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Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Firestone WeatherGrip vs Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 24 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin PA3 is ahead, 77–66

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Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin PA3 +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6383

    WeatherGrip: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 65

    Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 73.9 (est.) + 40% × 82.5 = 77

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

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 70

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin PA3 +11
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online7085

    WeatherGrip: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 70

    Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 78.5 (est.) + 40% × 84.9 = 81

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

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    WeatherGrip +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7767

    WeatherGrip: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.5 = 74

    Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 67 = 68

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

    No road tests of snow for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 64

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin PA3 +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6282

    WeatherGrip: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.5 = 64

    Pilot Alpin PA3: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.8 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online69–

    WeatherGrip: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 67

    No road tests of noise for WeatherGrip. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 55

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin PA3 +21
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests56≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online5482

    WeatherGrip: 60% × 56 + 40% × 53.8 = 55

    Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 72 (est.) + 40% × 81.8 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 61

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin PA3 +21
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3
    Reviews found online6182
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone WeatherGripMichelin Pilot Alpin PA3
Relative Score 66 77
Dry 65 77
Wet 70 81
Snow 74 68
Comfort 64 78
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 55 76
Handling (owners) 61 82

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
Neutral
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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WeatherGrip

± 8

Pilot Alpin PA3

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.

DisciplineCategoryWeatherGripPilot Alpin PA3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires #6/7 2011 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WeatherGrip

Pros

  • Outstanding snow and winter weather traction
  • Confident wet weather and rain grip
  • Smooth and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Faster tread wear due to the softer rubber compound
  • Noticeable drop in fuel economy (MPG)
  • Subpar dry pavement performance compared to dedicated summer or standard all-season tires
All owner themes in the WeatherGrip review

Tire B Pilot Alpin PA3

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip on ice, light-to-moderate snow, and wet roads
  • High comfort levels and very low road noise, comparable to summer tires
  • Durable tread life with slow, even wear over thousands of miles

Cons

  • Premium price point that some users find lacking in value
  • Not optimized for deep snow or slow-speed climbing in mountainous 'white' roads
  • Slight loss of braking performance felt on dry roads by some drivers
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin PA3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone WeatherGrip B · Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
CategoryAll WeatherWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available49—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG640 A A—
Treadwear warranty65,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone WeatherGrip

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Firestone WeatherGrip if snow matters most to you. Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 scores 76 vs 55 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 scores 82 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 scores 78 vs 64 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 scores 77 vs 65 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone WeatherGrip
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
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WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Which is better in the wet, WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3, 81 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3, 77 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Firestone WeatherGrip, 74 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3, 78 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WeatherGrip or Pilot Alpin PA3?

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3, 76 vs 55 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