Pirelli Ice Friction review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 95% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 85 · 4 reviews analysed Road tests 76 · 3 tests
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Pirelli Ice Friction has a Relative Score of 79 out of 100 among winter tires. In 4 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 2 times. Testers rate it best for comfort (86) and weakest for noise (57). 4 owner reviews rate it 85 out of 100. 100% would buy it again.
- Strength: Comfort 86 — 2nd of 20 (2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter tire Test), 9th of 18 (2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test)
Owners rate it 9 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
85/100From 4 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
76/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 4 owner reviews found online.
The Pirelli Ice Friction is highly regarded by Nordic-region drivers for its exceptional snow and ice performance, offering a level of predictability and handling precision that rivals top-tier competitors. Users consistently praise its ability to provide a secure, quiet, and comfortable driving experience, often noting that it eliminates the need for studded tires in challenging winter conditions.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and predictable handling on snow and ice
- High level of steering feedback and control during slides
- Impressively quiet and smooth ride quality
- Strong performance in dry and wet conditions compared to typical Nordic winter tires
Cons
- Ice grip, while excellent for a studless tire, does not fully match the absolute performance of dedicated studded tires
- Limited long-term data available regarding tread wear rates
- Higher price point compared to budget-tier winter tire options
Worth knowing
- Rear-wheel drive vehicle owners reported a significant improvement in stability and a reduction in snap oversteer compared to previous studded tire setups.
- Drivers of hybrid vehicles noted consistent performance in extreme cold temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius.
4 published test appearances (3 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2027 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 215/65R17
2nd of 7
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: NAF Motor
2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
9th of 18
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Aquaplaning | 8th of 18 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 9th of 18 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 10th of 18 | |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | 9th of 18 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 10th of 18 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 9th of 18 | |
| Dry Lane Change | 7th of 18 | |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | 10th of 18 |
Source: Teknikens Värld
2025 Friction Winter tire Test · 235/60 R18
2nd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 1st of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 8 | |
| Noise | 8th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 5th of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 7th of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
8th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Aquaplaning | 15th of 20 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 2nd of 20 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 16th of 20 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 16th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 1st of 20 | |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | 4th of 20 |
Pirelli Ice Friction specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| EU label: wet grip | C |
| EU label: energy | C in 63% of sizes |
| EU label: external noise | 67–70 dB |
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Reviews from our readers
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Pirelli Ice Friction compared
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