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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Continental WinterContact TS 810 S vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Winter Ultra High Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
94/100
21 professional tests
User signal (40%)
86/100
29 owner reviews
Dry
92
Wet
86
Snow
83
Comfort
87
Noise
47
Treadwear
88
Handling
89

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 — better snow, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 13
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
79
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
92
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Professional tests (TWG score) – 94
Tyre Reviews owners 79 90

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 9
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
77
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
86
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Professional tests (TWG score) – 84
Tyre Reviews owners 77 90

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 55
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
28
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
83
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Professional tests (TWG score) – 79
Tyre Reviews owners 28 88

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 8
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
79
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
87
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Professional tests (TWG score) – 90
Tyre Reviews owners 79 81

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
–
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
47
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Professional tests (TWG score) – 47

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 20
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
68
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
88
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Tyre Reviews owners 68 88

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Alpin 5 leads by 16
A — Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
73
B — Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
89
Why this score
SourceWinterContact TS 810 SPilot Alpin 5
Tyre Reviews owners 73 89

Scores at a glance

Continental WinterContact TS 810 S vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 810 SMichelin Pilot Alpin 5
Relative Score 68 87
Dry 79 92
Wet 77 86
Snow 28 83
Comfort 79 87
Noise – 47
Treadwear 68 88
Handling 73 89

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Continental WinterContact TS 810 S

The Continental WinterContact TS 810 S receives highly polarized feedback, with users divided between praising its comfort and dry-weather performance and criticizing its significant lack of traction in snow and ice. While some drivers find it a capable winter performer, a notable portion of the user base reports that it fails to meet expectations in genuine wintry conditions.

Pros

  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise levels
  • Good braking performance on dry surfaces
  • Strong resistance to tramlining
  • Solid durability and tread life in moderate climates

Cons

  • Poor traction and cornering grip in snow and ice
  • Significant understeer and wheel spin in wet conditions
  • Inconsistent performance in extreme cold temperatures
  • Reported issues with air retention/deflation in sub-zero conditions

Observations

  • Users driving compact vehicles reported satisfactory performance over multiple seasons in varied European winter climates.
  • The tire is noted for being quieter and smoother than performance-oriented summer tires like the Conti Sport Contact 2.
Tire B Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

The Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 is widely regarded as a premier Ultra-High Performance (UHP) winter tire, excelling in dry and wet handling while maintaining strong snow traction. While it offers a driving experience comparable to summer tires, some users find it sacrifices ride comfort and noise levels for its sporty, responsive characteristics.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet road handling
  • Strong traction and stability in snow
  • High level of steering feedback and responsiveness
  • Excellent tread wear longevity for a performance tire

Cons

  • Mediocre performance on pure ice
  • Noticeable road noise and humming at highway speeds
  • Stiffer ride quality compared to comfort-oriented winter tires
  • Poor performance in deep slush

Observations

  • Drivers of heavy vehicles, such as the Audi A8L, report excellent lateral stability but note that braking on hard-packed snow can be compromised compared to dedicated Nordic-style winter tires.
  • Users with staggered wheel setups (e.g., 225 front/255 rear) have reported increased cabin noise and resonance at highway speeds.
  • Performance enthusiasts note that the tire's sidewall design and responsiveness make it ideal for spirited driving, though it may feel 'bumpy' on uneven road surfaces.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental WinterContact TS 810 S B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
CategoryWinter High Performance tiresWinter Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Michelin

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

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 83 vs 28 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 88 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 89 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 scores 92 vs 79 on dry.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 810 S
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.