7Rank 07 of 8 · Best Winter Tyres 225/45 R17
Michelin Michelin Alpin 7
Fourth at Auto Express 2025 with Michelin's traditional longevity reputation — but the most expensive tyre here, and its label went backwards on noise against the Alpin 6 it replaced.
7.9BPR score
- €157Price
- 4th of 8 (Auto Express 2025, 225/45 R17)Independent test result in 225/45 R17
- 7 of 8in Best Winter Tyres 225/45 R17
- 7.9BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
A good tyre with a curious label history and the highest price in the ranking.
Auto Express 2025 placed it fourth of eight in 225/45 R17. Its predecessor the Alpin 6 finished second of sixteen in the ADAC 2023 test in this same size at 2.2 "gut", with the best environment score of the field at 1.8 and — notably — snow grade A, the only tyre in that test to achieve it alongside the Nokian.
The EU label for 225/45 R17 94V XL FSL reads rolling resistance C, wet grip B, 71 dB, with a 91H version at €146.86. The tyre is listed as EV-suitable.
Here is the curious part. The Alpin 6 in this size measured 69 dB. The Alpin 7 measures 71 dB. On the EU noise scale, which sets class A at least 3 dB below the limit, that is a step in the wrong direction — and it happened on a generational replacement. Michelin will have traded noise for something else, but the label is the label.
The case for it is longevity. Michelin's winter tyres have a long-standing reputation for outlasting rivals, and in our 205/55 R16 research the Alpin 6 recorded the highest projected mileage of the ADAC field at 53,200 km — the only per-tyre kilometre figure ADAC published. No such figure exists for this size, from any test house.
At €156.97 it is the most expensive tyre here — €13 above the Continental, which won this size twice. You are paying for the expectation of longer life, which is reasonable but not measured in 225/45 R17.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Size and index
- 225/45 R17 94V XL FSL, EV-suitable
- EU label - rolling resistance
- C
- EU label - wet grip
- B
- EU label - noise
- 71 dB (class letter not published)
- Markings
- M+S and 3PMSF
- Auto Express 2025 (225/45 R17)
- 4th of 8
- Predecessor Alpin 6 in this size
- 2nd of 16, grade 2.2 gut (ADAC 2023), snow grade A, 69 dB
- 91H version
- EUR 146.86
- Price
- EUR 156.97
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- 4th of 8 at Auto Express 2025 in this exact size
- Predecessor Alpin 6 finished 2nd of 16 in the ADAC 2023 test in this size
- Alpin 6 achieved snow grade A and the best environment score (1.8) in that test
- Michelin's long-standing longevity reputation
- EV-suitable, with a 91H version at €146.86
- M+S and 3PMSF
Worth knowing
- €156.97 — the most expensive tyre in this ranking
- 71 dB against the Alpin 6's 69 dB in the same size — a step backwards
- €13 more than the Continental, which won this size twice
- Rolling resistance C, wet grip B — no label advantage anywhere
- No mileage figure published for this size by any test house
- EPREL number not published
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Winter Tyres 225/45 R17.
| Product | Score | Independent test result in 225/45 R17 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental WinterContact TS 870Top score | 8.8 | 1st of 16 — 2.0 gut (ADAC 2023) and 1st of 8 (Auto Express 2025) | €144 |
| Michelin Alpin 7This product | 7.9 | 4th of 8 (Auto Express 2025, 225/45 R17) | €157 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 8.2 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the Alpin 6 a better buy if I can find it?
Possibly, on the evidence available. In this size the Alpin 6 finished second of sixteen in the ADAC 2023 test at 2.2, with the best environment score in the field, snow grade A and a quieter 69 dB label. The Alpin 7's only result in this size is fourth of eight at Auto Express. If the Alpin 6 is still stocked at a discount it deserves serious consideration — but check the DOT code, since it is being run down.
Why does Michelin cost more?
Historically, for mileage. In our 205/55 R16 research the Alpin 6 recorded 53,200 km projected life at ADAC, the highest in that field and the only per-tyre kilometre figure ADAC published. Spread across a longer service life, a €13 premium per tyre is small. But that figure is from a different size and no equivalent exists for 225/45 R17 — so treat longevity as a reasonable expectation rather than a verified fact.
From the same ranking
Other products in Best Winter Tyres 225/45 R17.
The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
-
No. 018.8/ 10
Continental WinterContact TS 870
The only tyre here to win in this exact size in both test programmes — ADAC 2023 and Auto…
-
No. 028.6/ 10
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
Second at Auto Express 2025 in this size, and the outright winner of the ADAC 2025 test — in…
-
No. 038.5/ 10
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
Third at Auto Express 2025 in this size, at €125.58 — €18 below the Continental. The Enliten…
-
No. 048.2/ 10
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Fourth in the ADAC 2023 test in this exact size at 2.4 "gut", for €111.64 — €32 below the…