Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
In the 5 independent tests that ran both tires, the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 finished ahead 3 times and the SP WinterSport 4D twice.
Performance profile
Their shared tests recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart shows what owners rate each tire on every question.
Where owners rate each higher
SP WinterSport 4D
Winter Sottozero 3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the SP WinterSport 4D 90% from 38 reviews and the Winter Sottozero 3 83% from 59. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 5 tests, 2013 to 2014
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | SP WinterSport 4D | Field | Winter Sottozero 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P1 of 16 | P7 of 16 | |
| 2014 50 Winter Tire Braking Overview | P3 of 49 | P1 of 49 | |
| 2013 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tire Test | P5 of 9 | P1 of 9 | |
| 2013 AMS Sports Winter Tire Test | P3 of 8 | P2 of 8 | |
| 2013 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 225/45 R17 | P7 of 15 | P11 of 15 |
SP WinterSport 4D vs Winter Sottozero 3: your questions
Is the Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D or the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 the better tire?
In the 5 independent tests that ran both tires, the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 finished ahead 3 times and the SP WinterSport 4D twice. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the SP WinterSport 4D scores 8.6 and the Winter Sottozero 3 7.9 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 9.3/10 for the SP WinterSport 4D and 7.6/10 for the Winter Sottozero 3.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the SP WinterSport 4D 90% from 38 reviews and the Winter Sottozero 3 83% from 59. 92% of SP WinterSport 4D owners would buy it again, against 81% for the Winter Sottozero 3.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The SP WinterSport 4D is made in 25 sizes (16 to 21 inch) and the Winter Sottozero 3 in 98 (16 to 21 inch). 20 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the SP WinterSport 4D is graded C for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Winter Sottozero 3 B and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The SP WinterSport 4D is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the Winter Sottozero 3 in 2013. The SP WinterSport 4D replaced the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D.
More comparisons with these tires
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.