Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 finished ahead 3 times and the SP WinterSport 4D not once.
Performance profile
Their shared tests recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart shows what owners rate each tyre on every question.
Where owners rate each higher
SP WinterSport 4D
Pilot Alpin 4
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the SP WinterSport 4D 90% from 38 reviews and the Pilot Alpin 4 94% from 28. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 3 tests, 2011 to 2012
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | SP WinterSport 4D | Field | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Sport Auto Winter Sports Tyre Test | P5 of 8 | P3 of 8 | |
| 2012 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test | P4 of 6 | P2 of 6 | |
| 2011 AMS Winter Tyre Test | P5 of 14 | P3 of 14 |
SP WinterSport 4D vs Pilot Alpin 4: your questions
Is the Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D or the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 the better tyre?
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 finished ahead 3 times and the SP WinterSport 4D not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the SP WinterSport 4D scores 8.6 and the Pilot Alpin 4 8.3 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 9.3/10 for the SP WinterSport 4D and 9.1/10 for the Pilot Alpin 4.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the SP WinterSport 4D 90% from 38 reviews and the Pilot Alpin 4 94% from 28. 92% of SP WinterSport 4D owners would buy it again, against 100% for the Pilot Alpin 4.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The SP WinterSport 4D is made in 25 sizes (16 to 21 inch) and the Pilot Alpin 4 in 47 (17 to 21 inch). 7 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the SP WinterSport 4D is graded C for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Pilot Alpin 4 C and D.
Which is the newer tyre?
The SP WinterSport 4D is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the Pilot Alpin 4 in 2012. The SP WinterSport 4D replaced the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D. The Pilot Alpin 4 replaced the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3.
More comparisons with these tyres
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Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.