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 Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 — 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 + 10 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–63
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Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 10 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 +1462Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 73 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 81 59 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 80.7 = 76
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 59 = 62
No road tests of dry for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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83
Wet
Winter Sottozero 3 +1469Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 80 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 87 68 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 86.5 = 83
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.1 = 69
No road tests of wet for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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65
Snow
Winter Sottozero 3 +263Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests 56 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 79 58 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 78.9 = 65
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 58 = 63
No road tests of snow for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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73
Comfort
Winter Sottozero 3 +1459Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 74 54 Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.4 = 73
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 40% × 65.8 (est.) + 60% × 54.2 = 59
No road tests of comfort for Winter Snow Control Series 3. 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 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 64 – Reviews found online 81 – Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.3 + 40% × 81.3 = 71
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64
Treadwear
Winter Sottozero 3 +361Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 57 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 75 58 Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 61
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Snow Control Series 3. 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 +2260Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Reviews found online 82 60 -
76
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter Sottozero 3 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 76 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 63 |
| Dry | 76 | 62 |
| Wet | 83 | 69 |
| Snow | 65 | 63 |
| Comfort | 73 | 59 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 64 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 60 |
| 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
63
/ 100
Winter Snow Control Series 3
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 | Winter Snow Control Series 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | #6/51 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
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 Winter Snow Control Series 3
Pros
- Superb traction and handling on snow and packed snow
- Very good wet weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- Precise steering feedback and a safe feel during sportive driving
Cons
- Slightly higher noise levels on dry roads compared to some competitors
- Faster or subpar treadwear reported by select users
- Isolated reports of inadequate performance on severe snow or ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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
63
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 62 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 73 vs 59 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
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Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 63 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 73 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 64 vs 61 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