Tests 72 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
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 + 69 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–69
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Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 69 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.
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72
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +476Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 8 tests 76 73 Reviews found online 67 81 Scorpion Winter: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 66.5 = 72
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.8 = 76
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73
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1083Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 10 tests 71 80 Reviews found online 75 87 Scorpion Winter: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 75.2 = 73
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.6 = 83
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70
Snow
Scorpion Winter +466Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 10 tests 69 57 Reviews found online 72 79 Scorpion Winter: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 72.1 = 70
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 79 = 66
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69
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +574Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 69 75 Scorpion Winter: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 68.5 = 69
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
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).
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63
Noise
Winter Sottozero 3 +871Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests 67 64 Reviews found online 58 81 Scorpion Winter: 60% × 67.1 + 40% × 57.5 = 63
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.4 = 71
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61
Treadwear
Winter Sottozero 3 +364Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 58 75 Scorpion Winter: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 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 0.36).
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70
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +1282Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 70 82 -
72
Efficiency
Winter Sottozero 3 +476Why this score
Source Scorpion Winter Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests 72 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Scorpion Winter | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 74 |
| Dry | 72 | 76 |
| Wet | 73 | 83 |
| Snow | 70 | 66 |
| Comfort | 69 | 74 |
| Noise | 63 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 61 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 82 |
| 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.
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NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Scorpion Winter
74
/ 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.
| Discipline | Category | Scorpion Winter | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-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)
Tire B Winter Sottozero 3
Pros
- Excellent wet and slush performance, with strong resistance to aquaplaning and confident, stable braking
- Very good snow traction, with several owners saying it beat previous winter tires such as Nokian, Michelin and Sottozero 2, including on rear-wheel-drive and performance cars
- Sharp, precise steering and dry grip that feels close to a summer tire in cold conditions, which fits its UHP character
Cons
- Tread wear can be fast, especially when the tires are used in warm weather or all year. Some reported 3 mm left after about 27k km, and others reported wear near the indicator after 30,000 km
- Road noise is higher than on summer tires, particularly on the highway, and a few said it increased as the tires wore. Others reported feedback becoming vague and the tires getting louder above about 15°C
- Sidewalls can be vulnerable. Reviewers reported cuts from curb contact, tires that broke on rough roads, and bulges in the sidewall
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Scorpion Winter | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 88 | 98 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 22″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 16 | 16 |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Pirelli Scorpion Winter
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Winner: 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 82 vs 70 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 71 vs 63 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 74 vs 69 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Scorpion Winter
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, 76 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Scorpion Winter, 70 vs 66 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Scorpion Winter or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 71 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