Pirelli Ice Zero
275/55 R20 117H DOT 2021  XL  FR  3PMSF  Nordic tyres

The best winter tyre of all time. We live at 1,300 m and drive 6 km each day from the main road through the forest on forestry tracks – only partially cleared in winter and never gritted. Over the last two winters we have got stuck just five or six times and had to fit chains on four occasions. Otherwise absolutely first-class. A clear recommendation for anyone who needs good winter tyres – hunters, foresters, farmers, mountain hut hosts, etc. For SUV drivers who only travel on paved roads, any other tyre will do as well.

Excellent tires even though I was skeptical about the studs. So far I've had to drive on frozen unpaved roads without any problems, both climbing steep hills and descending.

For the rating criteria such as wet grip and dry grip, I only awarded about four stars each. However, these criteria do not reflect the advantages or disadvantages of this tyre. It is a Nordic compound, and anyone who uses this tyre in Germany throughout the winter needs to know what they are getting into. The advantages over Central European compounds only begin at the freezing point. Between 10 °C and 0 °C this tyre is quite soft; it is simply still too warm for it. I often travel in Scandinavia and need a tyre I can use there and, without studs, drive with in the rest of Europe. Essentially, all Scandinavian compounds are the same in this respect, with their softness and squeaking at around 7 °C. Once winter sets in, there are no noteworthy problems with this tyre even in Germany; then it offers only advantages, and compared with Central European compounds it raises nothing but a smile when they continue to struggle. Basically, fit them late and take them off early. Because of the overall construction, fuel consumption is probably higher, but I have not noticed any appreciable increase at the pump. A winter tyre wears faster—this is an old truism. Even here, however, the additional wear remains limited. To anyone unsure whether to choose a Scandinavian compound, I can only recommend trying it despite any doubts. You will be delighted. However, the tyre should also be used north of the Alps. Anyone planning a trip to Spain at Easter will ruin the tread. But after all, these are winter tyres and not all-season, maybe-more-or-less-snow tyres.