Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 14 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — 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 + 3 road tests and 14 + 28 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Alpin 4 is ahead, 80–66
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
66
Dry
Pilot Alpin 4 +1177Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 67 Reviews found online 64 92 Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 91.5 = 77
No road tests of dry for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
71
Wet
Pilot Alpin 4 +1384Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 71 93 Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 71.3 = 71
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 93.2 = 84
No road tests of wet for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
62
Snow
Pilot Alpin 4 +1476Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 56 83 Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 62
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 82.7 = 76
No road tests of snow for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
65
Comfort
Pilot Alpin 4 +1681Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 64 88 Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 65
Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.5 = 81
No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. 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 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
–
Noise
No comparison61Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests – 57 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 61
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 4. 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.
-
68
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin 4 +1280Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 68 89 Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 68
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. 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 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
64
Handling (owners)
Pilot Alpin 4 +2791Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Reviews found online 64 91 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison66Why this score
Source Ultra Grip 8 Performance Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests – 66
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance | Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 80 |
| Dry | 66 | 77 |
| Wet | 71 | 84 |
| Snow | 62 | 76 |
| Comfort | 65 | 81 |
| Noise | – | 61 |
| Treadwear | 68 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 64 | 91 |
| Efficiency | – | 66 |
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
66
/ 100
Ultra Grip 8 Performance
80
/ 100
Pilot Alpin 4
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.
In the overall rankings of 2 tests that ran both, Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance finished ahead 2 times and Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Ultra Grip 8 Performance | Pilot Alpin 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/6 | #2/6 | – | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2012 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
- Low road noise levels compared to competitors
- Strong dry road stability and handling
Cons
- Inconsistent snow and ice traction reported by some users
- Potential for grip degradation as the tire ages
- Reports of increased fuel consumption
Tire B Pilot Alpin 4
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
- Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
- High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some competitors
- Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
- Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance | B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 14 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Raised Black Lettering | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
80
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, comfort and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 91 vs 64 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 81 vs 65 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 76 vs 62 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 84 vs 71 on wet.
Tire A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Which is better in the wet, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 84 vs 71 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 66 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 76 vs 62 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 81 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 68 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