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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Continental WinterContact TS 850 — 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 + 57 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 850 leads, 76–74 Narrow edge

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire APirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

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 +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests73≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online8280

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.9 (est.) + 40% × 79.6 = 76

    No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 850. 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 +2
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests81≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online8785

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 87.4 = 83

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.4 (est.) + 40% × 84.5 = 81

    No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 850 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests57≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7972

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.8 + 40% × 79.2 = 66

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71.4 (est.) + 40% × 72.3 = 72

    No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 850 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7680

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.3 + 60% × 75.9 = 74

    WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 71.2 (est.) + 60% × 80.1 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests65–
    Reviews found online82–

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.6 + 40% × 81.9 = 72

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 850 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests56≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7578

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 77.6 = 73

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 850. 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 +2
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Reviews found online8381
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests76–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter Sottozero 3Continental WinterContact TS 850
Relative Score 74 76
Dry 77 76
Wet 83 81
Snow 66 72
Comfort 74 77
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 64 73
Handling (owners) 83 81
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
± 6

Winter Sottozero 3

± 8

WinterContact TS 850

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.

In the overall rankings of 8 tests that ran both, Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 finished ahead 3 times and Continental WinterContact TS 850 5 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Sottozero 3WinterContact TS 850ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/8 #4/8 – 3–5 in 8 shared tests Newest: 2015 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17

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 WinterContact TS 850

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and icy conditions
  • Outstanding performance in wet weather with strong resistance to aquaplaning
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can result in a 'floating' or vague steering feel during cornering
  • Performance degrades noticeably in temperatures above 10-15°C
  • Reports of accelerated shoulder wear, particularly on heavier or RWD vehicles
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 850 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 B · Continental WinterContact TS 850
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available985
Rim diameters16″ – 21″14″ – 16″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Continental WinterContact TS 850

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 850 — better treadwear, snow and comfort. Where the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 73 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 72 vs 66 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 850 scores 77 vs 74 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 850
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Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Neither, by our numbers: 83 vs 81 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 72 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 77 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?

Continental WinterContact TS 850, 73 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