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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — 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.

Tire A Goodyear

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+

Winter Ultra High Performance tires

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
88/100
3 owner reviews
Dry
97
Wet
93
Snow
–
Comfort
87
Noise
–
Treadwear
97
Handling
87

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Winter Ultra High Performance tires

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
76/100
6 professional tests
User signal (40%)
85/100
61 owner reviews
Dry
89
Wet
83
Snow
76
Comfort
79
Noise
62
Treadwear
81
Handling
87

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ — better treadwear, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) UltraGrip Ice+ leads by 8
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
97
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
89
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 88
Tire Rack owners – 88
Tyre Reviews owners 97 89
SimpleTire owners – 100

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) UltraGrip Ice+ leads by 10
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
93
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
83
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 77
Tire Rack owners – 90
Tyre Reviews owners 93 90
SimpleTire owners – 98

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
–
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
76
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 71
Tire Rack owners – 85
Tyre Reviews owners – 82
SimpleTire owners – 100

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) UltraGrip Ice+ leads by 8
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
87
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
79
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 78
Tire Rack owners – 84
Tyre Reviews owners 87 79
SimpleTire owners – 100

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
–
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
62
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Professional tests (TWG score) – 38
SimpleTire owners – 98

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) UltraGrip Ice+ leads by 16
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
97
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
81
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Tire Rack owners – 77
Tyre Reviews owners 97 78
SimpleTire owners – 100

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
87
B — Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
87
Why this score
SourceUltraGrip Ice+Winter Sottozero 3
Tyre Reviews owners 87 87

Scores at a glance

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip Ice+Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 93 83
Dry 97 89
Wet 93 83
Snow – 76
Comfort 87 79
Noise – 62
Treadwear 97 81
Handling 87 87

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+

The Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ is highly regarded for its exceptional performance in harsh Nordic and Eastern European winter conditions. Users consistently praise its longevity and reliable traction on snow and ice, positioning it as a top-tier non-studded winter tire.

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and stability on snow-covered and icy roads
  • Exceptional tread longevity, with reports of effective performance over multiple seasons
  • Predictable handling in challenging winter cornering and bends
  • Strong performance in cold, dry conditions after an initial break-in period

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise during the initial break-in period on dry pavement
  • Performance may feel less optimal on dry roads compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires

Observations

  • Proven reliability across diverse vehicle platforms, including compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and premium sedans like the Volvo.
  • Users report consistent performance across various road types, ranging from urban city streets to rural, snow-packed country roads.
Tire B Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

The Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions. Users consistently praise its sporty handling and confidence-inspiring grip, though it is frequently noted that the tire's performance and longevity are compromised if used in warm temperatures or during summer months.

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.
  • Comfortable and relatively quiet ride quality.
  • Aesthetically pleasing design with effective rim protection.

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.
  • High price point compared to some competitors.

Observations

  • Drivers of high-torque, rear-wheel-drive performance vehicles report high satisfaction with the tire's ability to maintain traction and control.
  • Users with staggered fitments on luxury sedans (e.g., BMW 5-series, M240i) note that the tire maintains its sporty character well in cold climates.
  • Some owners of heavier vehicles or those with high-horsepower setups noted that the tire's longevity is significantly reduced under aggressive driving styles.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinter Ultra High Performance tiresWinter Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—32
Rim diameters—17″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear

Pirelli

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ — better treadwear, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ scores 97 vs 81 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ scores 93 vs 83 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ scores 97 vs 89 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+ scores 87 vs 79 on comfort.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice+
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

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.