Tests 66 · 10 tests Owners 78 · 66 reviews
Best test result: #13 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Continental WinterContact TS 800 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterContact TS 800 leads, 76–72 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 12 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
Level75Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 73 – Reviews found online 79 79 -
81
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +180Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 80 – Reviews found online 83 84 -
65
Snow
WinterContact TS 800 +974Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 57 – Reviews found online 77 77 -
73
Comfort
WinterContact TS 800 +174Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 72 – Reviews found online 74 79 -
67
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 60 – Reviews found online 78 – -
62
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 800 +971Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Professional tests (TWG score) 56 – Reviews found online 71 75 -
80
Handling
WinterContact TS 800 +181Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 800 Reviews found online 80 81
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | Continental WinterContact TS 800 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 76 |
| Dry | 75 | 75 |
| Wet | 81 | 80 |
| Snow | 65 | 74 |
| Comfort | 73 | 74 |
| Noise | 67 | – |
| Treadwear | 62 | 71 |
| Handling | 80 | 81 |
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.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Winter Sottozero 3
76
/ 100
WinterContact TS 800
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 Sottozero 3 | WinterContact TS 800 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | #2/13 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 | – | 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.
Tire B WinterContact TS 800
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep, fresh, and compressed snow
- Reliable braking and handling performance on wet and icy surfaces
- Impressive tread longevity even under varied driving conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise compared to some summer tire models
- Reduced handling precision and performance when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Soft compound can feel less stable during aggressive dry-weather driving
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 800 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 98 | 6 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 21″ | 13″ – 15″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 800
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 800 — better snow and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Continental WinterContact TS 800 scores 74 vs 65 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Continental WinterContact TS 800 scores 71 vs 62 on treadwear.
Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 800
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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.