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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 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 0 + 10 road tests and 13 + 66 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–47

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 81 · 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. 47

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +30
    77
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 54 (est.)73
    Reviews found online3582

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 54.3 (est.) + 40% × 35.3 = 47

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    No road tests of dry for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 50

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +33
    83
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 55 (est.)81
    Reviews found online4287

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 54.7 (est.) + 40% × 41.8 = 50

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 87.4 = 83

    No road tests of wet for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 42

    Snow

    Winter Sottozero 3 +24
    66
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 53 (est.)57
    Reviews found online2479

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 53.4 (est.) + 40% × 24.2 = 42

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.8 + 40% × 79.2 = 66

    No road tests of snow for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 51

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +23
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)72
    Reviews found online4376

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 40% × 64.3 (est.) + 60% × 42.8 = 51

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.3 + 60% × 75.9 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 58

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +14
    72
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 67 (est.)65
    Reviews found online4482

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 44.3 = 58

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.6 + 40% × 81.9 = 72

    No road tests of noise for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 47

    Treadwear

    Winter Sottozero 3 +17
    64
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 55 (est.)56
    Reviews found online3575

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 34.9 = 47

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 42

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +41
    83
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online4283
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 47 74
Dry 47 77
Wet 50 83
Snow 42 66
Comfort 51 74
Noise 58 72
Treadwear 47 64
Handling (owners) 42 83
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
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
± 8

Ultra Grip Performance 2

± 6

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.

DisciplineCategoryUltra Grip Performance 2Winter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/12 2011 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test #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 Ultra Grip Performance 2

Pros

  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality on dry and wet tarmac
  • Agile handling and reliable grip in wet conditions and light-to-medium snow
  • Good directional tread design for effective water and slush evacuation

Cons

  • Severely lacking traction and grip on packed snow and ice according to dissatisfied users
  • Triggers frequent ABS activation and wheel spin during acceleration and braking in wintry precipitation
  • Vague handling feel on tarmac for certain drivers
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip Performance 2 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 · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available698
Rim diameters16″ – 17″16″ – 21″
Tread depth8/32″10/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 42 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 50 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 77 vs 47 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 66 vs 42 on snow.

Tire A · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 50 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 47 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 66 vs 42 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 72 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ultra Grip Performance 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 64 vs 47 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