Tests – · 1 test Owners 56 · 23 reviews
Best test result: #13 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–60
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,686 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 9 in 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 (overall ranking)
“Reminder: Tires are the key to this car Just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires with a new set ahead of the rainy season. Lasted 36K miles. It was the best mod to the car and a fresh set reminded just how good a brand new set is. The car is glued to the road, riding wonderfully smooth and quiet. Spend the money, get the best tires for you. The tune can wait. And it will need it.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +1085Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 88 Reviews found online 79 81 -
64
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +2387Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 91 Reviews found online 63 81 -
48
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 33 – -
58
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +2078Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 83 Reviews found online 47 71 -
62
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 +1274Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 76 Reviews found online 54 72 -
35
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 +3570Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 38 76 Reviews found online 31 61 -
73
Handling
Pilot Sport 4 +578Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 73 78
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 60 | 80 |
| Dry | 75 | 85 |
| Wet | 64 | 87 |
| Snow | 48 | – |
| Comfort | 58 | 78 |
| Noise | 62 | 74 |
| Treadwear | 35 | 70 |
| Handling | 73 | 78 |
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.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
60
/ 100
Potenza RE-71R
80
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4
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.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza RE-71R | Pilot Sport 4 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 43% #13/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | 33% #7/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 | +9.5 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza RE-71R
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and exceptional cornering traction
- Fast heat-up times, making them ideal for autocross and time attacks
- Consistent performance throughout the lifespan of the tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan, wearing faster in hot weather or heavy track use
- Noticeable road noise on the highway due to the aggressive tread pattern
- Uncomfortable and stiff ride quality for daily driving
Tire B Pilot Sport 4
Pros
- Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
- Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
- Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving
Cons
- Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
- Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
- Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.
r/BMW
·1 upvote ·2024-09-24
“I basically always ran Michelins on the BMWs I had. Pilot Super Sport on the E91 335d (which unexpectedly did really well wrt longevity with 600nm+ and a heavy foot) and now PS4 ZP (so the runflat type) on my 320hp F31 330d. They are just really really good. Pretty pricey though.”
f30.bimmerpost.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by weston.__ I will be going down the non-rft route, Pilot Sport 4. You're not the only one to say the ride quality with non-rft is a massive improvement and this is the reason why I will change once the time comes. I went from Bridgestone S001 RFT to 'go-flats' and have found the suppleness an obvious difference. Since I put the pressure to the mid point between the low and high load plated pressures I have yet to have any of the heartstopping thumps come through the suspension that the Bridgestone seemed prone to.”
r/TeslaModelS
·1 upvote ·2025-03-27
“I was running pilot sport 4s on my MS. (19” wheels) I was lucky to get 13,000-14,000. I just switched to Kumho Majesty 9’s for about 1/3 the price. Currently have 4,000 miles on them and just to rotated. Fingers crossed I can get 13,000 miles out of them.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires
Based on 246 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 62 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 8/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 200 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
60
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
80
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better treadwear, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 70 vs 35 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 58 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 74 vs 62 on noise.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.