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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — 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 + 27 road tests and 28 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 870 P leads, 81–79 Narrow edge

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 4

Winter

± 7

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Tire BContinental

WinterContact TS 870 P

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 81 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 870 P +4
    81
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 22 tests6782
    Reviews found online9279

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 92 = 77

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 79 = 81

  2. 84

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 870 P +6
    90
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 27 tests7893
    Reviews found online9486

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.4 + 40% × 93.6 = 84

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 92.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 90

  3. 77

    Snow

    WinterContact TS 870 P +1
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 26 tests7279
    Reviews found online8376

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 83 = 77

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 76.2 = 78

  4. 82

    Comfort

    Level
    82
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 73 (est.)84
    Reviews found online8881

    Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.7 (est.) + 60% × 88.3 = 82

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 40% × 83.9 + 60% × 81.1 = 82

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    WinterContact TS 870 P +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 19 tests5778
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 74

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P. 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. 80

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 4 +6
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 74 (est.)71
    Reviews found online8980

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 88.9 = 80

    WinterContact TS 870 P: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 79.9 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 92

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 4 +9
    83
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Reviews found online9283
  8. 66

    Efficiency

    WinterContact TS 870 P +20
    86
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 21 tests6686
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 4Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Relative Score 79 81
Dry 77 81
Wet 84 90
Snow 77 78
Comfort 82 82
Noise 61 74
Treadwear 80 74
Handling (owners) 92 83
Efficiency 66 86

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Pilot Alpin 4

± 4

WinterContact TS 870 P

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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Alpin 4WinterContact TS 870 PΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 93% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #5/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 97% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/7 · 2025 Die Reifentester Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #5/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 94% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 98% #10/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 86% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 93% #2/10 · 2025 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 54% #11/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #6/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #1/18 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 Pilot Alpin 4

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
  • Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
  • High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
  • Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 4 review

Tire B WinterContact TS 870 P

Pros

  • Exceptionally low noise levels and high ride comfort
  • Outstanding wet weather and slush performance, cutting through heavy rain effortlessly
  • Balanced dry and cold-weather handling with impressive cornering stability

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Steering response and initial stiffness are slightly softer and less sporty than dedicated summer tires or some rivals
  • Snow and ice traction can feel less exceptional or borderline inadequate for a small subset of users
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 870 P review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—121
Rim diameters—16″ – 23″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Narrow edge: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better efficiency, noise and wet. Pick the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 if handling and treadwear matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 86 vs 66 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 74 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 92 vs 83 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 80 vs 74 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 90 vs 84 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 81 vs 77 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 78 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 74 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Neither, by our numbers: 82 vs 82 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 74 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterContact TS 870 P?

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, 86 vs 66 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