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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): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 84–71

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Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

Tests 89 · 18 tests Owners 79 · 30 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2025 High Performance 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. 71

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 +15
    86
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)6889
    Reviews found online7480
    Dry Braking (% of best)94%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)99%99%
  2. 75

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +13
    88
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7692
    Reviews found online7382
    Wet Braking (% of best)98%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%99%
  3. 70

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +16
    86
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)7693
    Reviews found online6275
    Snow Braking (% of best)96%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best)97%100%
    Snow Traction (% of best)93%100%
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +4
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–79
    Reviews found online7674
  5. 64

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +23
    87
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)62100
  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +10
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–81
    Reviews found online7276
  7. 73

    Handling

    Pilot Alpin 5 +9
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5
    Reviews found online7382
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUVMichelin Pilot Alpin 5
Relative Score 71 84
Dry 71 86
Wet 75 88
Snow 70 86
Comfort 73 77
Noise 64 87
Treadwear 69 79
Handling 73 82

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Pilot Alpin 5

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Contact TS 850 P SUVPilot Alpin 5ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 94% #8/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test −5.8 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #4/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test −0.5 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 89% #4/9 · 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test +11.2 Different tests
Noise Other 97% #6/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Price Other 68% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 63% #8/8 · 2022 AMS Winter Tyre Test +4.8 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/8 · 2015 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test 50% #2/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test −16.7 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #6/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #4/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #3/10 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test −3.0 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 93% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2025 AZ Performance Winter Tyre Test −6.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test −10.4 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #3/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test −0.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test +0.6 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 and handling, feeling similar to a UHP summer tire
  • Great snow traction and stability for mountain driving and aggressive winter cornering
  • Excellent steering response and high feedback compared to traditional winter tires

Cons

  • Subpar performance and braking on pure ice or severe slush
  • Stiffer sidewalls can lead to a firmer, sometimes bumpy ride quality and transfer road imperfections
  • Fuel economy can be negatively impacted
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 noise, snow and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 64 on noise.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 86 vs 70 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 86 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 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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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.

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

84

Leads

Pilot Alpin 5

Amazon