Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 45 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2009 Sport Auto Performance Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 84–66
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Tests 88 · 18 tests Owners 79 · 30 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 9 in 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)
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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64
Dry
Pilot Alpin 5 +2185Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 88 Reviews found online 61 80 -
72
Wet
Pilot Alpin 5 +1688Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 92 Reviews found online 73 83 -
67
Snow
Pilot Alpin 5 +1885Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 92 Reviews found online 66 75 -
66
Comfort
Pilot Alpin 5 +1177Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 79 Reviews found online 63 74 -
63
Noise
Pilot Alpin 5 +2487Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 100 Reviews found online 59 – -
63
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin 5 +1679Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Professional tests (TWG score) – 81 Reviews found online 61 76 -
67
Handling
Pilot Alpin 5 +1582Why this score
Source SP Winter Sport 3D Pilot Alpin 5 Reviews found online 67 82
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D | Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 84 |
| Dry | 64 | 85 |
| Wet | 72 | 88 |
| Snow | 67 | 85 |
| Comfort | 66 | 77 |
| Noise | 63 | 87 |
| Treadwear | 63 | 79 |
| Handling | 67 | 82 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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
66
/ 100
SP Winter Sport 3D
84
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | SP Winter Sport 3D | Pilot Alpin 5 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/8 · 2009 Sport Auto Performance Winter Tyre Test | 25% #4/9 · 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test | +8.3 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A SP Winter Sport 3D
Pros
- Outstanding grip and traction in deep and packed snow
- Confident handling and braking performance on cold, wet roads
- Great dry-road handling and steering response during winter temperatures
Cons
- High and sometimes unbearable road noise as the tires age
- Degradation of grip and hardening of rubber compound over multiple seasons
- Faster or below-average tread life reported by some drivers
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D | B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 21 | 81 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 16″ – 23″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
84
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better noise, dry and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 63 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 67 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 72 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
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.