Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone DriveGuard vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 81–64

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DriveGuard

Summer

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 58 · 46 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 80 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,601 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“Best alternative to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Time for some new tires and it seems like the pilot sport 4s is backordered everywhere in 235/45-17 or similar sizes. Been using the pilot super sport for a few summers and love them so just wanted to get basically the same thing. What other tire in that size is the next closest thing? Some of the competitors aren't made in that size or a close enough one. As far as the tirerack test results for a max performance summer tire the Continental extreme contact sport is available in that size but the other 2 in the test aren't. I'm not set on buying from them just using it to check availability.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 68

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +22
    90
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7291
    Reviews found online6389
    Dry Braking (% of best)99%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%100%
  2. 73

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +12
    85
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7585
    Reviews found online6985
    Wet Braking (% of best)98%92%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%92%
  3. 58

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online51–
  4. 63

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +12
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online5781
  5. 65

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 S +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–69
    Reviews found online63–
  6. 51

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +20
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online4171
  7. 62

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 S +24
    86
    Why this score
    SourceDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online6286
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone DriveGuard vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone DriveGuardMichelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 64 81
Dry 68 90
Wet 73 85
Snow 58 –
Comfort 63 75
Noise 65 68
Treadwear 51 71
Handling 62 86

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

DriveGuard

Pilot Sport 4 S

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryDriveGuardPilot Sport 4 SΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 99% #3/10 · 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test 98% #4/6 · 2018 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test +0.9 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/10 · 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test −0.1 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/10 · 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #2/10 · 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test 92% #5/7 · 2024 Sports Car Tyre Test +5.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/10 · 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test 92% #5/9 · 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test +8.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A DriveGuard

Pros

  • Improved ride comfort and noise reduction compared to standard or OEM run-flat tires
  • Strong dry and wet grip with confident handling
  • Run-flat safety technology providing peace of mind against sudden punctures

Cons

  • Extremely fast tread wear, with many users reporting bald tires or legal-limit wear within 8,000 to 13,000 miles
  • Poor winter traction, performing poorly on ice and severe snow
  • Developing loud road noise, hums, or low-frequency harmonics over time as they wear
All owner themes in the DriveGuard review

Tire B Pilot Sport 4 S

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and predictable handling in both dry and wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise and improved ride comfort compared to competitors and run-flats
  • Sharper steering response and improved cornering stability

Cons

  • High initial purchase price
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some aggressive drivers and track users
  • Soft sidewalls can cause a slightly vague or laggy initial response during rapid steering transitions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 S review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Bridgestone DriveGuard

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is overwhelmingly positive, with users praising its exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and overall refinement for daily driving and spirited road use. While some note that they are pricey and can wear out quickly under aggressive track conditions or heavy vehicle weights, they are widely considered the benchmark high-performance max summer tire. Competitors like Continental ExtremeContact Sport and Kumho are frequently mentioned as budget-friendly alternatives, but many drivers ultimately return to the PS4S for its unmatched confidence and all-around performance.

r/CarTrackDays ·1 upvote ·2020-07-03

“The Pilot Sport 4's are great tires for dual duty use. You'll want to keep hot pressures below 37-38 PSI. Anything above that they get very greasy, very fast. In the cars I've driven with them (a few BMW M cars, a 911 I think if I remember), you'll usually set your best laps in the first 4-5 laps of a session depending on temps. Once they over heat heat, as with any street tire, you have to park them for an hour to get the temps down again (downside to steel radials). I'd also recommend Hankook RS4s if you want a more durable track tire. That's what I run. Very long lasting, but not as great in the wet as the PS4s would be. Road noise would also be an issue for street use.”

r/CarsAustralia ·1 upvote ·2025-03-09

“The Michelin tyres you're thinking of that might be dicey in rain are the pilot sport cup 2, which are effectively street legal 'track' tyres. The pilot sport 4 s has great rain + dry performance, however if you have a Honda Accord its probably overkill - consider going down a tier towards the pilot sport 5 (non s) (The ps4s has been great for me in the wet but they're realistically more tyre than I need)”

r/Corvette ·1 upvote ·2026-07-14

“I live in north east ohio and have a 730 wheel horsepower zr1. I have the pilot sport 4s summer tire. When the car was stock I could drive it in 45 and up and feel safe. Now at 730 it’s a little so so around 48 degrees. As far as rain. I have never felt like I was out of control with the car up to 75-80 in a fkin monsoon worth of rain. I had 10K miles on them with plenty of burnouts and plenty of 170 mph pulls and they had excellent tread life still, I had to replace due to a nail and an object in the road ruining the sidewall on the other one. I know everyone says they don’t last for shit, but 10K miles on a ZR1 track alignment and I had plenty of tread on them. I bet they’d go 20-30K miles with my driving style no problem.”

Top themes
#Dry and Wet Grip#Tread Life and Mileage#Price and Value Comparison#Track vs Street Performance#Ride Comfort and Noise#Sidewall Stiffness#Alternatives and Competitors

Based on 109 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone DriveGuard B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available14110
Rim diameters15″ – 18″17″ – 22″
Tread depth9/32″—
UTQG640 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone DriveGuard

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 71 vs 51 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 73 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone DriveGuard
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

81

Leads

Pilot Sport 4 S

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