Tests 91 · 23 tests Owners 85 · 35 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 31 in 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 vs Michelin X-Ice Snow 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 23 + 2 road tests and 35 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Alpin 5 is ahead, 88–72
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Tests 68 · 2 tests Owners 77 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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89
Dry
Pilot Alpin 5 +1772Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 2 tests 91 70 Reviews found online 86 74 Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 90.6 + 40% × 86.4 = 89
X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 73.8 = 72
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93
Wet
Pilot Alpin 5 +2667Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 2 tests 95 57 Reviews found online 89 80 Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 95.4 + 40% × 88.8 = 93
X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 57.5 + 40% × 80.3 = 67
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88
Snow
Pilot Alpin 5 +1276Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 2 tests 93 73 Reviews found online 80 81 Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 93.5 + 40% × 79.6 = 88
X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 80.8 = 76
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85
Comfort
Pilot Alpin 5 +1174Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 93 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 80 77 Pilot Alpin 5: 40% × 93.3 + 60% × 79.5 = 85
X-Ice Snow SUV: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 76.9 = 74
No road tests of comfort for X-Ice Snow SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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83
Noise
Pilot Alpin 5 +1172Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 2 tests 94 77 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 83
X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 72
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV. 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.
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85
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin 5 +1570Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 84 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 85 72 Pilot Alpin 5: 60% × 84.4 + 40% × 84.8 = 85
X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for X-Ice Snow SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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88
Handling (owners)
Pilot Alpin 5 +1573Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Reviews found online 88 73 -
72
Efficiency
X-Ice Snow SUV +173Why this score
Source Pilot Alpin 5 X-Ice Snow SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / 2 tests 72 73
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 | Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 88 | 72 |
| Dry | 89 | 72 |
| Wet | 93 | 67 |
| Snow | 88 | 76 |
| Comfort | 85 | 74 |
| Noise | 83 | 72 |
| Treadwear | 85 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 88 | 73 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 73 |
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
88
/ 100
Pilot Alpin 5
72
/ 100
X-Ice Snow 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.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Alpin 5 | X-Ice Snow SUV | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 93% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 97% #9/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 92% #8/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 92% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 88% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 99% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 99% #5/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 93% #5/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | 98% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 92% #13/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #4/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic 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 | 61% #8/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | #5/8 2025 Friction 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
Tire B X-Ice Snow SUV
Pros
- Outstanding traction on snow and ice
- Remarkably low road noise for a winter tire
- Excellent ride comfort
Cons
- Unsuitable for year-round use due to soft compound in warm temperatures
- Reduced handling precision compared to dedicated summer tires
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 | B · Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 81 | 90 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 23″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Sizes in common | 12 | 12 |
Which one should you actually buy?
88
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
72
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better wet, dry and treadwear. Where the Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 93 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 89 vs 72 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 85 vs 70 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 73 on handling.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
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Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 93 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 89 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 88 vs 76 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 83 vs 72 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 74 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, 85 vs 70 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Pilot Alpin 5 or X-Ice Snow SUV?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 73 on the efficiency score, within 3 points.
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