tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Ice Friction vs Pirelli Scorpion Winter — 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 3 + 3 road tests and 4 + 20 owner reviews. How we score

Ice Friction is ahead, 79–69

Check price on Amazon · Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter on Amazon
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.

Pirelli Ice Friction
Tire APirelli

Ice Friction

Winter

± 6

Tests 76 · 3 tests Owners 85 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))

Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Tire BPirelli

Scorpion Winter

Winter

± 6

Tests 72 · 3 tests Owners 67 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 83

    Dry

    Ice Friction +11
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests8176
    Reviews found online8566

    Ice Friction: 60% × 81 + 40% × 85 = 83

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 66.4 = 72

  2. 76

    Wet

    Ice Friction +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 3 tests7071
    Reviews found online8675

    Ice Friction: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 86.3 = 76

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 75.1 = 72

  3. 81

    Snow

    Ice Friction +11
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests8069
    Reviews found online8272

    Ice Friction: 60% × 79.5 + 40% × 82.3 = 81

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 72 = 70

  4. 84

    Comfort

    Ice Friction +15
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests86≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8369

    Ice Friction: 40% × 86.1 + 60% × 82.5 = 84

    Scorpion Winter: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 68.5 = 69

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

  5. 61

    Noise

    Scorpion Winter +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests5767
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)58

    Ice Friction: 60% × 57.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 61

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 67.1 + 40% × 57.6 = 63

    No owner ratings of noise for Ice Friction. 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.

  6. 78

    Treadwear

    Ice Friction +17
    61
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online8558

    Ice Friction: 60% × 73.1 (est.) + 40% × 84.8 = 78

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61

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

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

  7. 87

    Handling (owners)

    Ice Friction +17
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Reviews found online8770
  8. 63

    Efficiency

    Scorpion Winter +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIce FrictionScorpion Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests6372
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Ice FrictionPirelli Scorpion Winter
Relative Score 79 69
Dry 83 72
Wet 76 72
Snow 81 70
Comfort 84 69
Noise 61 63
Treadwear 78 61
Handling (owners) 87 70
Efficiency 63 72

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
± 6

Ice Friction

± 6

Scorpion Winter

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.

DisciplineCategoryIce FrictionScorpion WinterΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 80% #8/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test 88% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 95% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 87% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #8/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/6 2027 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 #2/7 2025 Autobild Pirelli All-Terrain Tire Test R19 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ice Friction

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and predictable handling on snow and ice
  • High level of steering feedback and control during slides
  • Impressively quiet and smooth ride quality

Cons

  • Ice grip, while excellent for a studless tire, does not fully match the absolute performance of dedicated studded tires
  • Limited long-term data available regarding tread wear rates
  • Higher price point compared to budget-tier winter tire options
All owner themes in the Ice Friction review

Tire B Scorpion Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional wet grip and resistance to aquaplaning
  • Strong dry road handling and high-speed stability
  • Comfortable and quiet ride quality for highway cruising

Cons

  • Reduced performance on mud, heavy slush, and hard ice
  • Faster tread wear, particularly when driven in warmer temperatures
  • Vague high-speed handling at extreme velocities (over 130 mph)
All owner themes in the Scorpion Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Ice Friction B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available5188
Rim diameters15″ – 20″16″ – 22″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common2828

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Ice Friction

Pirelli Scorpion Winter

Winner: Pirelli Ice Friction — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Scorpion Winter if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Ice Friction scores 78 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Ice Friction scores 87 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Ice Friction scores 84 vs 69 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Ice Friction scores 83 vs 72 on dry.

Tire A · Pirelli Ice Friction
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Which is better in the wet, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Ice Friction, 76 vs 72 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Ice Friction, 83 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Ice Friction, 81 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 63 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Ice Friction, 84 vs 69 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Ice Friction, 78 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ice Friction or Scorpion Winter?

Pirelli Scorpion Winter, 72 vs 63 on our efficiency 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