Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 69 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (dry braking)
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 69 + 57 owner reviews. How we score
WinterContact TS 850 leads, 76–74 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 57 reviews
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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76
Dry
Winter Sottozero 3 +175Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 73 ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 81 79 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.8 = 76
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.2 = 75
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).
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83
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +281Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 80 ≈ 78 (est.) Reviews found online 87 84 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.6 = 83
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 78.3 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 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).
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66
Snow
WinterContact TS 850 +571Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 57 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 79 72 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 79 = 66
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 71
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 0.32).
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74
Comfort
WinterContact TS 850 +276Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 75 80 Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
WinterContact TS 850: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 79.6 = 76
No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 850. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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71
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 64 – Reviews found online 81 – Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.4 = 71
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64
Treadwear
WinterContact TS 850 +973Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 57 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 75 78 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
WinterContact TS 850: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 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 0.36).
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82
Handling (owners)
Winter Sottozero 3 +181Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Reviews found online 82 81 -
76
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinterContact TS 850 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 76 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | Continental WinterContact TS 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 76 |
| Dry | 76 | 75 |
| Wet | 83 | 81 |
| Snow | 66 | 71 |
| Comfort | 74 | 76 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 64 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 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
74
/ 100
Winter Sottozero 3
76
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Winter Sottozero 3 | WinterContact TS 850 | Δ | Head-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
- Excellent wet and slush performance, with strong resistance to aquaplaning and confident, stable braking
- Very good snow traction, with several owners saying it beat previous winter tires such as Nokian, Michelin and Sottozero 2, including on rear-wheel-drive and performance cars
- Sharp, precise steering and dry grip that feels close to a summer tire in cold conditions, which fits its UHP character
Cons
- Tread wear can be fast, especially when the tires are used in warm weather or all year. Some reported 3 mm left after about 27k km, and others reported wear near the indicator after 30,000 km
- Road noise is higher than on summer tires, particularly on the highway, and a few said it increased as the tires wore. Others reported feedback becoming vague and the tires getting louder above about 15°C
- Sidewalls can be vulnerable. Reviewers reported cuts from curb contact, tires that broke on rough roads, and bulges in the sidewall
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 98 | 5 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 21″ | 14″ – 16″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
76
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 850
Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 850 — better treadwear and snow. 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 71 vs 66 on snow.
Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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: 76 vs 75 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?
Continental WinterContact TS 850, 71 vs 66 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinterContact TS 850?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 76 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
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