Michelin Alpin 5 review
The Michelin Alpin 5 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, praised for its exceptional traction in snow and wet conditions. While users consistently highlight its longevity and comfort, some note that its performance degrades after three years and that the soft compound is not suitable for warm, dry weather.
Owners rate it 13.7 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
84.9%By road tests
71.2%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 30 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Michelin Alpin 5 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, praised for its exceptional traction in snow and wet conditions. While users consistently highlight its longevity and comfort, some note that its performance degrades after three years and that the soft compound is not suitable for warm, dry weather.
Pros
- Exceptional snow and ice traction
- Outstanding wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
- High durability and long tread life
- Excellent ride comfort and low noise levels
Cons
- Performance degradation after 3 years of use
- Soft sidewalls lead to vague handling in corners
- Poor performance and 'smearing' in temperatures above 20°C
- Lack of rim protection
Worth knowing
- Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles like the Mini Cooper S and Skoda Yeti report significant improvements in driving feel and comfort.
- Users note that the tire's soft sidewalls are beneficial for comfort but detrimental to handling precision on sportier vehicle setups.
5 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
11th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 7th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 18th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 20th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 4th of 20 | |
| Noise | 19th of 20 | |
| Value | 1st of 20 | |
| Price | 19th of 20 | |
| Wear | 1st of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 13th of 20 |
2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16
5th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
17th of 51
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2017 ADAC SUV Winter tire Test - 215/65 R16
5th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Snow Handling | 6th of 16 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 3rd of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 3rd of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 3rd of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 6th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 6th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 2nd of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 9th of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 6th of 16 | |
| Wear | 1st of 16 |
2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15
12th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Braking | 4th of 16 | |
| Wear | 1st of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 6th of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 16 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 5th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 5th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 5th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 16 | |
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 5th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 10th of 16 |