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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 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 5 + 66 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–66

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Michelin Pilot Alpin
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 5 reviews

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. 66

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +11
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6582

    Pilot Alpin: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66

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

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

  2. 70

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +13
    83
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 70 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7087

    Pilot Alpin: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 70

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 87.3 = 83

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

  3. 62

    Snow

    Winter Sottozero 3 +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 66 (est.)57
    Reviews found online5879

    Pilot Alpin: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 57.5 = 62

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

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

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6376

    Pilot Alpin: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 62.9 = 65

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

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–65
    Reviews found online–82

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

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)56
    Reviews found online6875

    Pilot Alpin: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 67

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 74.5 = 64

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

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +16
    83
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online6783
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot AlpinPirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 66 74
Dry 66 77
Wet 70 83
Snow 62 66
Comfort 65 74
Noise – 72
Treadwear 67 64
Handling (owners) 67 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

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

Pilot Alpin

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot AlpinWinter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/8 2009 Sport Auto Performance 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 Pilot Alpin

Pros

  • Amazing dry-road performance for a winter tire
  • Extremely long-lasting tread wear and high mileage potential
  • Even wear characteristics across the tire profile

Cons

  • Not the best option for deep snow or ice conditions
  • Grip on winter surfaces can feel somewhat ordinary
  • Supply availability and stock issues reported by some users
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 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 · Michelin Pilot Alpin B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available198
Rim diameters450″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. Pick the Michelin Pilot Alpin if treadwear matters most to you. Michelin Pilot Alpin rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 77 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 74 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 66 vs 62 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin or Winter Sottozero 3?

Michelin Pilot Alpin, 67 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