tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Alpin 5 vs Michelin CrossClimate 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

CrossClimate 3 is ahead, 81–75

Check price on Amazon · CrossClimate 3 or Alpin 5 on Amazon
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.

Tire AMichelin

Alpin 5

Winter

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 77 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)

Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 3

All Season

Tests 80 · 5 tests Owners 82 · 3,026 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test (snow braking)

“I have the CC3 sport. They were awesome in the winter. Apparently the sport makes a difference in the summer. Only downside is the amount of spray on the rear and sides after driving in the wet... I have to wash it more often”

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    CrossClimate 3 +10
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7082
    Reviews found online7483
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%98%
  2. 80

    Wet

    CrossClimate 3 +1
    81
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7979
    Reviews found online8384
    Wet Braking (% of best)92%95%
    Wet Handling (% of best)98%92%
  3. 72

    Snow

    CrossClimate 3 +13
    85
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6991
    Reviews found online7776
    Snow Braking (% of best)90%100%
    Snow Handling (% of best)97%100%
  4. 73

    Comfort

    CrossClimate 3 +7
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–77
    Reviews found online7785
  5. 63

    Noise

    CrossClimate 3 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6071
  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Alpin 5 +1
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)8077
    Reviews found online7679
  7. 76

    Handling

    CrossClimate 3 +11
    87
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5CrossClimate 3
    Reviews found online7687
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Alpin 5Michelin CrossClimate 3
Relative Score 75 81
Dry 72 82
Wet 80 81
Snow 72 85
Comfort 73 80
Noise 63 69
Treadwear 79 78
Handling 76 87

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Alpin 5

CrossClimate 3

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryAlpin 5CrossClimate 3ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 96% #11/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 96% #3/8 · 2026 Auto Express All Season Tyre Test +0.5 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #8/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 98% #7/8 · 2026 Auto Express All Season Tyre Test +0.2 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 85% #17/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 96% #4/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test −11.2 Different tests
Noise Other 95% #19/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 99% #8/8 · 2026 Auto Express All Season Tyre Test −4.0 Different tests
Value Other 61% #10/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 64% #11/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test −3.7 Different tests
Wear Other 91% #3/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 93% #3/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test −1.9 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/16 · 2018 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 50% #2/8 · 2026 Auto Express All Season Tyre Test −30.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 90% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test −9.8 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #10/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2026 Auto Express All Season Tyre Test −2.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #6/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 95% #3/9 · 2026 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 225/40 R18 −0.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 0% #5/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #17/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 95% #9/9 · 2026 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 225/40 R18 −2.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 98% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 92% #14/15 · 2025 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test +6.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Alpin 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow and winter conditions
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
  • High ride comfort and remarkably low noise levels for a winter tire

Cons

  • Soft rubber compound struggles in warm temperatures (above 20°C–25°C), causing cornering smear
  • Soft sidewalls reduce precision during aggressive dry handling
  • Potential increase in noise and hardening of the rubber compound after 3 years of use
All owner themes in the Alpin 5 review

Tire B CrossClimate 3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather grip and anti-aquaplaning confidence
  • Noticeably smoother and more comfortable ride compared to standard summer tires or competitors
  • Low road noise despite the aggressive directional tread pattern

Cons

  • Higher price point, though generally considered worth the investment
  • Directional tread pattern tends to pick up and hold small stones
  • Slightly softer sidewall feedback which can reduce precision around sharp bends for some drivers
All owner themes in the CrossClimate 3 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Alpin 5

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate 3

Mixed

Community discussions highlight the Michelin CrossClimate 3 and its Sport variant as strong performers in snow, comfort, and longevity, though some users note compromises in wet and dry braking compared to competitors like the Pirelli SF3. A major point of frustration for North American consumers is Michelin's confirmation that the CC3 series is currently unavailable and has no immediate release timeline in the US. Meanwhile, European users discuss availability, sizing challenges, and performance differences between the standard and Sport models.

r/Mustang ·56 upvotes ·2025-10-10

“Switched to Michelin CC3s for the winter Changed wheels (back to OEMs PP) and tires (Michelin Cross Climate 3s) for the winter season. Decided to change them early this time (temps just dropped below 10C) in order to see how the tires behaved vs summer PZero (it would not be fair to do this at 0C). Only a few hundreds km so I can’t tell about MPG and wear yet but I’m happy with what seems to be good grip and comfort. Noise is louder but I still manage to cope with it (anyway the real culprits here are my Steeda dual rate springs that act like noise amplifiers 😝). Will report back to the group with findings as I plan to track them soon. Read more”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-09-29

“Brand new Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport with sidewall defect Bought new Michelin CrossClimate 3 tires from an official dealer in Romania. One tire already shows a sidewall defect (cracked/missing rubber, no curb hit, no damage from me) I’m mostly worried about the sidewall, since I know that can’t be repaired and could be dangerous. I’m currently in Austria — do you think Michelin will replace this under warranty? Read more”
r/CarTalkUK ·2026-07-27

“Blackcircles - Michelin owned - way cheaper than anywhere else Just arranged 4 Michelin CC3 Sport - over £150 cheaper than nearest other option on Blackcircles.com and hundreds cheapers than many others! So defo worth a look if shopping for Michelin owned or brand tyres! Read more”
Top themes
#North American Availability#Standard vs Sport Variant#Snow and Winter Performance#Wet and Dry Grip#Treadwear and Longevity#Ride Comfort and Noise

Based on 119 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Alpin 5 B · Michelin CrossClimate 3
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1782
Rim diameters15″ – 20″16″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Alpin 5

Michelin CrossClimate 3

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 3 — better snow, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 3 scores 85 vs 72 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 3 scores 87 vs 76 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 3 scores 82 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin CrossClimate 3 scores 80 vs 73 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Alpin 5
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 3
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

81

Leads

CrossClimate 3

Amazon