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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 870 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 27 + 3 road tests and 31 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P leads, 81–77 Narrow edge

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Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire AContinental

WinterContact TS 870 P

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Michelin Alpin 5
Tire BMichelin

Alpin 5

Winter

± 6

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)

Category by category

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

  1. 81

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 870 P +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 3 tests8270
    Reviews found online7977

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 79 = 81

    Alpin 5: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 77 = 73

  2. 90

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +7
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 3 tests9380
    Reviews found online8687

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 92.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 90

    Alpin 5: 60% × 79.7 + 40% × 86.8 = 83

  3. 78

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 3 tests7969
    Reviews found online7680

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.2 = 78

    Alpin 5: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 79.5 = 73

  4. 82

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 870 P +7
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8179

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.1 = 82

    Alpin 5: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.5 = 75

    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.

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +12
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 3 tests7860
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

    Alpin 5: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 62

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterContact TS 870 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.

  6. 74

    Treadwear

    Alpin 5 +9
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 2 tests7183
    Reviews found online8084

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 79.9 = 74

    Alpin 5: 60% × 83.1 + 40% × 83.8 = 83

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 870 P +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Reviews found online8378
  8. 86

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +27
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 3 tests8659
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 870 PMichelin Alpin 5
Relative Score 81 77
Dry 81 73
Wet 90 83
Snow 78 73
Comfort 82 75
Noise 74 62
Treadwear 74 83
Handling (owners) 83 78
Efficiency 86 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
± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

± 6

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterContact TS 870 PAlpin 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #6/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% #5/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 100% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test 92% #17/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test 98% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 97% #4/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test 95% #17/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #5/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test 96% #18/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #10/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 95% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 66% #15/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 93% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test 76% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test 68% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #11/20 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test #13/20 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 56% #17/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #1/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test #2/11 2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterContact TS 870 P

Pros

  • Exceptionally low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Outstanding wet weather and slush performance, cutting through heavy rain effortlessly
  • Balanced dry and cold-weather handling with impressive cornering stability

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Steering response and initial stiffness are slightly softer and less sporty than dedicated summer tires or some rivals
  • Snow and ice traction can feel less exceptional or borderline inadequate for a small subset of users
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

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
All owner themes in the Alpin 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P B · Michelin Alpin 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available12117
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″ – 20″
Sizes in common1212

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Michelin Alpin 5

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better efficiency, noise and dry. Pick the Michelin Alpin 5 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 59 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 74 vs 62 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 74 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 81 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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Tire B · Michelin Alpin 5
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WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Which is better in the wet, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 83 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 78 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 82 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Michelin Alpin 5, 83 vs 74 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterContact TS 870 P or Alpin 5?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 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