Winter tire handling Updated September 2026

Pirelli Sottozero Serie II review

Name: Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
Brand: Pirelli

± 8

Relative score from owner reviews only

Better than 66% of the winter tires we score.

Owners 72 · 31 reviews analysed

How scores work

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Pirelli Sottozero Serie II has a Relative Score of 71 out of 100 among winter tires. In 11 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 4 times. 31 owner reviews rate it 72 out of 100. 89% would buy it again.

What owners say

No road-test results yet, so every score here comes from owner reviews found online.

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.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

72/100

From 31 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 89%

Dry

Overall dry

Wet

Overall wet

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

Comfort

Overall comfort

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

Handling

Overall handling

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What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 31 owner reviews found online.

The Pirelli Sottozero Serie II is widely praised as a high-performance winter tire that excels in cold, dry, and wet conditions, offering exceptional comfort and low noise levels. While many users appreciate its ability to transform the winter handling of rear-wheel-drive vehicles like BMW and Mercedes, opinions on deep snow and ice performance are more mixed, with a few reviewers noting it performs merely as average in heavier winter weather.

Pros

Exceptional wet and standing water grip with strong resistance to aquaplaning
Surprisingly confident, communicative handling and short braking distances on dry roads
High levels of ride comfort and remarkably low road noise, even on low-profile sizes
Good durability and even tread wear, with several users reporting successful all-season or extended warm-weather usage

Cons

Subpar traction and grip in deep snow or severe ice according to a minority of reviewers
High initial purchase price
Soften up and exhibit slightly reduced predictability or increased noise in warmer temperatures above 7°C (45°F)

Worth knowing

Particularly effective at transforming the winter driveability of high-horsepower rear-wheel-drive luxury sedans (such as Mercedes E-Class and BMW 7 Series) which are notoriously poor in snow.
Low-profile sizes (such as 295/30R20 and 245/35R20 on sports cars like Porsches) maintain high levels of comfort and lower operating temperatures compared to summer counterparts like the P Zero.