Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3

Name: Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3
Brand: Pirelli
Rating: 81 (5 reviews)

Premium Touring Winter Winter rated Tested by Tyre Reviews

A premium winter tyre with outstanding wet-road performance, strong braking and reassuring snow traction. Its main compromises are less convincing dry handling and road noise that can become noticeable at speed.

The quick answer

Owners say 81% from 5 owner reviews 60% would buy again Read the reviews

Tests say 2^nd average finish across 7 independent tests · 3 wins Latest: P4 of 12 · 2026 See every test

Strengths & weaknesses Wet, Dry Value, Ice Relative to its rivals across every test we hold

Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated October 2026.

5owner reviews
11,000miles driven
7professional tests

7 photos

Tyre Reviews Score

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3

9.2/10

Better than 91% of winter tyres

High Confidence
7 tests
5 owner reviews

Scores of the 278 winter tyres we have tested

How this score is built

Source	Better than	Weight
Independent tests7 tests · 7 publications · 2025-2026	99%	85%
Owner reviews5 owner reviews · rated 81%	48%	15%
Combined	91%	9.2

A fixed curve turns the combined figure into the 0 to 10 score, so roughly the top 10% of a group score 9 or more.

Category by category

How it compares with other winter tyres in each area, and how much each area counts. 50 is the middle of the group.

Category	Better than	Weight	Tests
WetBraking, handling and aquaplaning in the wet	99%	30%	7
SnowBraking, traction and handling on snow	72%	23%	7
IceBraking, traction and handling on ice	40%	18%	1
DryBraking and handling on dry roads	90%	17%	7
ValueWear, efficiency and cost	44%	6%	7
ComfortNoise and ride comfort	69%	5%	5

Weights are shares of the test result. Owner reviews are blended in afterwards. Faded bars rest on one or two tests.

By discipline

The same results grouped by what the tyre was doing. They are not counted a second time.

BrakingEvery braking test, on any surface	98%	7
HandlingEvery handling test, on any surface	97%	5
TractionEvery traction test, on any surface	73%	6

Confidence

Limited
Medium
High

Its own test results decide 91% of the test figure. The other 9% comes from its predecessor, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2, and it shrinks as more tests arrive.

High needs at least 3 tests, with its own results deciding 90% or more. Medium needs 2 tests and 70%. Anything less is Limited: expect the number to move as tests arrive.

The tests behind it

2026 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test Auto Bild Sportscars · 225/45 R18 P4 / 12
2026 2026 Auto Bild Allrad SUV Winter Tyre Test Auto Bild Allrad · 225/55 R18 P2 / 10
2026 The BEST Winter Tyres for 2026/27 Tyre Reviews · 205/55 R17 P3 / 9
2026 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test AvD · 225/45 R17 P1 / 15
2026 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 ADAC · 225/50 R17 P1 / 16
2026 2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test Auto Express · 205/55 R16 P2 / 11

Show all 7 tests

2025 2025 TUV Test of Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 vs Rivals TUV · 225/45 R17 P1 / 5

All Tests

View Test Results

Tested 7 times by independent publications, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 has taken 3 test wins with an average finish of 2nd.

7 Tests

3 Test Wins

2^nd Average

1^st Best

4^th Worst

Finishing position in each test

The latest test

2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test P4 of 12

The Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 shared fourth place and was rated good. It is the pick for wet braking and solid on dry roads, with snow handling its weakest point.

Strong: Wet Braking Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Every independent test of the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3, newest first
Year	Test	Result	Award
2026	2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre TestAuto Bild Sportscars · 225/45 R18	P4 / 12	gut (Good)
2026	2026 Auto Bild Allrad SUV Winter Tyre TestAuto Bild Allrad · 225/55 R18	P2 / 10	vorbildlich (Exemplary)
2026	The BEST Winter Tyres for 2026/27Tyre Reviews · 205/55 R17	P3 / 9	Tested by Tyre Reviews Highly Rec.
2026	2026 AvD Winter Tyre TestAvD · 225/45 R17	P1 / 15	Testsieger / sehr gut (Test Winner / Very Good)
2026	2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17ADAC · 225/50 R17	P1 / 16	Testsieger / gut (Test Winner / Good)
2026	2026 Auto Express Winter Tyre TestAuto Express · 205/55 R16	P2 / 11
2025	2025 TUV Test of Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 vs RivalsTUV · 225/45 R17	P1 / 5

On the full record: Record by discipline Head-to-head record Every published verdict

Videos

The BEST Winter Tires Tested 2026/27 - Michelin vs Goodyear vs Nokian vs Continental and More

Awards

Highly Recommended

The BEST Winter Tyres for 2026/27

2026 · 205/55 R17

Rated by other publications Test Winner 2 Highly Recommended 1 Recommended 1

In 225/45 R17, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 is projected to cost €18.84 per 1,000 km to buy and run - about €754 over 40,000 km - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test.

