tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT — 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 10 + 0 road tests and 66 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Sottozero 3 74, Blizzak LM-25 RFT 73.

Check price on Amazon · Winter Sottozero 3 Check price on Amazon · Blizzak LM-25 RFT
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire APirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 5

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. 77

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests73≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8272

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.9 = 77

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 70

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 83

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +6
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests80≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online8780

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 87.1 = 83

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 75.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.5 = 77

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. 65

    Snow

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT +10
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests56≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7978

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.3 + 40% × 78.5 = 65

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 75

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7670

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.2 + 60% × 75.7 = 74

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 69.5 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 71

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests64–
    Reviews found online82–

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests57≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7572

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.9 = 64

    Blizzak LM-25 RFT: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak LM-25 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +15
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Reviews found online8368
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Blizzak LM-25 RFT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests76–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter Sottozero 3Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
Relative Score 74 73
Dry 77 70
Wet 83 77
Snow 65 75
Comfort 74 69
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 64 70
Handling (owners) 83 68
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
± 5

Winter Sottozero 3

± 8

Blizzak LM-25 RFT

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 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

Tire B Blizzak LM-25 RFT

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep, fresh, or compacted snow and ice
  • Transforms rear-wheel-drive vehicles into capable winter drivers
  • Softer, quieter, and more comfortable ride compared to standard summer run-flat tires

Cons

  • Longer braking distances on dry roads when temperatures rise above freezing
  • Reduced braking performance and handling when temperatures exceed 20 degrees Celsius
  • Prone to ABS and ESP activation on slick ice surfaces
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM-25 RFT review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available98—
Rim diameters16″ – 21″—
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT

Too close to call: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 and Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT are within 2 points overall. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on handling, dry and wet. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT is stronger on snow and treadwear. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 68 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT scores 75 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 77 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 77 on wet.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 77 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT, 75 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

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

Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or Blizzak LM-25 RFT?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT, 70 vs 64 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