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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Alpin 5 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S leads, 76–75 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Alpin 5

Winter

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 77 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #11 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7481
  2. 80

    Wet

    Alpin 5 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)79–
    Reviews found online8381
  3. 72

    Snow

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)69–
    Reviews found online7773
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7776
  5. 63

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)60–
    Reviews found online–74
  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Alpin 5 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)8074
    Reviews found online7678
  7. 76

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 5Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7678
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Alpin 5Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 75 76
Dry 72 76
Wet 80 78
Snow 72 72
Comfort 73 73
Noise 63 69
Treadwear 79 76
Handling 76 78

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Alpin 5

Defender LTX M/S

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 5Defender LTX M/SΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 9% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires −74.2 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 Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Alpin 5 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available17—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Alpin 5

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Too close to call: Michelin Alpin 5 and Michelin Defender LTX M/S are within 2 points overall. Michelin Alpin 5 is stronger on treadwear. Michelin Defender LTX M/S is stronger on noise and dry.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 69 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 5 scores 79 vs 76 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Alpin 5
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon

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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.

76

Narrow edge

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon