63
/ 100
Objective (60%)
76/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
61/100
17 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho WinterCraft WP71 vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
84/100
Owner ratings
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat — better noise, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 89 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 67 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 81 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 61 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP71 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 32
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 85 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 51 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 73
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 10 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 86 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat leads by 34
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP71 | Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 53 | – |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho WinterCraft WP71 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 84 |
| Dry | 80 | 87 |
| Wet | 73 | 88 |
| Snow | 85 | 84 |
| Comfort | 51 | 83 |
| Noise | 10 | 83 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 80 |
| Handling | 53 | 87 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Kumho WinterCraft WP71 receives a polarized reception, with users frequently praising its competent snow and slush performance while expressing significant dissatisfaction regarding road noise and wet-weather handling. While some drivers find it a capable budget-friendly winter option, others report vague steering feedback and a lack of confidence in cornering, particularly on wet surfaces.
Pros
- Strong traction and braking performance in deep snow and slush
- Competitive price point compared to premium winter tire alternatives
- Predictable handling in dry winter conditions
- Generally satisfactory tread wear longevity
Cons
- Excessive road noise, particularly at low to moderate speeds
- Vague or 'spongy' steering feedback and handling characteristics
- Inconsistent lateral grip and understeer issues on wet roads
- Poor performance on ice compared to premium competitors
Observations
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles, such as the Mazda 3 MPS, reported significant handling instability and a lack of precision.
- AWD vehicle owners, such as those with a Kia Sportage, reported higher satisfaction with snow and ice traction than those with FWD setups.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho WinterCraft WP71 | B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Kumho
84
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat — better noise, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat scores 83 vs 10 on noise.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat scores 87 vs 53 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat scores 83 vs 51 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat scores 88 vs 73 on wet.
Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WP71
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho WinterCraft WP71 also compared with
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 Run Flat also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.