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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 — 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 + 13 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 87–47

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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 +41
    47
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests91≈ 54 (est.)
    Reviews found online8435

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 54.3 (est.) + 40% × 35.3 = 47

    No road tests of dry for Ultra Grip Performance 2. 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 +41
    50
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests94≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online8642

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 54.7 (est.) + 40% × 41.8 = 50

    No road tests of wet for Ultra Grip Performance 2. 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 +45
    42
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests94≈ 53 (est.)
    Reviews found online7824

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 53.4 (est.) + 40% × 24.2 = 42

    No road tests of snow for Ultra Grip Performance 2. 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 +27
    51
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests80≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7743

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 40% × 64.3 (est.) + 60% × 42.8 = 51

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 85

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +27
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests97≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)44

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 44.3 = 58

    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.

    No road tests of noise for Ultra Grip Performance 2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 84

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 5 +37
    47
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online8235

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 2: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 34.9 = 47

    No road tests of treadwear for Ultra Grip Performance 2. 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 +43
    42
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Reviews found online8542
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Ultra Grip Performance 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests74–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
Relative Score 87 47
Dry 88 47
Wet 91 50
Snow 87 42
Comfort 78 51
Noise 85 58
Treadwear 84 47
Handling (owners) 85 42
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
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

Ultra Grip Performance 2

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 5Ultra Grip Performance 2ΔHead-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 #4/12 2011 Auto Bild 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 Ultra Grip Performance 2

Pros

  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality on dry and wet tarmac
  • Agile handling and reliable grip in wet conditions and light-to-medium snow
  • Good directional tread design for effective water and slush evacuation

Cons

  • Severely lacking traction and grip on packed snow and ice according to dissatisfied users
  • Triggers frequent ABS activation and wheel spin during acceleration and braking in wintry precipitation
  • Vague handling feel on tarmac for certain drivers
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip Performance 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available816
Rim diameters16″ – 23″16″ – 17″
Tread depth—8/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better snow, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 42 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 42 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 47 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 91 vs 50 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
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Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 91 vs 50 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 47 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 87 vs 42 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 78 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or Ultra Grip Performance 2?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 47 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