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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 vs Pirelli Sottozero Serie II — 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 + 0 road tests and 28 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 4 is ahead, 80–71

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 4

Winter

± 6

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews

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

    Pilot Alpin 4 +6
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests67≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online9272

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.3 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 84

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 4 +7
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests78≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online9479

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 75.5 (est.) + 40% × 79.4 = 77

    No road tests of wet for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 4 +11
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests72≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8364

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 66

    No road tests of snow for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 82

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 4 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8875

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 74.7 = 73

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

  5. 61

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests57–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

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

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 4. 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 +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8971

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 69

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for Sottozero Serie II. 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 +17
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Reviews found online9275
  8. 66

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests66–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 4Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
Relative Score 80 71
Dry 77 71
Wet 84 77
Snow 77 66
Comfort 82 73
Noise 61 –
Treadwear 80 69
Handling (owners) 92 75
Efficiency 66 –

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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Pilot Alpin 4

± 8

Sottozero Serie II

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 2 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 finished ahead 2 times and Pirelli Sottozero Serie II 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Alpin 4Sottozero Serie IIΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/6 #5/6 – 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2012 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test · 225/40 R18

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 Sottozero Serie II

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and standing water grip with strong resistance to aquaplaning
  • Surprisingly confident, communicative handling and short braking distances on dry roads
  • High levels of ride comfort and remarkably low road noise, even on low-profile sizes

Cons

  • Subpar traction and grip in deep snow or severe ice according to a minority of reviewers
  • High initial purchase price
  • Soften up and exhibit slightly reduced predictability or increased noise in warmer temperatures above 7°C (45°F)
All owner themes in the Sottozero Serie II review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 B · Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

Pirelli Sottozero Serie II

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, snow and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 92 vs 75 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 77 vs 66 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 80 vs 69 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 82 vs 73 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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Tire B · Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
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Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 84 vs 77 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 82 vs 73 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 4 or Sottozero Serie II?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 69 on our treadwear 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