tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV vs Riken Snow — 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 + 4 road tests and 15 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV is ahead, 79–68

Check price on Amazon · Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Snow on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Winter

± 5

Tests 83 · 6 tests Owners 78 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Riken Snow
Tire BRiken

Snow

Winter

± 7

Tests 64 · 4 tests Owners 68 · 9 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 78

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +12
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests76≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8065

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 79.9 = 78

    Snow: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66

    No road tests of dry for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 82

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +15
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 4 tests8264
    Reviews found online8271

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 81.9 = 82

    Snow: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 70.6 = 67

  3. 83

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +12
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests89≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7571

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 88.7 + 40% × 74.6 = 83

    Snow: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 71

    No road tests of snow for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +10
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7763

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.5 = 74

    Snow: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62.5 = 64

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

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

  5. 84

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests97–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 96.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 84

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 SUV. 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. 72

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +4
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7569

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.2 = 72

    Snow: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 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 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 SUV +13
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Reviews found online7966
  8. 63

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5 SUVSnow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests63–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUVRiken Snow
Relative Score 79 68
Dry 78 66
Wet 82 67
Snow 83 71
Comfort 74 64
Noise 84 –
Treadwear 72 68
Handling (owners) 79 66
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
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
± 5

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

± 7

Snow

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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Alpin 5 SUVSnowΔHead-to-head
Wet Braking Wet 93% #4/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 85% #36/55 · 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/10 2025 Auto Motor und Sport Winter Tire Test R18 #36/55 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test – Different tests

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
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 SUV review

Tire B Snow

Pros

  • Exceptional snow, ice, and winter traction
  • High value for the money in the budget tire category
  • Low road noise compared to standard winter tires

Cons

  • Reduced wet-weather braking performance during spirited driving
  • Lower-tier classification compared to premium flagship winter tires
All owner themes in the Snow review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV B · Riken Snow
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available7141
Rim diameters17″ – 23″15″ – 18″
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

Riken Snow

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 82 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 79 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 78 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV scores 83 vs 71 on snow.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Riken Snow
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Snow?

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

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 82 vs 67 on our wet score.

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

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 78 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Snow?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 83 vs 71 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Snow?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, 74 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 SUV or Snow?

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