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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Continental IceContact 2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 72–70 Narrow edge

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Tire APirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 78 · 66 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

Tire BContinental

IceContact 2

Winter

Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 69 · 2 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2018 Vi Studded Winter 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. 75

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7371
    Reviews found online7966
  2. 81

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)8070
    Reviews found online8372
  3. 65

    Snow

    IceContact 2 +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)5778
    Reviews found online7775
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)72–
    Reviews found online7463
  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)60–
    Reviews found online78–
  6. 62

    Treadwear

    IceContact 2 +3
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)56–
    Reviews found online7165
  7. 80

    Handling

    Winter Sottozero 3 +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3IceContact 2
    Reviews found online8071
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter Sottozero 3Continental IceContact 2
Relative Score 72 70
Dry 75 69
Wet 81 71
Snow 65 77
Comfort 73 66
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 62 65
Handling 80 71

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Winter Sottozero 3

IceContact 2

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 Sottozero 3IceContact 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −4.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 90% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test +10.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires #5/5 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 94% #22/30 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test 97% #5/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −3.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 91% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −4.2 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 86% #18/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −12.9 Different tests

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 IceContact 2

Pros

  • Excellent traction on snow and ice-covered surfaces
  • Surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride for a studded tire
  • Reliable handling and stability in severe winter conditions

Cons

  • Increased road noise when driving on dry or clean pavement
  • Noticeable degradation in ice grip performance after two seasons of use
  • Requires precise tire pressure maintenance to ensure optimal wet-weather handling
All owner themes in the IceContact 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 B · Continental IceContact 2
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

Continental IceContact 2

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better wet, handling and comfort. Pick the Continental IceContact 2 if snow and treadwear matter most to you.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 2 scores 77 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 81 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 80 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 66 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Continental IceContact 2
Check price on Amazon

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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

72

Narrow edge

Winter Sottozero 3

Amazon