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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 vs Toyo Snowprox S943 — 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 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 is ahead, 74–63

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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)

Toyo Snowprox S943
Tire BToyo

Snowprox S943

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 7 reviews

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 +15
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests73≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online8258

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

    Snowprox S943: 60% × 63.9 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 62

    No road tests of dry for Snowprox S943. 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 +16
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests81≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8765

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

    Snowprox S943: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 67

    No road tests of wet for Snowprox S943. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Snow

    Winter Sottozero 3 +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests57≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7956

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

    Snowprox S943: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 55.7 = 61

    No road tests of snow for Snowprox S943. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +13
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7657

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

    Snowprox S943: 40% × 66.9 (est.) + 60% × 57 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for Snowprox S943. 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 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests65–
    Reviews found online82–

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

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Snowprox S943 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests56≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7565

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

    Snowprox S943: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Snowprox S943. 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 +27
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Reviews found online8356
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests76–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Winter Sottozero 3Toyo Snowprox S943
Relative Score 74 63
Dry 77 62
Wet 83 67
Snow 66 61
Comfort 74 61
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 64 65
Handling (owners) 83 56
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

Snowprox S943

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Sottozero 3Snowprox S943ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #13/15 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires #15/16 2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter Tyre Test – 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.
All owner themes in the Winter Sottozero 3 review

Tire B Snowprox S943

Pros

  • Strong fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance
  • Reliable handling in cold, dry, and wet road conditions
  • Good tread longevity for some driving styles

Cons

  • Poor traction and grip in snow and icy conditions
  • Increased noise levels, particularly when cornering
  • Inconsistent performance in wet conditions, specifically regarding hydroplaning
All owner themes in the Snowprox S943 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 B · Toyo Snowprox S943
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9835
Rim diameters16″ – 21″14″ – 17″
Tread depth10/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common77

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Toyo Snowprox S943

Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, wet and dry. Where the Toyo Snowprox S943 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Toyo Snowprox S943 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 77 vs 62 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 74 vs 61 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Tire B · Toyo Snowprox S943
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Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 77 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 66 vs 61 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Sottozero 3 or Snowprox S943?

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