Tire: Winter Sottozero II
Category: Performance Winter / Snow
UTQG (treadwear): Not rated
In terms of winter tires, the Pirelli Winter Sottozero II has one of the widest ranges available. You can typically easily find this tire in sizes from 16" to 20". This is a second generation performance winter tire for Pirelli and was developed for drivers of premium and high performance vehicles. These tires have been manufactured not only for use in places with a lot of snow, but generally as cold weather tires that can be used between the fall and spring seasons (a 9 month tire). Not many winter tires can claim that. The Winter Sottozero being a second generation tire uses new polymers and mixing which means it has a more ecologically friendly manufacturing process. It has also been under the process of Pirelli's Temperature Dynamic Compound that optimizes the tire compound for wet conditions and low temperatures. This tire meets the industry standard for severe snow service requirements and Pirelli recommends that you only install these in sets of four.
Among the competition, the Winter Sottozero II is definitely a top 5 selection. Perhaps it's just a bit more technologically advanced to reach that level? I'm not sure, but the tire performs very well in all sorts of adverse weather conditions. Since this is a newer tire, there are not a lot of data on longevity, but I'd say that from the reports and drivers I've talked to that they've had about average wear compared to other performance winter tires. So I'd expect this tire to last somewhere around 40,000 miles under average winter conditions. Drivers have noted that overall, that these tires will keep your car in line under most snow and ice conditions, and that includes big horsepower sports cars. I've had Porsche and Corvette drivers alike compliment these tires as being exceptional, and if you think you might be running winter tires in the spring and fall, these are definitely ones to look at.
