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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D vs Michelin Alpin 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Alpin 5 leads, 75–74 Narrow edge

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Tire ADunlop

SP Winter Sport 4D

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 77 · 38 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 14 in 2011 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Alpin 5

Winter

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 77 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    SP Winter Sport 4D +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online7974
  2. 80

    Wet

    Alpin 5 +1
    81
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–79
    Reviews found online8383
  3. 70

    Snow

    Alpin 5 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–69
    Reviews found online7077
  4. 74

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 4D +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Reviews found online8077
  5. 70

    Noise

    SP Winter Sport 4D +7
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–60
    Reviews found online74–
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Alpin 5 +8
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–80
    Reviews found online7576
  7. 80

    Handling

    SP Winter Sport 4D +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5
    Reviews found online8076
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 4DMichelin Alpin 5
Relative Score 74 75
Dry 75 72
Wet 80 81
Snow 70 72
Comfort 74 73
Noise 70 63
Treadwear 71 79
Handling 80 76

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

SP Winter Sport 4D

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.

DisciplineCategorySP Winter Sport 4DAlpin 5ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/14 · 2011 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 90% #2/11 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 −65.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Winter Sport 4D

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability in wet, slushy, and cold dry conditions.
  • Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tire counterparts.
  • High level of ride comfort and refined road manners.

Cons

  • Noticeable 'squirm' or lack of sharpness during high-speed cornering.
  • Occasional reports of understeer in specific wet or icy conditions.
  • Some users noted a 'hard' ride quality compared to previous iterations like the 3D.
All owner themes in the SP Winter Sport 4D 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 · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D B · Michelin Alpin 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2017
Rim diameters16″ – 21″15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D

Michelin Alpin 5

Too close to call: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D and Michelin Alpin 5 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D is stronger on noise, handling and dry. Michelin Alpin 5 is stronger on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 5 scores 79 vs 71 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 70 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 80 vs 76 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 75 vs 72 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin 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.

75

Narrow edge

Alpin 5

Amazon