Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 78 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin X Ice Snow 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 13 + 10 road tests and 20 + 68 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: X Ice Snow and Winter Sottozero 3 are level at 73.
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.
-
67
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +976Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 8 tests 65 73 Reviews found online 71 82 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76
-
71
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1283Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 10 tests 65 80 Reviews found online 79 87 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83
-
76
Snow
X Ice Snow +1165Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 10 tests 73 56 Reviews found online 81 79 X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.1 = 76
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.8 = 65
-
80
Comfort
X Ice Snow +674Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests 81 72 Reviews found online 79 75 X Ice Snow: 40% × 81 + 60% × 78.8 = 80
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
-
75
Noise
X Ice Snow +471Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 7 tests 81 64 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) 82 X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 75
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71
No owner ratings of noise for X Ice Snow. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
76
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +1264Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 81 75 X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for X Ice Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
75
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +782Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 75 82 -
77
Efficiency
X Ice Snow +176Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 7 tests 77 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin X Ice Snow | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 73 |
| Dry | 67 | 76 |
| Wet | 71 | 83 |
| Snow | 76 | 65 |
| Comfort | 80 | 74 |
| Noise | 75 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 76 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 75 | 82 |
| Efficiency | 77 | 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
Recomputed
Headline score
73
/ 100
X Ice Snow
73
/ 100
Winter Sottozero 3
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, Michelin X Ice Snow finished ahead 1 times and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | X Ice Snow | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 96% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 99% #11/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 78% #5/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 80% #6/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 75% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 94% #15/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 86% #18/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 95% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 95% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 80% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 70% #6/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 94% #22/30 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | Snow | 56% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 80% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 91% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 97% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 90% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 97% #11/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 97% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 50% #14/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 54% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/15 | #13/15 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires · 215/60R16 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A X Ice Snow
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
- High confidence and predictable handling on icy and freezing roads
- Impressive tread wear longevity and minimal wear over multiple seasons
Cons
- Average performance on dry and wet pavement compared to dedicated non-winter tires
- Slightly noisier on dry pavement as the tread wears down
- Can feel slightly twitchy at the limit or less comfortable than older X-Ice generations
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 · Michelin X Ice Snow | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 100 | 98 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 21″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 61 | 61 |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
73
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Too close to call: Michelin X Ice Snow and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 are within 2 points overall. Michelin X Ice Snow is stronger on treadwear, snow and comfort. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on wet, dry and handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 64 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 71 on wet.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 65 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 67 on dry.
Tire A · Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Which is better in the wet, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 71 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 67 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 75 vs 71 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 74 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 64 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, X Ice Snow or Winter Sottozero 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the efficiency score, within 3 points.
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