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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter Response 2 vs Michelin Alpin 7 — 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 2 + 14 road tests and 10 + 12 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Response 2 83, Alpin 7 82.

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Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire ADunlop

Winter Response 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 89 · 2 tests Owners 84 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)

Michelin Alpin 7
Tire BMichelin

Alpin 7

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 14 tests Owners 84 · 12 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2026 AvD 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. 78

    Dry

    Level
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests≈ 74 (est.)76
    Reviews found online8382

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.7 = 78

    Alpin 7: 60% × 75.8 + 40% × 82.1 = 78

    No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 91

    Wet

    Winter Response 2 +5
    86
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 14 tests9386
    Reviews found online8987

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 93.1 + 40% × 88.6 = 91

    Alpin 7: 60% × 85.7 + 40% × 87 = 86

  3. 84

    Snow

    Winter Response 2 +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 14 tests8483
    Reviews found online8480

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 84.1 + 40% × 84.4 = 84

    Alpin 7: 60% × 83 + 40% × 80.1 = 82

  4. 80

    Comfort

    Alpin 7 +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 72 (est.)78
    Reviews found online8585

    Winter Response 2: 40% × 72.1 (est.) + 60% × 85 = 80

    Alpin 7: 40% × 77.9 + 60% × 84.6 = 82

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests–77
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Alpin 7: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 73

    No owner ratings of noise for Alpin 7. 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. 75

    Treadwear

    Alpin 7 +10
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 72 (est.)82
    Reviews found online8189

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75

    Alpin 7: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 88.6 = 85

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Reviews found online8383
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    89
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Alpin 7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests–89
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Winter Response 2Michelin Alpin 7
Relative Score 83 82
Dry 78 78
Wet 91 86
Snow 84 82
Comfort 80 82
Noise – 73
Treadwear 75 85
Handling (owners) 83 83
Efficiency – 89

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
± 6

Winter Response 2

± 4

Alpin 7

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Response 2Alpin 7ΔHead-to-head
Wet Braking Wet 98% #3/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! 95% #10/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 99% #3/31 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! 94% #9/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/51 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! #8/14 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter Response 2

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
  • Excellent wet weather performance and braking
  • High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some users
  • Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
All owner themes in the Winter Response 2 review

Tire B Alpin 7

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and bump absorption
  • Class-leading low noise levels, often compared to summer tires
  • Strong traction and stability on snow and slush

Cons

  • Handling can feel slightly 'floaty' or soft due to sidewall flex
  • Not suitable for extreme Nordic winter conditions (deep ice/heavy snow)
  • Dry braking distances may feel slightly longer compared to dedicated summer tires
All owner themes in the Alpin 7 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Winter Response 2 B · Michelin Alpin 7
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1543
Rim diameters14″ – 16″15″ – 20″
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter Response 2

Michelin Alpin 7

Too close to call: Dunlop Winter Response 2 and Michelin Alpin 7 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Winter Response 2 is stronger on wet. Michelin Alpin 7 is stronger on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 7 scores 85 vs 75 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 91 vs 86 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter Response 2
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Tire B · Michelin Alpin 7
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Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 91 vs 86 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

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

Which is better in snow, Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

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

Which is more comfortable, Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

Neither, by our numbers: 80 vs 82 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Winter Response 2 or Alpin 7?

Michelin Alpin 7, 85 vs 75 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