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Pirelli Scorpion Winter 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 3 + 10 road tests and 20 + 66 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 74–70 Narrow edge

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Pirelli Scorpion Winter
Tire APirelli

Scorpion Winter

Winter

± 6

Tests 72 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 20 reviews

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

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. 72

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +5
    77
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 8 tests7673
    Reviews found online6782

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 67 = 72

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

  2. 73

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +10
    83
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 10 tests7181
    Reviews found online7587

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 75.4 = 73

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 87.4 = 83

  3. 71

    Snow

    Scorpion Winter +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 10 tests6957
    Reviews found online7379

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 72.5 = 71

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

  4. 69

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +5
    74
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6976

    Scorpion Winter: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 69.2 = 69

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

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests6765
    Reviews found online5882

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 67 + 40% × 58 = 63

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

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Winter Sottozero 3 +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 63 (est.)56
    Reviews found online5875

    Scorpion Winter: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    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 0.35).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +12
    83
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online7183
  8. 72

    Efficiency

    Winter Sottozero 3 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests7276
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Scorpion WinterPirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 70 74
Dry 72 77
Wet 73 83
Snow 71 66
Comfort 69 74
Noise 63 72
Treadwear 61 64
Handling (owners) 71 83
Efficiency 72 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
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Scorpion Winter

± 6

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.

DisciplineCategoryScorpion WinterWinter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #4/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #11/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 88% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 94% #15/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 86% #18/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 95% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 94% #22/30 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 95% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 91% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #11/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 86% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 80% #6/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 54% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/7 2025 Autobild Pirelli All-Terrain Tire Test R19 #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 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

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 · Pirelli Scorpion Winter B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available8898
Rim diameters16″ – 22″16″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi50 psi
Sizes in common1616

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Scorpion Winter

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Narrow edge: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and noise. Pick the Pirelli Scorpion Winter if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 72 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Pirelli Scorpion Winter scores 71 vs 66 on snow.

Tire A · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

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

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 73 on our wet score.

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

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Scorpion Winter, 71 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 72 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 69 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 64 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 72 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