Bridgestone Blizzak 6€14.27

Michelin Alpin 7€15.07

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3€18.67

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3€18.84

Tyre purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tyrecost per 1,000 km

Assumes a typical car using 8 l/100km (with rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at €1.65 per litre and €70 fitting per set of four. Purchase prices are from the time of the 2026 test; financing costs are excluded.

Dimensions & Label Scores

View All

Size Range36 sizes available

195-235Width40-65Profile16-20Rim89-106 H-VLoad/Speed Index2025First On Market

EU LabelAcross 36 sizes - the grade depends on the size you buy.

Fuel

B39%

C61%

Wet

A58%

B42%

Noise

72dB B

3PMSF on every size

Frequently Asked Questions

How good is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 in the wet?

Across the 7 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 stops 3.1% shorter than premium rivals, 6% shorter than mid-range rivals and 14.9% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews wet score of 100/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the wet from 5 reviews.

How good is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 in the dry?

Across the 7 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 stops 0.8% shorter than premium rivals, 2.3% shorter than mid-range rivals and 1.4% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews dry score of 90/100, and owners rate it 8.6/10 in the dry from 5 reviews.

How good is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 in the snow?

Across the 7 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 stops 1.9% shorter than premium rivals, 2.4% shorter than mid-range rivals and 6.2% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 6 snow-traction tests, it is 4.1% better than premium rivals, 3.3% better than mid-range rivals and 8.5% better than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews snow score of 72/100, and owners rate it 9.5/10 in the snow from 5 reviews.

How good is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 on ice?

Across the 1 ice-braking test it has featured in, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 stops 1.5% longer than premium rivals, 1.6% shorter than mid-range rivals and 1.9% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews ice score of 40/100, and owners rate it 9/10 on ice from 5 reviews.

How fuel efficient is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3?

Across the 6 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3's rolling resistance is 3.5% higher than premium rivals, 2.4% lower than mid-range rivals and 5.1% lower than budget rivals.

More questions about the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 (9)

How many miles does the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 last?

Based on test and owner data, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 is expected to last around 27,114 miles (43,636 km).

What do owners say about the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3?

Across 5 owner ratings the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 averages 81%. Owners rate Snow Grip highest at 9.5 out of 10 and Comfort lowest at 6.4. 80% of owners score it 70% or better.

How much does the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 cost to run?

In 225/45 R17, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 is projected to cost €18.84 per 1,000 km to buy and run - about €754 over 40,000 km - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2026 AvD Winter Tyre Test. The cheapest to run in that test is the Bridgestone Blizzak 6, at €14.27.

What is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3's EU tyre label rating?

Across its range, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 most commonly carries EU label ratings of C for fuel efficiency, A for wet grip and 72 dB for noise.

How comfortable and quiet are the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3?

Owners rate the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 6.4 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 5 reviews.

How well do the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 wear, according to owners?

Owners rate the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 8.5 out of 10 for wear across 5 reviews.

Would owners buy the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 again?

60% of owners say they would buy the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 again, based on the 5 owner reviews that answered the question. 20% of them gave it the highest possible answer.

What does the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 replace?

The Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 is the successor to the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 in Pirelli's range.

What sizes does the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 come in?

The Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 is available in 36 sizes, ranging from 195-235/40-65 R16-20.

Owner Questions

Ask a question

Sorry, we don't currently have any questions and answers for the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3. Why not submit a question to our tyre experts using the form below!

Please log in to ask a question. Log In · Create Account

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 Owner Reviews

Review this tyre

What owners say summarised from 5 reviews

Drivers generally rate the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 positively, highlighting strong winter capability and a confident, planted feel in snow/ice as well as reassuring grip in wet conditions. Several also note good overall handling and comfort, with some reporting impressive quietness at lower speeds (especially with PNCS). The most consistent drawback is increased road noise as speeds rise (around 100-110 km/h and above), and a couple of users report higher energy consumption on EVs versus summer tyres.

