Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 28 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*cept evo 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 28 + 68 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Winter i*cept evo 73, Winter Sottozero 3 74.
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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.
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70
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +676Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 71 82 Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 70
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76
No road tests of dry for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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76
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +783Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 74 (est.) 80 Reviews found online 78 87 Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83
No road tests of wet for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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77
Snow
Winter i*cept evo +1265Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 74 (est.) 56 Reviews found online 82 79 Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.9 = 65
No road tests of snow for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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71
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +374Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 72 75 Winter i*cept evo: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.2 = 71
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
No road tests of comfort for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison71Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 64 Reviews found online – 82 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71
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70
Treadwear
Winter i*cept evo +664Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 72 75 Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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72
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +1082Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 72 82 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source Winter i*cept evo Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*cept evo | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 74 |
| Dry | 70 | 76 |
| Wet | 76 | 83 |
| Snow | 77 | 65 |
| Comfort | 71 | 74 |
| Noise | – | 71 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 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
73
/ 100
Winter i*cept evo
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 1 tests that ran both, Hankook Winter i*cept evo finished ahead 0 times and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i*cept evo | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/9 | #1/9 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2013 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i*cept evo
Pros
- Exceptional grip and capability in deep snow and ice
- Favorable price-to-performance/value ratio compared to premium brands
- Good aquaplaning resistance and handling in heavy rain
Cons
- Inconsistent or poor wet weather traction reported by some drivers
- Prone to wheelspin under acceleration in damp or cold conditions
- Squirmy feel or reduced stability in warmer weather or at high highway speeds
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 · Hankook Winter i*cept evo | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 5 | 98 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 4 | 4 |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept evo
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Too close to call: Hankook Winter i*cept evo and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 are within 2 points overall. Hankook Winter i*cept evo is stronger on snow and treadwear. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on handling, wet and dry.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 77 vs 65 on snow.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 72 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 76 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 70 vs 64 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept evo
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 76 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 70 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 77 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 71 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept evo or Winter Sottozero 3?
Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 70 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