Tests 76 · 9 tests Owners 72 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P vs Michelin 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 9 + 3 road tests and 20 + 31 owner reviews. How we score
Alpin 5 leads, 77–74 Narrow edge
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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71
Dry
Alpin 5 +273Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 3 tests 71 70 Reviews found online 71 77 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 99% WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 71.2 = 71
Alpin 5: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 77.1 = 73
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84
Wet
WinterContact TS 850 P +183Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests 89 80 Reviews found online 77 87 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 93% 100% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 98% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 99% WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 88.5 + 40% × 77.4 = 84
Alpin 5: 60% × 79.7 + 40% × 86.8 = 83
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73
Snow
Level73Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests 76 69 Reviews found online 68 80 Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 98% 98% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 99% WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 68.4 = 73
Alpin 5: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 79.5 = 73
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70
Comfort
Alpin 5 +676Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 69 79 WinterContact TS 850 P: 40% × 72.3 + 60% × 69 = 70
Alpin 5: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.6 = 76
No road tests of comfort for Alpin 5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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67
Noise
WinterContact TS 850 P +562Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests 67 60 Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 98% WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 67.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 67
Alpin 5: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 62
No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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72
Treadwear
Alpin 5 +1183Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 72 83 Reviews found online 71 84 WinterContact TS 850 P: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 71.2 = 72
Alpin 5: 60% × 83.1 + 40% × 83.7 = 83
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75
Handling (owners)
Alpin 5 +378Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Reviews found online 75 78 -
80
Efficiency
WinterContact TS 850 P +2159Why this score
Source WinterContact TS 850 P Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests 80 59 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 90%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | Michelin Alpin 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 77 |
| Dry | 71 | 73 |
| Wet | 84 | 83 |
| Snow | 73 | 73 |
| Comfort | 70 | 76 |
| Noise | 67 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 83 |
| Handling (owners) | 75 | 78 |
| Efficiency | 80 | 59 |
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
74
/ 100
WinterContact TS 850 P
77
/ 100
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.
In the overall rankings of 2 tests that ran both, Continental WinterContact TS 850 P finished ahead 1 times and Michelin Alpin 5 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinterContact TS 850 P | Alpin 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% | 96% | −1.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 99% | +0.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 93% | 100% | −7.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 95% | 98% | −3.4 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% | 99% | +0.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% | 98% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% | 99% | +0.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 100% | 98% | +1.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 91% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 99% | 90% | +9.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 42% #9/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 68% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #17/20 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | #13/20 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Value | Cost | 71% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/11 | #2/11 | – | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WinterContact TS 850 P
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet and dry conditions
- Low noise levels and high ride comfort
- Predictable handling and good feedback on cold, ungritted roads
Cons
- Faster than expected tread wear reported by some users
- High initial purchase price
- Mixed performance on ice and slush for certain drivers
Tire B Alpin 5
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and winter conditions
- Outstanding wet-weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
- High ride comfort and remarkably low noise levels for a winter tire
Cons
- Soft rubber compound struggles in warm temperatures (above 20°C–25°C), causing cornering smear
- Soft sidewalls reduce precision during aggressive dry handling
- Potential increase in noise and hardening of the rubber compound after 3 years of use
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | B · Michelin Alpin 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 122 | 17 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 - 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 11 | 11 |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
77
/ 100
Michelin Alpin 5
Narrow edge: Michelin Alpin 5 — better treadwear and comfort. Pick the Continental WinterContact TS 850 P if efficiency and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 80 vs 59 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 72 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Alpin 5 scores 76 vs 70 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P scores 67 vs 62 on noise.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 850 P
Tire B · Michelin Alpin 5
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WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 83 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 67 vs 62 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Michelin Alpin 5, 76 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Michelin Alpin 5, 83 vs 72 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 850 P or Alpin 5?
Continental WinterContact TS 850 P, 80 vs 59 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