Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 10 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 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 10 + 66 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–64
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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.
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62
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +1577Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 60 82 Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.5 = 62
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 82.3 = 77
No road tests of dry for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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69
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1483Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 81 Reviews found online 68 87 Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 69
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 87.4 = 83
No road tests of wet for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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63
Snow
Winter Sottozero 3 +366Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 57 Reviews found online 58 79 Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 63
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.8 + 40% × 79.2 = 66
No road tests of snow for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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60
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +1474Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 55 76 Winter Snow Control Series 3: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.9 = 60
Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.3 + 60% × 75.9 = 74
No road tests of comfort for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison72Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 65 Reviews found online – 82 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.6 + 40% × 81.9 = 72
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61
Treadwear
Winter Sottozero 3 +364Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 56 Reviews found online 58 75 Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61
Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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61
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +2283Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Reviews found online 61 83 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source Winter Snow Control Series 3 Winter Sottozero 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 74 |
| Dry | 62 | 77 |
| Wet | 69 | 83 |
| Snow | 63 | 66 |
| Comfort | 60 | 74 |
| Noise | – | 72 |
| Treadwear | 61 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 61 | 83 |
| 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
64
/ 100
Winter Snow Control Series 3
74
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Winter Snow Control Series 3 | Winter Sottozero 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/51 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | #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 Snow Control Series 3
Pros
- Superb traction and handling on snow and packed snow
- Very good wet weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- Precise steering feedback and a safe feel during sportive driving
Cons
- Slightly higher noise levels on dry roads compared to some competitors
- Faster or subpar treadwear reported by select users
- Isolated reports of inadequate performance on severe snow or ice
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.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger 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?
64
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 61 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 77 vs 62 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 74 vs 60 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Which is better in the wet, Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 66 vs 63 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 60 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter Snow Control Series 3 or Winter Sottozero 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 64 vs 61 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