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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — 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 + 18 road tests and 13 + 30 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 87–65

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 90 · 18 tests Owners 82 · 30 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 31 in 2025 ADAC 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. 65

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 +23
    88
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests≈ 66 (est.)91
    Reviews found online6484

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 65

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 91.1 + 40% × 83.7 = 88

    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 0.42).

  2. 70

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +21
    91
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests≈ 70 (est.)94
    Reviews found online7086

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 70

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.5 + 40% × 86.4 = 91

    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).

  3. 58

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +29
    87
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests≈ 63 (est.)94
    Reviews found online5178

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 51 = 58

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 77.7 = 87

    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 0.37).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +13
    78
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 68 (est.)80
    Reviews found online6477

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 63.5 = 65

    Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 79.5 + 60% × 76.8 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    85
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests–97
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 96.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 85

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +17
    84
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 66 (est.)84
    Reviews found online6782

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 67 = 67

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 82.3 = 84

    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 0.35).

  7. 63

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 +22
    85
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Reviews found online6385
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests–74
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Ultra Grip 8 PerformanceMichelin Pilot Alpin 5
Relative Score 65 87
Dry 65 88
Wet 70 91
Snow 58 87
Comfort 65 78
Noise – 85
Treadwear 67 84
Handling (owners) 63 85
Efficiency – 74

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

Ultra Grip 8 Performance

± 4

Pilot Alpin 5

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.

DisciplineCategoryUltra Grip 8 PerformancePilot Alpin 5ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview #2/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

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
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip 8 Performance review

Tire B Pilot Alpin 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip and handling, feeling similar to a UHP summer tire
  • Great snow traction and stability for mountain driving and aggressive winter cornering
  • Excellent steering response and high feedback compared to traditional winter tires

Cons

  • Subpar performance and braking on pure ice or severe slush
  • Stiffer sidewalls can lead to a firmer, sometimes bumpy ride quality and transfer road imperfections
  • Fuel economy can be negatively impacted
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1481
Rim diameters16″ – 18″16″ – 23″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallRaised Black Lettering—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better snow, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 58 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 91 vs 70 on wet.

Tire A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Which is better in the wet, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 91 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 87 vs 58 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 78 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 67 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