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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate 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 2 + 23 road tests and 152 + 35 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 88–74

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Michelin CrossClimate
Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate

All Season

± 6

Tests 75 · 2 tests Owners 74 · 152 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test (noise)

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 91 · 23 tests Owners 85 · 35 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. 76

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 +13
    89
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 17 tests7891
    Reviews found online7486

    CrossClimate: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 73.6 = 76

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 90.6 + 40% × 86.4 = 89

  2. 76

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +17
    93
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 23 tests7595
    Reviews found online7889

    CrossClimate: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 77.9 = 76

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 95.4 + 40% × 88.8 = 93

  3. 69

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    88
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 22 tests7193
    Reviews found online6580

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 65.4 = 69

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.5 + 40% × 79.6 = 88

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +11
    85
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 70 (est.)93
    Reviews found online7680

    CrossClimate: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 75.8 = 74

    Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 93.3 + 60% × 79.5 = 85

    No road tests of comfort for CrossClimate. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 69

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +14
    83
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 17 tests7194
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 83

    No owner ratings of noise for CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5. 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.

  6. 74

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +11
    85
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests7484
    Reviews found online7585

    CrossClimate: 60% × 73.8 + 40% × 74.9 = 74

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 84.8 = 85

  7. 73

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 +15
    88
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Reviews found online7388
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    CrossClimate +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 17 tests7672
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin CrossClimateMichelin Pilot Alpin 5
Relative Score 74 88
Dry 76 89
Wet 76 93
Snow 69 88
Comfort 74 85
Noise 69 83
Treadwear 74 85
Handling (owners) 73 88
Efficiency 76 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
± 6

CrossClimate

± 4

Pilot Alpin 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.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimatePilot Alpin 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 99% #2/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 99% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 90% #7/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% #4/11 · 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test 97% #9/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #9/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 92% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #4/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 91% #5/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 99% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #2/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 100% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 91% #4/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 92% #13/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #4/10 2017 All Season Tyre Test #16/20 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 65% #8/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test 56% #18/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #9/9 2018 ADAC All Season Tyre Test #1/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CrossClimate

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
  • Reliable traction in light snow and cold conditions

Cons

  • Tendency to pick up and retain small stones in the tread pattern
  • Noticeable drop in performance as tread depth decreases
  • Potential for reduced fuel economy compared to dedicated summer tires
All owner themes in the CrossClimate review

Tire B Pilot Alpin 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip for a winter tire, offering summer-tire-like handling characteristics
  • Excellent traction, stability, and handling in snow and alpine conditions
  • Crisp steering response, high precision, and great road feedback

Cons

  • Subpar performance on pure ice and certain slush conditions
  • Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a bumpy ride that transmits minor road imperfections
  • Potential for increased cabin noise or humming at highway speeds
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—81
Rim diameters—16″ – 23″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better snow, wet and handling. Pick the Michelin CrossClimate if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 69 on snow.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 93 vs 76 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 69 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Which is better in the wet, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 93 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 89 vs 76 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 83 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 74 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, CrossClimate or Pilot Alpin 5?

Michelin CrossClimate, 76 vs 72 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