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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Hankook Winter i*cept evo — 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 68 + 28 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Sottozero 3 74, Winter i*cept evo 73.

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Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire APirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 68 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. 76

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests73≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8271

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 70

    No road tests of dry for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 83

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests80≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8778

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76

    No road tests of wet for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Snow

    Winter i*cept evo +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests56≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7982

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.9 = 65

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    No road tests of snow for Winter i*cept evo. 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 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7572

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74

    Winter i*cept evo: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.2 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Winter i*cept evo. 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 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests64–
    Reviews found online82–

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

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept evo +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests57≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7572

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Reviews found online8272
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evo
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests76–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter Sottozero 3Hankook Winter i*cept evo
Relative Score 74 73
Dry 76 70
Wet 83 76
Snow 65 77
Comfort 74 71
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 64 70
Handling (owners) 82 72
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

Winter i*cept evo

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 1 tests that ran both, Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 finished ahead 1 times and Hankook Winter i*cept evo 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Sottozero 3Winter i*cept evoΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/9 #8/9 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2013 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 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 Winter i*cept evo

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and capability in deep snow and ice
  • Favorable price-to-performance/value ratio compared to premium brands
  • Good aquaplaning resistance and handling in heavy rain

Cons

  • Inconsistent or poor wet weather traction reported by some drivers
  • Prone to wheelspin under acceleration in damp or cold conditions
  • Squirmy feel or reduced stability in warmer weather or at high highway speeds
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept evo review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available985
Rim diameters16″ – 21″15″ – 18″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Hankook Winter i*cept evo

Too close to call: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 and Hankook Winter i*cept evo are within 2 points overall. Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is stronger on handling, wet and dry. Hankook Winter i*cept evo is stronger on snow and treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 77 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 72 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 76 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 70 on dry.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo
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Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 77 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter i*cept evo?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 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