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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 3 + 23 road tests and 5 + 34 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 88–70

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Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
Tire AContinental

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Winter

± 7

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test (wet braking)

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 91 · 23 tests Owners 85 · 34 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 31 in 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 70

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    89
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 17 tests6891
    Reviews found online7286

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68 + 40% × 71.9 = 70

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 90.7 + 40% × 86.3 = 89

  2. 75

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +18
    93
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 23 tests7795
    Reviews found online7289

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 71.6 = 75

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 95.4 + 40% × 88.7 = 93

  3. 68

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +20
    88
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 22 tests7693
    Reviews found online5680

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 55.9 = 68

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.3 + 40% × 79.5 = 88

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +14
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 69 (est.)94
    Reviews found online7279

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.3 = 71

    Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 93.8 + 60% × 79.4 = 85

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 63

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +20
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 17 tests6194
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 61.4 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 63

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 94.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 83

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +15
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 69 (est.)84
    Reviews found online7385

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.5 = 70

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 84.8 = 85

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 +17
    88
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Reviews found online7188
  8. 81

    Efficiency

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 17 tests8172
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUVMichelin Pilot Alpin 5
Relative Score 70 88
Dry 70 89
Wet 75 93
Snow 68 88
Comfort 71 85
Noise 63 83
Treadwear 70 85
Handling (owners) 71 88
Efficiency 81 72

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

± 4

Pilot Alpin 5

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #9/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 92% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #2/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 93% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 92% #13/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 68% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 72% #9/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #3/10 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test #1/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Pros

  • Balanced performance across dry and wet conditions
  • Secure handling and positive steering feedback on snow and ice
  • Good overall traction in cold weather environments

Cons

  • Subpar aquaplaning resistance reported by some users
  • Inconsistent grip leading to rear-wheel spin in non-dry conditions
  • Mixed snow and winter slush performance depending on severity
All owner themes in the Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV review

Tire B Pilot Alpin 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip for a winter tire, offering summer-tire-like handling characteristics
  • Excellent traction, stability, and handling in snow and alpine conditions
  • Crisp steering response, high precision, and great road feedback

Cons

  • Subpar performance on pure ice and certain slush conditions
  • Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a bumpy ride that transmits minor road imperfections
  • Potential for increased cabin noise or humming at highway speeds
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—81
Rim diameters—16″ – 23″

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better snow, noise and dry. Pick the Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 68 on snow.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 89 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 93 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 93 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 89 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 83 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 70 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV or Pilot Alpin 5?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV, 81 vs 72 on our efficiency score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology