Michelin Alpin 6 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+: From the previous articles, we know that Continental’s TS 870 reign supreme compare to Michelin Aplin 6 and Bridgestone Blizzak LM005. We would like to explore another premium competitor this time around which is the Good year’s Ultra Grip 9+. It was release in 2019 which is one year newer compare to Alpin 6 which was launched in 2018. We will use the test magazine results of 2021 Auto Bild middle European winter tire test as our basis for comparison.
The graph above shows the comparison between Michelin Alpin 6 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+. Alpin 6 was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. The tire size chosen for the test is the highly popular 205/55 R16 which is commonly used by Volkswagen Golf (2018) and the Toyota Corolla Altis (2018).
Table of Contents
Snow
As the middle European winter is relatively mild compare to the Nordic regions, snow performance is of high importance as snow usually forms around 0 to 2°C. This is where the Ultra Grip 9+ truly shines with its superior (+5.8%) snow braking performance while being almost equal in snow traction and snow handling. From an overall snow performance, it is clear that the Ultra Grip 9+ is dominant.
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- +5.8% in snow braking
- -0.9% in snow traction
- -0.3% in snow handling
Wet
Apart from snow, the next big requirement is wet as it does rain quite often in middle Europe. While there is a tiny difference in wet braking & wet handling, Ultra Grip 9+ has a clear advantage in aquaplaning.
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- -0.7% in wet braking
- +0.1% in wet handling
- +3.6% in aquaplaning
Dry
Being outplayed in wet & snow performances, Alpin 6 managed to claw back some points by being 3.8% better in dry braking and also 0.9% better in dry handling.
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- –3.8% in dry braking
- -0.9% in dry handling
Wear
Wear results are hard to come by as its a really expensive test but we were lucky enough that Auto Bild has included it into its testing portfolio. Alpin 6 has an expected mileage of 40,100 km while the Ultra Grip 9+ has an expected mileage of 36,600 km. This translates to a -8.7% difference in wear for Ultra Grip 9+ . As the tire mileage depends on a lot factors such as driving behavior, tire alignment & car setup, these results should be treated carefully and with a pinch of salt.
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- -8.7% in wear
Rolling Resistance
As both the tires have a label “C” rating, we would expect not a big difference when it comes to the rolling resistance test. It turns out that Ultra Grip 9+ was 6% better than Alpin 6. The difference between the best C and lowest C label value is around 15%, hence the deviation could be huge even though the labels are the same.
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- +6.1% in rolling resistance
Noise
Both tires were tested for external noise and they are were separated by 0.4 dB with the Alpin 6 quieter than Ultra Grip 9+
Ultra Grip 9+ :
- +0.4 dB in noise
Price
Based on the test report, the prices of the tires were also noted down.
Tire size: 205/55 R16
Alpin 6: € 96
Ultra Grip 9+ : € 80
Difference: +20% cheaper for Ultra Grip 9+
Summary
Apart from wear, noise & dry performances, Ultra Grip 9+ is really dominant in other categories. Its superior snow & wet performances which are the key requirements for middle European winter seal the deal. Our clear recommendation is the Ultra Grip 9+ !