Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Alpin 5 vs Vredestein Snowtrac 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 3 + 2 road tests and 31 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Alpin 5 is ahead, 77–70
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Tests 66 · 2 tests Owners 75 · 6 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2018 AMS 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.
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73
Dry
Snowtrac 5 +174Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 70 74 Reviews found online 77 74 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 98% Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 99% 99% Alpin 5: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 77 = 73
Snowtrac 5: 60% × 73.8 + 40% × 74.3 = 74
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83
Wet
Alpin 5 +1172Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 80 67 Reviews found online 87 79 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 95% 90% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 93% 90% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 98% 97% Alpin 5: 60% × 79.7 + 40% × 86.8 = 83
Snowtrac 5: 60% × 66.6 + 40% × 79.4 = 72
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73
Snow
Alpin 5 +172Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 69 70 Reviews found online 80 75 Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 97% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 98% Alpin 5: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 79.5 = 73
Snowtrac 5: 60% × 70 + 40% × 75.3 = 72
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75
Comfort
Alpin 5 +372Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 79 73 Alpin 5: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 78.5 = 75
Snowtrac 5: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.3 = 72
No road tests of comfort for Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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62
Noise
Level62Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 60 59 Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 96% Alpin 5: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 62
Snowtrac 5: 60% × 59.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 62
No owner ratings of noise for Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 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.
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83
Treadwear
Alpin 5 +2261Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests 83 55 Reviews found online 84 70 Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 46% Alpin 5: 60% × 83.1 + 40% × 83.8 = 83
Snowtrac 5: 60% × 54.9 + 40% × 70 = 61
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78
Handling (owners)
Alpin 5 +474Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Reviews found online 78 74 -
59
Efficiency
Snowtrac 5 +1372Why this score
Source Alpin 5 Snowtrac 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 59 72 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 76% 83%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Alpin 5 | Vredestein Snowtrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 77 | 70 |
| Dry | 73 | 74 |
| Wet | 83 | 72 |
| Snow | 73 | 72 |
| Comfort | 75 | 72 |
| Noise | 62 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 83 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 78 | 74 |
| Efficiency | 59 | 72 |
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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Recomputed
Headline score
77
/ 100
Alpin 5
70
/ 100
Snowtrac 5
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 7 tests that ran both, Michelin Alpin 5 finished ahead 5 times and Vredestein Snowtrac 5 2 times.
| Discipline | Category | Alpin 5 | Snowtrac 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 98% | −1.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 99% | −0.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 95% | 90% | +5.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 93% | 90% | +2.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% | 97% | +1.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% | 97% | −1.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 96% | 98% | −2.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Noise | Noise | 95% | 96% | −0.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 100% | 46% | +54.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 76% | 83% | −6.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 68% | 74% | −6.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #13/20 | #19/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Value | Cost | 100% | 50% | +49.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #17/51 | #18/51 | – | 5–2 in 7 shared tests Newest: 2018 51 Winter Tyre Shootout · 195/65 R15 |
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
Tire B Snowtrac 5
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling in deep snow and on icy surfaces
- Strong performance and stability in wet road conditions
- Low road noise levels across various surface types
Cons
- Limited long-term data regarding tread wear longevity
- Perceived as expensive by some users depending on the specific vehicle application
- Inconsistent availability compared to major market leaders
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Alpin 5 | B · Vredestein Snowtrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 17 | 20 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 13″ – 16″ |
| Sizes in common | 2 | 2 |
Which one should you actually buy?
77
/ 100
Michelin Alpin 5
70
/ 100
Vredestein Snowtrac 5
Winner: Michelin Alpin 5 — better treadwear, wet and comfort. Pick the Vredestein Snowtrac 5 if efficiency matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 61 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Vredestein Snowtrac 5 scores 72 vs 59 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 72 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Alpin 5 scores 75 vs 72 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Alpin 5
Tire B · Vredestein Snowtrac 5
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Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Which is better in the wet, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Michelin Alpin 5, 83 vs 72 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 72 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 62 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Michelin Alpin 5, 75 vs 72 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Michelin Alpin 5, 83 vs 61 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Alpin 5 or Snowtrac 5?
Vredestein Snowtrac 5, 72 vs 59 on our efficiency 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