Owners praise

Strong snow and ice traction
Confident grip and stability in wet conditions
Good dry-road handling for a winter tyre
Comfortable ride and generally refined feel (noted by multiple users)

Owners criticise

Noticeable road noise at higher speeds (around 100-110 km/h and above)
Higher energy consumption/rolling resistance versus summer tyres (reported on EVs)

Owner ratings averaged from 5 ratings

Owner score 81%
Snow Grip 95%
Ice Grip 90%
Wet Grip 88%
Dry Grip 86%
Wear 85%
Handling 76%
Road Feedback 70%
Comfort 64%

Featured reviews

Most helpful 90%

“These tyres are great. The car feels confident on the curbs, yet comfortable and very quiet, even at 160kmph. Tried them only on dry and wet and they feel much better compared to Hankook RS3 and Hankook Ventus Prime 4...”

Mazda 3 Skyactiv 2018
1,000 miles

Read full review → 370 found this helpful

All 5 Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 reviews

Score spread across 5 written reviews

71%

Michel April 16, 2026

Initial Impressions

Skoda Superb II combi 2.0 tdi cr
205/55 R16
2,000 miles

Compared to the previous tire (Michelin Alpin 6), the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 offers more grip on snow.
I haven’t yet reached the limit in dry or wet conditions to provide an objective evaluation in those scenarios, but I notice that as lateral forces increase, the steering loses precision, accompanied by a clearly noticeable noise, typical of a winter tire “working”.
I believe this is due to the relatively narrow tread blocks. The car has also become more sensitive to crosswinds, as well as to road camber.
It is a safe tire, but not a particularly fun or precise one.

62%

Member March 26, 2026

Initial Impressions

Kia Motors EV3
215/50 R19
2,000 miles

Very noisy above 110 km/h
higher than expected consumption on an electric vehicle

89%

Pedja March 16, 2026

Initial Impressions

Subaru forester 2.5xt
225/55 R17
5,000 miles

Had the tires for about 6000km, although, I bought them as I bought the new car (Forester XT), so I couldn't compare it with the platform I already knew. Anyway, I've done about 3000km is some bad weather, snow, mountain passes, ice, and I couldn't believe how good the tires were! Yes, there is a new 4x4 beneath me, but even on slopes in deep snow when I tried to accelerate harder (playing to find the grip) the car just goes, didn't stop. On roundabouts cars in front of me were sliding (icy rain that night) but XT stayed planted (low speed of course). With nicer/hotter weather the rain came, and i was expecting a few (uphill) slips here and there (there are quite a few patches that are really steep and slippery concrete here) and the car was planted (I even stopped and continued at the middle of the slope to see how it would've coped, and it was like I was on level ground, not even TC kicked in, nothing). When I got the feel for the car I tried to push it couple of times just to try to see what's it like on the limit, and it's so hard to get any of the systems to activate (ABS, TC, a bit of slip). One time, since I come from 20 years of driving hot hatches, I did enter more aggressive into a long right hand turn during rain, and the back end stepped out but nicely, it wasn't snappy, totally controllable (I know it's not too much of a useful info for this type of car/application, but still). Either way, it can't all be down to the car, tires made the connection with the surface, and the smile on my face (surprise) was the same when I tried Super Sports fro the first time on my JCW more then 10 years ago. Anyway, now I'm thinking of buying Cinturatos for the summer!

Which tyres do you drive?

Researching the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3? Rate the tyres you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.

Own the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3?

I drive something else - review any tyre →

90%

Member November 21, 2025

Mazda 3 Skyactiv 2018
205/60 R16
1,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Spirited

These tyres are great.
The car feels confident on the curbs, yet comfortable and very quiet, even at 160kmph.
Tried them only on dry and wet and they feel much better compared to Hankook RS3 and Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
For braking I don’t feel any difference compared to the summer Hankooks i have, so that’s a good sign.
Can’t wait to test them in the proper winter conditions and i will come back with an update.

72%

Member November 4, 2025

Volkswagen ID3
215/50 R19
1,000 miles
Mostly Country Roads
Average

I equipped this winter tyre on a VW ID3 on the stock 19'' rims. In this dimension the tyre was available with PNCS (Noise reduction foam inside the tyre). The tyre is indeed very silent at low speeds, just as much as the stock (ev-optimized) summer tyres, which is remarkable for a winter. Tyre noise starts to develop from 100 km/h. The dry handling is surprisingly an upgrade over the summer OE Goodyear efficient grip. The rear end is less prone to losing grip under acceleration. The same upgrade is also present in wet conditions. The electric consumption is on the rise compared to the summer tyre, but this could also be attributed to the colder weather. I still have to see what it's capable of on snowy roads. It is simply an excellent tyre to drive with and it pairs very well with the VW ID3.

Menu

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3

The quick answer

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3

How this score is built

Category by category

By discipline

Confidence