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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — 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 + 28 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 87–79

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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)

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Alpin 4

Winter

± 7

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

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 +11
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 3 tests9167
    Reviews found online8492

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 92 = 77

  2. 91

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 5 +7
    84
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 3 tests9478
    Reviews found online8694

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.4 + 40% × 93.6 = 84

  3. 87

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 5 +10
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 3 tests9472
    Reviews found online7883

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 83 = 77

  4. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 4 +4
    82
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests80≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7788

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.7 (est.) + 60% × 88.3 = 82

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 85

    Noise

    Pilot Alpin 5 +24
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 2 tests9757
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4. 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 +4
    80
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests84≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8289

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

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 88.9 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 4. 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 4 +7
    92
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Reviews found online8592
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    Pilot Alpin 5 +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 5Pilot Alpin 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 2 tests7466
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 5Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Relative Score 87 79
Dry 88 77
Wet 91 84
Snow 87 77
Comfort 78 82
Noise 85 61
Treadwear 84 80
Handling (owners) 85 92
Efficiency 74 66

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Pilot Alpin 5

± 7

Pilot Alpin 4

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 5Pilot Alpin 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 95% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% #1/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test 93% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #2/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 97% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 98% #3/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 96% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #6/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test 94% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 89% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test 86% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance 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 54% #11/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/18 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test #6/11 2019 19 Inch 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 Pilot Alpin 4

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
  • Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
  • High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
  • Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available81—
Rim diameters16″ – 23″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better noise, dry and snow. Pick the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 if handling and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 77 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 87 vs 77 on snow.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 74 vs 66 on efficiency.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 91 vs 84 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 77 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 87 vs 77 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 82 vs 78 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 84 vs 80 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Alpin 5 or Pilot Alpin 4?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 74 vs 66 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