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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D — 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 22 + 0 road tests and 33 + 45 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 88–67

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 91 · 22 tests Owners 84 · 33 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 +25
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests91≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8460

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 90.7 + 40% × 84.3 = 88

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 63

    No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 92

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / – tests95≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8874

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 94.9 + 40% × 87.9 = 92

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 73.7 = 73

    No road tests of wet for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 88

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests93≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7969

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.4 + 40% × 79 = 88

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69

    No road tests of snow for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 85

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 5 +22
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests94≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7961

    Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 93.7 + 60% × 78.5 = 85

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 84

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +21
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests95≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)58

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 95.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 84

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 57.7 = 63

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5. 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.

    No road tests of noise for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 84

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +22
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests84≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online8460

    Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 84.1 = 84

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 86

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 5 +19
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Reviews found online8667
  8. 72

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5SP Winter Sport 3D
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests72–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
Relative Score 88 67
Dry 88 63
Wet 92 73
Snow 88 69
Comfort 85 63
Noise 84 63
Treadwear 84 62
Handling (owners) 86 67
Efficiency 72 –

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
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

± 7

SP Winter Sport 3D

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 5SP Winter Sport 3DΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test #1/8 2011 Auto Bild 4x4 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 for a winter tire, offering summer-tire-like handling characteristics
  • Excellent traction, stability, and handling in snow and alpine conditions
  • Crisp steering response, high precision, and great road feedback

Cons

  • Subpar performance on pure ice and certain slush conditions
  • Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a bumpy ride that transmits minor road imperfections
  • Potential for increased cabin noise or humming at highway speeds
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 5 review

Tire B SP Winter Sport 3D

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in deep and packed snow
  • Confident handling and braking performance on cold, wet roads
  • Great dry-road handling and steering response during winter temperatures

Cons

  • High and sometimes unbearable road noise as the tires age
  • Degradation of grip and hardening of rubber compound over multiple seasons
  • Faster or below-average tread life reported by some drivers
All owner themes in the SP Winter Sport 3D review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available8121
Rim diameters16″ – 23″16″ – 20″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common99

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

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

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 63 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 84 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 84 vs 63 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
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Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 92 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

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

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or SP Winter Sport 3D?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 62 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