The Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 is a premium ultra high performance winter tire that blends confident cold-weather security with a notably sporty, “summer-like” feel. Across real-world owner feedback and independent testing, it stands out for dependable wet grip and braking, plus reassuring snow traction and stability. It also earns frequent praise for precise steering and high-speed composure, with many drivers reporting impressive tread life over multiple winters. The main caveats are efficiency and value, and in certain fitments it can be more susceptible to aquaplaning and slightly behind the very best for dry braking.
The quick answer
Owners say93%from 28 owner reviews100% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesWet, DrySnow, ComfortRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated December 2025.
How good is the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 in the wet?
Across the 3 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 stops 1.5% shorter than premium rivals, 6.5% shorter than mid-range rivals and 0.4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 82/100, and owners rate it 9.5/10 in the wet from 28 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 in the dry?
Across the 3 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 stops 0.9% longer than premium rivals, 1.3% longer than mid-range rivals and 14.4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 51/100, and owners rate it 9.2/10 in the dry from 28 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 in the snow?
Across the 3 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 stops 0.6% longer than premium rivals, 1.8% shorter than mid-range rivals and 63% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 41/100, and owners rate it 9.2/10 in the snow from 28 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4?
Across the 2 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's rolling resistance is 3.8% higher than premium rivals, 1.5% higher than mid-range rivals and 6.7% higher than budget rivals.
What do owners say about the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4?
Across 28 owner ratings the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 averages 93%. Owners rate Wet Grip highest at 9.5 out of 10 and Comfort lowest at 9.1. 8 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 100% of owners score it 70% or better.
More questions about the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4(10)
What is the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 70 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4?
Owners rate the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 9.1 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 26 reviews.
How well do the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 9.3 out of 10 for wear across 26 reviews. 8 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 4,250 miles.
Would owners buy the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 again?
100% of owners say they would buy the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 again, based on the 28 owner reviews that answered the question. 89% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's snow traction?
Of the 25 owner reviews analyzed for the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 13 mention snow traction: 13 praise it (strong snow traction) and 0 criticise it (weak snow traction). Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's dry grip?
Of the 25 owner reviews analyzed for the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 10 mention dry grip: 10 praise it (strong dry grip) and 0 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "they do not give up the grip, not even a little". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's road noise?
Of the 25 owner reviews analyzed for the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 10 mention road noise: 7 praise it (quiet) and 3 criticise it (noisy). One owner wrote: "very quiet no matter the road". Read those reviews
What does the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 replace?
The Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 is the successor to the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 in Michelin's range.
Questions and Answers for the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
I’m considering winter tires this year in the UK. Ideally, I wanted an all season tire but the Michelin Cross Climate+ are not available in 225/40 R19. Show moreI’m considering winter tires this year in the UK. Ideally, I wanted an all season tire but the Michelin Cross Climate+ are not available in 225/40 R19. Therefore, I am thinking about the PA4’s. Some US tests suggest they are fine under temperatures of 15C and make a great all season tire. That’s a different climate/location though. Or are they really that good in the dry? I want an all season solution. Thanks Show less
September 27, 2019
From the testing I've seen, the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S might make the better all season, winter tire option as it's more dry optimized.
Show all questions(5)
Im currently looking at purchasing new winter tires for my Mercedes E63 wagon. 285/30 r19 There isnt much choice imo, especially winter tires. Show moreIm currently looking at purchasing new winter tires for my Mercedes E63 wagon. 285/30 r19
There isnt much choice imo, especially winter tires. Im Currently running Pirelli slottozero II but fancied the alpin4 or conti 830P but wasnt sure which model was newer and any reason why newer model tires arent being launched in some sizes for powerful vehicles, i also wondered if dropping a size would be ok(more choice 275/35 r19) Or would it mess about with the traction control?
Thanks Show less
September 6, 2019
I believe the Michelin is newer, though the Conti has won more tests. Regarding changing sizes, officially I can't recommend anything due to the amount of variables involved, but it might be worth checking an owners forum.
I am currently looking at winter tires for my Nissan Juke Nismo RS of which the fitment of tire I need would be 225/45R18 Y 95. Show moreI am currently looking at winter tires for my Nissan Juke Nismo RS of which the fitment of tire I need would be 225/45R18 Y 95.
I was wondering if you have any suggestions as to what tire I should be looking at in this fitment as I would have preferred the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 as I love my Michelin Pilot Sport 4's which I currently have and would have thought the Pilot Alpin 4's would have been the ideal winter equivalent to my current tire, but from the research I have done I cannot find the Alpin 4's in this size nor can I even find a Michelin winter tire in this size (I do know about the Michelin CrossClimate+ and they do make it in my fitment but I am looking for a pure winter tire and not an all-season tire).
To cut a long story short I am looking for a premium brand of winter tire and although my preference would have been a tire from Michelin I am open to other suggestions as I really do want a decent winter tire that is the next best class leading alternative. Show less
September 10, 2018
If the Michelin isn't available in your size then there is only one answer, the Continental WinterContact TS850P, which is available in 225/45 R18.
