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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV — 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 0 + 6 road tests and 38 + 15 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: SP Winter Sport 4D 78, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV 79.

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Winter

± 5

Tests 83 · 6 tests Owners 78 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2024 AS SUV 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. 78

    Dry

    Level
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 74 (est.)76
    Reviews found online8480

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 83.6 = 78

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 79.9 = 78

    No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 84

    Wet

    SP Winter Sport 4D +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 81 (est.)82
    Reviews found online8982

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 80.7 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 84

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 81.9 = 82

    No road tests of wet for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 71

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +12
    83
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 71 (est.)89
    Reviews found online7175

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 71

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 88.7 + 40% × 74.6 = 83

    No road tests of snow for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 79

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 4D +5
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8577

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 40% × 71.8 (est.) + 60% × 84.5 = 79

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.5 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    84
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests–97
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 96.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 84

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 76

    Treadwear

    SP Winter Sport 4D +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8275

    SP Winter Sport 4D: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 76

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.2 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 4D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 85

    Handling (owners)

    SP Winter Sport 4D +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Reviews found online8579
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests–63
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 4DMichelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Relative Score 78 79
Dry 78 78
Wet 84 82
Snow 71 83
Comfort 79 74
Noise – 84
Treadwear 76 72
Handling (owners) 85 79
Efficiency – 63

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

SP Winter Sport 4D

± 5

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategorySP Winter Sport 4DPilot Alpin 5 SUVΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview #1/10 2025 Auto Motor und Sport Winter Tire Test R18 – 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 Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and handling on wet and slushy roads
  • High tread life and durability over long distances
  • Excellent dry road comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Abrupt loss of grip when reaching the limit on hard-packed snow
  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Performance can feel less predictable than dedicated Nordic winter tires in extreme ice/snow conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 SUV review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available2071
Rim diameters16″ – 21″17″ – 23″
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

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

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 83 vs 71 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 85 vs 79 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 79 vs 74 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D scores 76 vs 72 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
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SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Which is better in the wet, SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 82 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 78 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 83 vs 71 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 79 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Winter Sport 4D or Pilot Alpin 5 SUV?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, 76 vs 72 on our treadwear 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