Tests 78 · 6 tests Owners 57 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Ice Zero 2 vs Firestone WinterForce — 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 6 + 0 road tests and 3 + 66 owner reviews. How we score
Ice Zero 2 leads, 67–65 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 62 · 66 reviews
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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72
Dry
Ice Zero 2 +1656Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 82 ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 57 50 Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 57.3 = 72
WinterForce: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 49.7 = 56
No road tests of dry for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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73
Wet
Ice Zero 2 +568Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 81 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 61 67 Ice Zero 2: 60% × 80.9 + 40% × 61.1 = 73
WinterForce: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 67 = 68
No road tests of wet for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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71
Snow
WinterForce +374Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 76 ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 63 75 Ice Zero 2: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 63.3 = 71
WinterForce: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 75.4 = 74
No road tests of snow for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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58
Comfort
WinterForce +563Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 72 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 50 60 Ice Zero 2: 40% × 71.6 + 60% × 49.7 = 58
WinterForce: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 59.6 = 63
No road tests of comfort for WinterForce. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Noise
Ice Zero 2 +561Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 65 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) 53 Ice Zero 2: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 66
WinterForce: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 61
No owner ratings of noise for Ice Zero 2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
No road tests of noise for WinterForce. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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56
Treadwear
WinterForce +662Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 49 60 Ice Zero 2: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 49 = 56
WinterForce: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 59.5 = 62
No road tests of treadwear for Ice Zero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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54
Handling (owners)
WinterForce +761Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Reviews found online 54 61 -
70
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ice Zero 2 WinterForce Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 70 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Ice Zero 2 | Firestone WinterForce |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 65 |
| Dry | 72 | 56 |
| Wet | 73 | 68 |
| Snow | 71 | 74 |
| Comfort | 58 | 63 |
| Noise | 66 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 62 |
| Handling (owners) | 54 | 61 |
| Efficiency | 70 | – |
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
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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
67
/ 100
Ice Zero 2
65
/ 100
WinterForce
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ice Zero 2
Pros
- Very good traction and performance on snow
- Reasonably quiet for a studded winter tire
- Adequate performance on wet and salty roads
Cons
- Dangerous slipping on ice at low speeds in cold climates
- Strong, intrusive howling noise at speeds above 95 km/h
- Poor overall handling compared to competing studded winter tires like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta
Tire B WinterForce
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and heavy winter weather
- Great value and affordable price point compared to other winter tires
- Studdable design for enhanced ice and packed snow performance
Cons
- Noticeable tire noise and whirring on dry roads due to the aggressive tread block design
- Softer rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used year-round or in warmer weather
- Softer sidewalls can cause some drifting or vague handling feel on dry pavement
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Ice Zero 2 | B · Firestone WinterForce |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | — | 12/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 44 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Pirelli Ice Zero 2
65
/ 100
Firestone WinterForce
Narrow edge: Pirelli Ice Zero 2 — better dry, wet and noise. Pick the Firestone WinterForce if handling, treadwear and comfort matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Ice Zero 2 scores 72 vs 56 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Firestone WinterForce scores 61 vs 54 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Firestone WinterForce scores 62 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Ice Zero 2 scores 73 vs 68 on wet.
Tire A · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Tire B · Firestone WinterForce
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Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Which is better in the wet, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 73 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 72 vs 56 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Firestone WinterForce, 74 vs 71 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 66 vs 61 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Firestone WinterForce, 63 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ice Zero 2 or WinterForce?
Firestone WinterForce, 62 vs 56 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