This is probably a lame question, but are these tires Run Flat? Some Tire stores list then in the Run Flat section and Michelin themselves say nothing about such… Show moreThis is probably a lame question, but are these tires Run Flat?
Some Tire stores list then in the Run Flat section and Michelin themselves say nothing about such feature.
I would like to put a set of these on a BMW X3, where there is no spare wheel. Show less
October 23, 2017
There are both runflat and non-runflat versions of the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4. Michelin name their runflat technology ZP, for zero pressure.
I have Michelin pilot Alpin PA4s on my car but I'm unsure if they are mounted correctly. The Outside is correctly on the outside with the curved part of the tread… Show moreI have Michelin pilot Alpin PA4s on my car but I'm unsure if they are mounted correctly. The Outside is correctly on the outside with the curved part of the tread pattern always on the inside of the tire. However because the rotation is different on one side of the car than the other because the wheels are mounted the opposite way round the curved part of the tread faces the opposite way too. Is this just how this asymmetric tread pattern works? Seems strange that the rotational direction should allow the curves splines to be facing what looks like the wrong way on one side of the car. I guess only way to solve would be if two different tread patterns were made for left and right side of the car. But mine are all the same. Would welcome any views? Show less
November 20, 2016
This is normal, and while it might seem counter productive it apparently has no notiable impact in performance. The Uniroyal Rainsport 3 and Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta are more extreme examples of this.
Drivers overwhelmingly praise the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 for delivering ultra-high-performance winter behavior with summer-like precision in the dry and outstanding confidence in the wet. Snow and even light ice traction are consistently described as secure to excellent, while comfort, quietness, and steering feel earn frequent compliments. Many note exceptional tread life with minimal wear over multiple seasons and tens of thousands of kilometers. A few mention slightly higher road noise or isolated high-speed balance sensitivity, but these are minority observations.
What owners mention most counted across 25 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 28 ratings
Owner score93%
Wet Grip95%
Handling95%
Wear93%
Road Feedback93%
Dry Grip92%
Snow Grip92%
Ice Grip91%
Comfort91%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 88%
“First time I'm getting a performance winter tire on a performance car apart from Pirelli Scorpion on Audi SQ5 which were not so good. Summer are on 19" so opted for 18" winter setup on PA4. Comfort is good compared to...”
“Dry braking - very very good stable and safe, even in higher temperatures and speeds. Dry handling - amazing. Literally better than a high end touring tire. In 30°C, and speeds of up to 120kph, on a twisty road, they do...”
Dry braking - very very good stable and safe, even in higher temperatures and speeds.
Dry handling - amazing. Literally better than a high end touring tire. In 30°C, and speeds of up to 120kph, on a twisty road, they do not give up the grip, not even a little
Wet braking - very secure. Never had an issue with wet braking no matter the temperature.
Wet handling - impressive. In almost 0°C in a kind of wet\almost frozen roads, I am able to drive safely and with high confidence of the grip, even with higher speeds. Something I am not able to do in my Tesla M3 Dual Motor with Conti All season contact 1. The term UHP tire definitely fits them.
Snow breaking - nothing impressive but secure.
Snow handling - I've only had the chance to drive the car once for almost 8 years on snow, they handled it, but not with impressive confidence. The fact that it's a UHP winter tire, kind of takes a little from the snow performance to give to wet and dry, which I really like, especially for a central European UHP winter tire
Ice - never used them on ice.
Comfort - very comfortable and quiet tires, despite the car not being a quiet one. No high pitch noises, no weird resonance, no issues at all.
Wear - like all other Michelin tires that I have used, splendid. Used for about 50k km and still have more than 5mm left. Still perform as new.
Definitely recommend them, if you can still find them.
First time I'm getting a performance winter tire on a performance car apart from Pirelli Scorpion on Audi SQ5 which were not so good.
Summer are on 19" so opted for 18" winter setup on PA4. Comfort is good compared to studdless tire (Blizakk, X-ice, GSi6), bumps on roads is well absorbed as a winter tire, and they are not more noisy than my summers. Dry handling is superb for winter tires, same in the wet, it's really good. The road feel is the highlight of those tires, sharp sterring, I forget I'm driving winter tire in good conditions. In to my surprise in wintery conditions, I feel really safe, they car stays controllable. I opted for the PA4 instead of the PA5 by choice. The PA5 might expel water / slush faster as they are directionnal, but they had less feedbacks when I bought.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Bought the tires at the start of this winter season (2023). Fronts are 225/40/R18 rears 255/35/R18. We didn't get too much snow or cold temperatures but still managed to test them on a mountain road with a fair bit of snow which by the end of the day had been blown away and left a thin layer of ice. Tires performed superbly. Car is xDrive which certainly helped going uphill but handling and grip downhill were still very predictable.
Noise is decent, our road surfaces are poor but compared to other tires they do seem to generate more road noise but nothing bothersome.
For a winter tire road feedback and feel is very good, the best I've ever felt. Cannot comment on wear yet as I've only put about 5000km on them so far. But thread is barely worn so I expect they will have a pretty good life.
