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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 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 59 + 68 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 8 is ahead, 79–74

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 68 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. 78

    Dry

    UltraGrip 8 +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 74 (est.)73
    Reviews found online8382

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 78

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76

    No road tests of dry for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 85

    Wet

    UltraGrip 8 +2
    83
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 81 (est.)80
    Reviews found online9087

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 81.2 (est.) + 40% × 89.9 = 85

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83

    No road tests of wet for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 75

    Snow

    UltraGrip 8 +10
    65
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 73 (est.)56
    Reviews found online7879

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 75

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.8 = 65

    No road tests of snow for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 78

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 8 +4
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)72
    Reviews found online8275

    UltraGrip 8: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–64
    Reviews found online–82

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 8 +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 72 (est.)57
    Reviews found online8175

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 81 = 75

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 8 +1
    82
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online8382
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 8Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 79 74
Dry 78 76
Wet 85 83
Snow 75 65
Comfort 78 74
Noise – 71
Treadwear 75 64
Handling (owners) 83 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
± 8

UltraGrip 8

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip 8Winter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/9 2013 ACE 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 UltraGrip 8

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in wet, slushy, and snowy conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and refinement
  • Low road noise compared to many winter tire competitors

Cons

  • Reports of excessive road noise for some specific vehicle applications
  • Tread wear can be faster than average under heavy usage or high-speed driving
  • Occasional reports of 'snappy' handling characteristics when pushed to the absolute limit
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 8 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 UltraGrip 8 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1498
Rim diameters13″ – 16″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 8 — better treadwear, snow and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 75 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 75 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 74 on comfort.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 85 vs 83 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 76 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 75 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, UltraGrip 8 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 75 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