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)
Nexen WinGuard looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Nexen WinGuard — 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 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–65
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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 +1660Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 73 ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 82 56 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76
WinGuard: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60
No road tests of dry for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
83
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1964Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 80 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 87 62 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83
WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64
No road tests of wet for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
65
Snow
WinGuard +974Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 56 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 79 76 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.8 = 65
WinGuard: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.7 = 74
No road tests of snow for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
74
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +1262Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 75 59 Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74
WinGuard: 40% × 66.8 (est.) + 60% × 59.3 = 62
No road tests of comfort for WinGuard. 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 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 64 – Reviews found online 82 – Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71
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64
Treadwear
WinGuard +165Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 57 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 75 65 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65
No road tests of treadwear for WinGuard. 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 +2557Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Reviews found online 82 57 -
76
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 76 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 65 |
| Dry | 76 | 60 |
| Wet | 83 | 64 |
| Snow | 65 | 74 |
| Comfort | 74 | 62 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 64 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 57 |
| 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
65
/ 100
WinGuard
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 | WinGuard | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | #26/50 2013 Winter Tyre Overview - Braking | – | 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 WinGuard
Pros
- Strong traction and handling in snow-covered conditions
- Noticeable improvement in grip over summer tires in cold weather
- Confidence-inspiring braking performance on mountain passes
Cons
- Mediocre performance on ice
- Poor dry-weather handling when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Occasional difficulty with uphill starts in deep snow
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | B · Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 98 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 21″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
65
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. Pick the Nexen WinGuard if snow matters most to you. Nexen WinGuard rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 57 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 60 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 74 vs 62 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard
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Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 64 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Nexen WinGuard, 74 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or WinGuard?
Neither, by our numbers: 64 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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