it's 15 degrees for the next week here.... which means no use at all for my winter tyres, i'm thinking i put them on too early,

they have only been on 3 days(200miles) but they seems to have already worn down slightly!?

I ran 235/45X17 Conti Sport 3's for the first half of last winter. Fair enough if it was just cold then they were OK but if it was below freezing and there was any sort of frost, snow or ice on the road they were lethal. I've never experienced anything as bad in wintery conditions and I'm old enough to have driven RWD Cortina's and Sierra's through very bad winters.

Going to work at 4.45am with temps below zero I'd be tip toe-ing about with the Conti's scrabbling for grip and the ESP light having a fit. On snow, the slightest incline would have the car grinding to a halt. On the slightly inclinded road to my house the Conti's made it 20 metres at that was it.

I purchased some 205/55x16 Pirelli Sottozero's so I could at least get home and the car drove up the road without a single flash of the ESP light. Braking was unbelieveable, I'd all on stopping at all with the Conti's but the Pirrelli winters pulled up like I was on tarmac.

Outside the harshest weather I found the Pirelli's fine, probably wouldn't handle a blast down a back road as well but felt sure footed and I always found the Conti's were subject to pulling badly and aquaplaning in standing water, the Pirelli's are far better but that may be down do the depper tread and narrower size.

My Conti Sport 3's will be coming off next week and I'll be putting the Pirelli's on. I know I'll feel a lot safer when the snow flake symbol is on the dash and I'm the first car on the road at 4.45am.

Cheers

Lee

Think you've missed my point a bit Lee. Pirelli Sottozero's would definitely be in my premium winter tyre list and one I would certainly purchase if available. As for performance I don't doubt the difference with a quality winter tyre and the change from 235 to 205. Auto Express note the winter tests they did with 205 summer tyres last year allowed the car to easily scale a snowy incline. The 225's this year didn't stand a chance so the wider tyre clearly suffers a great deal more.