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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 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 0 + 10 road tests and 6 + 69 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–65

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

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.

  1. 66

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +10
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6581

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.7 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 70

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +13
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 70 (est.)80
    Reviews found online7087

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 70

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 86.5 = 83

    No road tests of wet for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Snow

    Level
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 67 (est.)56
    Reviews found online6179

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 60.7 = 65

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 78.9 = 65

    No road tests of snow for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 58

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +15
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)72
    Reviews found online5374

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.4 = 58

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.4 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–64
    Reviews found online–81

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.3 = 71

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2 +1
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 66 (est.)57
    Reviews found online6475

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 63.8 = 65

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 47

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +35
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online4782
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 65 74
Dry 66 76
Wet 70 83
Snow 65 65
Comfort 58 73
Noise – 71
Treadwear 65 64
Handling (owners) 47 82
Efficiency – 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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

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
± 8

Winter 210 Sottozero 2

± 6

Winter Sottozero 3

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter 210 Sottozero 2Winter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/10 2010 European Winter Tyre Test #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 Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in cold and wet conditions
  • Reliable performance in snow and ice
  • Maintains characteristic performance over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise compared to other major brands
  • Some users intend to switch to competitor brands like Michelin or Vredestein for future sets
All owner themes in the Winter 210 Sottozero 2 review

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
All owner themes in the Winter Sottozero 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—98
Rim diameters—16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, comfort and wet. Where the Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 65 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 73 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter 210 Sottozero 2 or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 64 on the treadwear 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