Only downside is that after ~3000km the car developed a very slight vibration when cruising at above 120kph and a very noticeable shudder under braking from the same speeds and it was fixed by balancing all four tires again. Have never had such behavior before with any car. But a simple balance took care of it and I have had other tires need a second balancing after some initial break in. Overall extremely happy with the tires. Recommend them to anyone that wants a sporty tire with amazing snow performance.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
Exceptionally comfortable, silent tires with excellent road feedback both on dry and wet surfaces. I haven't tried the snow yet and I can't comment on wear.
Fantastic winter tire for everyday use. I have the ZP / run flat version, while using Pirelli P7 run flat for summer. I considered several times not changing the tires back from winter to summer just because how good Michelins are: comfortable, good road feedback, good braking distance, decent road noise (actually can't hear them much ..). Make sure you do a proper tire alignment to avoid unequal tire wear.
During 5 years of use, equal wear for all tires, without caring too much about rotating them. Used them between -20 and +10 (occasionally +20) and performed beautifully.
Thread also looks very nice. About 5-6mm left after 20k km.
Never had issues with snow or ice.
96%
Member
BMW
225/45 R18
500 miles
A Combination of Roads
Average
The best tires I have ever tried. They feel like my Pilot Sport 4S. I love how the handle, they feel so sporty. The handling on snow is like if there is no snow. On ice, the car feels planted, and on dry is where they shine. I love them. I used to have Continental ts830 RFT and honestly I changed them after 1 winter because i felt that they were dangerous. I am glad I picked the Michelin PA4 and not the Michelin X-Ice.
Bmw 520d (190hp) 2013 year.
It's perfect tire !!!!!
92%
Member
Skoda
225/40 R18 W
23,424 miles
Mostly Motorways
Easy Going
I drive these tires since 2014 on my Skoda Octavia Combi vRS TDI M6 FWD 184PS/380NM MY2014. Now they are rolling their 7th season / 37697 km / 23424 mi, still have 5 mm profile and I plan to drive them during the next winter till 2022.
My verdict: a very reliable tire on all weather conditions - great balance of good grip on dry, wet, snow and ice, comfortable and somehow quiet for a winter tire (just a bit louder at 40/80/160km/h).
Sporty handling on dry and cold weather, below 10-15*C, if above 15*C slippery).
Not slippery on wet and cold/warm (in contrast to my old summer tires Bridgestone Potenza S001 (same size, Y speed index).
Very reliable on snow (and maybe ice). I am keen on sporty night driving through the snowy mountains... I actually got in the car and just drive some hundred kilometers just to "slide" on the snowy roads. Those tires are really confident if it comes to active driving on snow. ESP off, side-sliding in the corners, the car keeps its directional stable behavior...
No seesaw pattern at all (I rotate my tires every season)!
Because this is a outdated model I plan to replace this set of tires either with Continental Winter Contact TS 860 S or its successor - the TS 870 in its performance/sport asymmetrical version. The Michlines (Pilot Alpin 5 or the upcoming 6) are out because of their symmetrical pattern.
These were the most expensive and even the most beautiful (thread/sidewall) winter/all season tires I have found for my car. The comfort is superb from the begin to years after. They are also very quiet no matter the road you drive on. Road feedback couldn't be any better that I wish I had that combination of comfort/stability in a track tire. These are marked for speed up to 240 km/h, but don't even think about taking them anywhere over 190 km/h because the deep thread cannot cope with such speeds and starts to shake and wander on the road and probably rapidly wear out. Speaking of thread wear characteristics, it wears somewhat more in the middle exactly where it has less material which could be because I had them mostly lightly overfilled. Driving with these tires on lower specified tire pressure is great when going on bad roads or daily it where you need less responsive ride, but put another 0.2 bar (or equivalent) per tire for a higher specified pressure and it turns the car into a precise sports machine. Would buy them again...
It's a top level winter tire except the above average noise level. It's because of the thread pattern.
Michelin Alpin A4 tires which I had before are quiter than these and a bit better when climbing uphill (They had V shaped pattern).
Very good in the dry and wet, good in snow and ice.
If you do not have a sporty car with lots of power and stiff suspension I think these tires are too much for you, and expensive. I recommend cheaper (not sporty) versions such as Alpin A5.
I run Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 all year round, getting a full year out of them, that's about 30k open road miles. They give great confidence which why they have been my tire of choice for about 4 years. I put new on in December ready for my trip to the Alps and then they stay on all year round (UK). The tire and Bimmer electronics combo makes driving in slippery conditions a breeze (and fun), even when others are struggling.
Despite being RWD (I prefer it) I've never got struck. I also carry chains but have never fitted them other than to prove they will fit. In the mountains on compulsory chains or winters, winters every time! Unfortunately, those with chains inevitably get in the way.
I'm aware they “softâ€, so I don't abuse them apart from the necessary blast when entering a dual carriageway from a minor road. Most of my miles are morning and evening,not mid day sun. I tried Yokos, half the price, half the mileage and no confidence so the Michelin's cost no more per mile plus they are nice to drive and grip better.
