Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 

Using these on my Polestar 2 (sporty EV sedan) for two winter seasons now.

These are the best winter tires I've used so far, period. Super grippy, so they hold traction on snow and ice even when making sportier maneuvers. They can be driven through light snow comfortably at speed, can turn without needing to slow down very much, and they cut through deeper snow perfectly. Braking performance is excellent, stopping distance stays manageable even with the significant weight of my car. They perform similarly in the rain too, so they have a very consistent driving feel.

In dry conditions they perform like sport touring tires, with extreme grip, low rolling resistance, and quiet road sound transference. All of the usual "electric"-tuned tire benefits are here in full force, and these could help more traditional heavy sportscars as well. Though the tires aren't not quite as comfortable or quiet as cold-weather sport tires on dry roads, they're leagues above other ice tires, and still somehow manage almost as much fuel efficiency as the summer sport touring tires that I use.

Overall, I highly recommend these for anyone wanting absolute performance and efficiency during the winter, whether running them on an EV or not.

The best of many snow/winter tires purchased over the last 40 years. New England winters are always a wild card, but the DOT does a great job, so in lower NE, the roads are often dry or wet, more than they are snow and ice during the winter months. Wet, dry, ice and snow are the order for driving priorities, and after driving more ice and snow focused tires, from all the major manufactures, the Sottozeo is the best blend for sports sedans for my area and vehicles.

Bought these in the beginning of the 2025/2026 winter season as my previous winter tires ( continental Viking contact 7 ) were worn. I'm in Maryland and we saw about 2 feet of snow so far and these tires have been superb. In wet slushy snow about 4-5 inches deep i was able to climb with ease, from a stop, an exit ramp that had multiple other vehicles stuck. I was able to clear a foot an a half snow bank created by a snow plow to exit my work in just two attempts. I really only needed one but i wanted to make sure it wasn't going to take my bumper off. after the storm everything has turned to ice and i haven't slid once unless it was intentional. Ill have to see how the tread holds up but these are definitely going to be on my list to re order if the tread holds up.

Killer snow performance. I drove over loveland pass on US-6 during an extreme snow event, and the car never lost traction in deep snow >6". Handled the downhill hairpin turns like a champion.

Also got trapped up in copper mountain off of I-70 during extremely heavy snow. Parked the car in a lot while I waited for the highway to reopen. While waiting, a foot of snow accumulated around the car. When it was time to go, I simply drove off through a foot of new snow and never lost traction.

Slush performance is stellar as well. Driving on slushy roads feels like a dry road.

Once snow compacts into ice, traction suffers heavily. Would not recommend in areas with poor plowing/road treatment, and in extremely cold areas, where snowy roads are commonly left untouched and snow allowed to compact over days, and resulting icy surface does not melt during the day.

Haven't driven these in very wet weather - water experience limited.

Tires are very loud.

Pretty good winter tire. Typical sluggish response to steering input due to softer tire but not blatantly obvious. Exceptional snow traction at various speeds. My car would begin to plow snow with the front bumper before I noticed any traction issues. So far wear has been as expected. I chose this tire due to its positive reviews for dry handling as I do not live in the snow 24/7 and so far it has lived up to these expectations.

These are quiet for snow tires. Pleasantly surprised. Dry traction is not great but that is the tradeoff for great snow performance. Overall very happy.

These tires ride just like my Goodyear Eagle Sport Allseasons in the dry. Responsive and grippy. But in the winter they outcompeted my last snowtires which were Generals. I never had them skid in the NE Ohio winters. They can stand up to highway speeds of 80+ and don’t feel like truck tires like the generals did. They also don’t eat into my gas mileage. They do get a little side to side skippy over snowy roads but that might be the front wheel drive.

Very pleasantly surprised about kow noise, response, and ride

I'm pleased that I chose to reduce wheel diameter while increasing the sidewall depth (while keeping the overall package diameter within less than 2% of stock) in order to get a slightly narrower and better riding combination for the New England winter roads. I had ---- a good experience with these tires after purchasing a set for my wife's 22 Mini Clubman S, that it was a natural choice for the Acura. They're a great combination of ride comfort, low noise, and winter grip while maintaining a solid and predictable steering response (which is unusual for several snow tires) in a car with a tight and responsive chassis.

Much more than the test numbers would have you believe. NVH and daily handling of a performance all season tire with truly safe winter tire chops. That balance is the best I’ve ever seen!

(prior blizzak and Wintersport owner)

+++comfortable
+++ quiet

The winter performance is still that of a true winter tire.


Perfect for me.

Good tire but wears quick with spirited driving.

Purchase these as a set of winter tires to make the Fusion Sport more enjoyable with the snow. Its clear to me these are not snow tires and perform just ok in snow. Dry and cold is where these shine, really a sporty tire and if you toss some rain or light snow or ice they are still really good. Just how they grip on ice is just wow really awesome. Slush is not an issue with these. The bad weak side wall I had two blow outs from Detroit's crumbling roads. Tire rack did a poor job on getting me replacements, my ticket seem to fall though the cracks. Once that was settled the road noise was another issue. First the NVH on the stock tires is very quiet but these have a roar above 60mph, its not really bad but in my quiet car it will be the first thing you notice with them. Think of this tire like a PZero for winter. Would I buy them again not likely but these are cheap next to some others out there. Cant say much about treadwear but I usually go though it at a higher rate then most.