Tests – · none yet Owners 62 · 20 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-02 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 81–65
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 81 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,614 reviews
“My 2020 Kia Forte GT came with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Those were not going to work in the PNW as a daily driver tire. I went right to Costco and bought some Michelin Pilot All season tires, the ones that compete with the Continental DWS at the time. I listed the take offs on Craigslist for $400 and sold them that day.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
70
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 S +2191Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 92 Reviews found online 71 89 -
66
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 S +1985Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 85 Reviews found online 65 85 -
61
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Reviews found online 55 – -
63
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 S +1275Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 57 81 -
63
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 S +669Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 71 Reviews found online 57 – -
57
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 S +1471Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 51 72 -
72
Handling
Pilot Sport 4 S +1486Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Reviews found online 72 86
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-02 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 81 |
| Dry | 70 | 91 |
| Wet | 66 | 85 |
| Snow | 61 | – |
| Comfort | 63 | 75 |
| Noise | 63 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 57 | 71 |
| Handling | 72 | 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.
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
65
/ 100
Potenza S-02
81
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4 S
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-02
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and superior cornering performance
- Outstanding steering feedback, communication, and progressiveness
- Faithful reproduction of original equipment (OE) handling characteristics for sports cars like the Honda S2000
Cons
- Very rapid and sometimes extreme tread wear
- Poor performance and loss of traction in cold weather or below certain temperatures
- High noise levels and stiff ride compromising comfort
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza S-02
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as a benchmark max-performance summer tire, praising its outstanding dry and wet grip, stability, and daily driving refinement. Common criticisms focus on its premium price, rapid tread wear on high-powered heavy vehicles or hot track sessions, and significantly reduced grip in cold weather. Many enthusiasts consider it an ideal street tire, though some note softer sidewalls compared to predecessors or recommend dedicated track tires for hard circuit driving.
mustang6g.com
·2020-11-15
“I just went 12k on PSS for mixed use weekend and HDPE. 275/35 19x10 front and 305/30 19x11rear stagger. I replaced the PS4s from stock purchased PP1. I immediately noticed the PSS seemed a little louder and the concrete joints were felt and heard. Now after putting on 285/35 and 325/30 MP4S I'm enjoying a better ride. I have a track event this weekend so I'll get to test the 4S in track duty.”
jaguarforums.com
“I had a similar experience with Discount Tire and brand new Michelin PS4S's. I clipped a large lane marker (not a dot, a turtle) with both driver's side tires and pinch-flatted them both. I had driven them less than 10 miles so Discount Tire replaced them for only $50 without me even asking for a discount. I had purchased them for about $450 each and didn't buy a road hazard warranty, so I was very pleased with Discount Tire.”
vwvortex.com
·2025-09-26
“My 2023 20th AE Golf R came with Hankook tires , and I've been very pleased with them. I'm a fairly aggressive driver and frequent the twisty roads in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also have a mildly modded Mk VI Golf R shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires on factory 18" rims, and the Hankooks seem to perform almost as well in the dry, but outshine the PS4s in the wet. I will most likely need new tires next year, but I am undecided between the Hankooks and the Michelin PS4AS tires . As for Continental tires ... I use Continental tubular tires on my road bicycle, but have experienced many problems, including massive chunking with them on my 1974 BMW 2002Tii and my 1979 Scirocco Gti , so I am not going to use them on my cars again.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Track day durability#High price vs alternatives#Tread life and wear#Cold weather performance#Sidewall stiffness and comfort
Based on 208 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 110 |
| Rim diameters | — | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 140 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-02
81
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 91 vs 70 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 71 vs 57 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 72 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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.