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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Continental WinterContact TS 830 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 18 + 0 road tests and 30 + 38 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 87–72

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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)

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 +16
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests91≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8474

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

    WinterContact TS 830 P: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 74.4 = 72

    No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 830 P. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 91

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +14
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests94≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online8679

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

    WinterContact TS 830 P: 60% × 75.3 (est.) + 40% × 78.9 = 77

    No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 830 P. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 87

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests94≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7866

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

    WinterContact TS 830 P: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 66.4 = 68

    No road tests of snow for WinterContact TS 830 P. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests80≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7775

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

    WinterContact TS 830 P: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 75 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 830 P. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 85

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests97–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

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

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5. 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 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8274

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

    WinterContact TS 830 P: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 73.5 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 830 P. 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 +13
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Reviews found online8572
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5WinterContact TS 830 P
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests74–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5Continental WinterContact TS 830 P
Relative Score 87 72
Dry 88 72
Wet 91 77
Snow 87 68
Comfort 78 73
Noise 85 –
Treadwear 84 71
Handling (owners) 85 72
Efficiency 74 –

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
± 4

Pilot Alpin 5

± 8

WinterContact TS 830 P

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 5WinterContact TS 830 PΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test #3/9 2012 Auto Bild Performance 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 WinterContact TS 830 P

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and control in deep snow, packed snow, and ice
  • Excellent braking performance and stopping power in low temperatures
  • Low road noise and high comfort levels compared to typical winter tires

Cons

  • Occasional complaints of poor wet grip or side-slipping in corners
  • Stiff sidewalls (especially on run-flat variants) can lead to a harsher ride over bumps
  • Some reports of irregular or severe sawtooth wear leading to reduced cornering grip
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 830 P review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 B · Continental WinterContact TS 830 P
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available8164
Rim diameters16″ – 23″15″ – 21″
Sizes in common2323

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Continental WinterContact TS 830 P

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

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 72 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 91 vs 77 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 84 vs 71 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 830 P
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Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 91 vs 77 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

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

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 78 vs 73 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or WinterContact TS 830 P?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 71 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