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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV — 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 18 + 3 road tests and 30 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 87–70

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 90 · 18 tests Owners 82 · 30 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 31 in 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
Tire BContinental

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Winter

± 7

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 69 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test (wet braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 88

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 5 +18
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 3 tests9168
    Reviews found online8472

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 91.1 + 40% × 83.7 = 88

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68.1 + 40% × 72.4 = 70

  2. 91

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +16
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 3 tests9477
    Reviews found online8672

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.5 + 40% × 86.4 = 91

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 77.1 + 40% × 71.9 = 75

  3. 87

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 3 tests9476
    Reviews found online7856

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 77.7 = 87

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 56.1 = 68

  4. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests80≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7773

    Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 79.5 + 60% × 76.8 = 78

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 73 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 85

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +22
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 3 tests9761
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 96.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 85

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 61.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 63

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P 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.

  6. 84

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +14
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8272

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 82.3 = 84

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.3 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 85

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Reviews found online8571
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV +7
    81
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 3 tests7481
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
Relative Score 87 70
Dry 88 70
Wet 91 75
Snow 87 68
Comfort 78 72
Noise 85 63
Treadwear 84 70
Handling (owners) 85 71
Efficiency 74 81

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
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Pilot Alpin 5

± 7

Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

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 5Winter Contact TS 850 P SUVΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% #1/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test 90% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #2/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 100% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 98% #3/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 96% #3/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 93% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #6/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 96% #8/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 89% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 72% #9/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test 68% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test #3/10 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Pilot Alpin 5

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip and handling, feeling similar to a UHP summer tire
  • Great snow traction and stability for mountain driving and aggressive winter cornering
  • Excellent steering response and high feedback compared to traditional winter tires

Cons

  • Subpar performance and braking on pure ice or severe slush
  • Stiffer sidewalls can lead to a firmer, sometimes bumpy ride quality and transfer road imperfections
  • Fuel economy can be negatively impacted
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 review

Tire B Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Pros

  • Balanced performance across dry and wet conditions
  • Secure handling and positive steering feedback on snow and ice
  • Good overall traction in cold weather environments

Cons

  • Subpar aquaplaning resistance reported by some users
  • Inconsistent grip leading to rear-wheel spin in non-dry conditions
  • Mixed snow and winter slush performance depending on severity
All owner themes in the Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 B · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available81—
Rim diameters16″ – 23″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better noise, snow and dry. Pick the Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 68 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 91 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Tire B · Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV
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Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 91 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 87 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 78 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 70 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Alpin 5 or Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV?

Continental Winter Contact TS 850 P SUV, 81 vs 74 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