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 71.3 = 62

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +31
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online4980
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticPirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 59 72
Dry 57 75
Wet 62 81
Snow 59 65
Comfort 60 73
Noise 62 70
Treadwear 57 62
Handling (owners) 49 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 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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

Winter Sottozero 3

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic 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 · General Altimax Arctic B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available198
Rim diameters17″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 80 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 81 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 75 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 81 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 75 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 65 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 70 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 73 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 62 vs 57 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