Tests 84 · 6 tests Owners 78 · 15 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Hankook Icebear W440 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV vs Hankook Icebear W440 — 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 6 + 0 road tests and 15 + 5 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV is ahead, 78–72
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Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 5 reviews
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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78
Dry
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +870Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 76 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 81 72 Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 76 + 40% × 80.5 = 78
Icebear W440: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70
No road tests of dry for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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82
Wet
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +676Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 82 ≈ 74 (est.) Reviews found online 82 78 Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 82.2 = 82
Icebear W440: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76
No road tests of wet for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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83
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 88 – Reviews found online 75 – Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 88.5 + 40% × 75 = 83
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75
Comfort
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +372Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 77 73 Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.2 = 75
Icebear W440: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.1 = 72
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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86
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 98 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 98.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 86
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. 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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72
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +468Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 75 70 Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 72
Icebear W440: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 68
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. 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 Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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79
Handling (owners)
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +772Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Reviews found online 79 72 -
63
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 SUV Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 63 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV | Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 72 |
| Dry | 78 | 70 |
| Wet | 82 | 76 |
| Snow | 83 | – |
| Comfort | 75 | 72 |
| Noise | 86 | – |
| Treadwear | 72 | 68 |
| Handling (owners) | 79 | 72 |
| Efficiency | 63 | – |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
78
/ 100
Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
72
/ 100
Icebear W440
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Pros
- Exceptional traction and handling on wet and slushy roads
- High tread life and durability over long distances
- Excellent dry road comfort and low noise levels
Cons
- Abrupt loss of grip when reaching the limit on hard-packed snow
- Higher price point compared to some competitors
- Performance can feel less predictable than dedicated Nordic winter tires in extreme ice/snow conditions
Tire B Icebear W440
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Noticeable performance improvement for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cons
- Noticeable 'slippery' sensation during the initial 100-mile break-in period
- Performance is strictly categorized as a budget-friendly option rather than a top-tier premium performer
- Mixed feedback on overall refinement compared to more expensive alternatives
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV | B · Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 71 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 23″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
78
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
72
/ 100
Hankook Icebear W440
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV — better dry, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Hankook Icebear W440 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 78 vs 70 on dry.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 79 vs 72 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 82 vs 76 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 72 vs 68 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Tire B · Hankook Icebear W440
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Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 82 vs 76 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 78 vs 70 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 75 vs 72 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Icebear W440?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 72 vs 68 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