Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 21 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-02 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 27 road tests and 21 + 6,665 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 85–65
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Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,665 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“A note about the pilot sport 4 S: in cold weather (below 5 degrees) even if it isn't icy, the tyre compound hardens and has dramatically reduced grip. They are excellent summer tyres though, good in the wet too. These days I run Uniroyal rainsport 5 and they're very good.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
68
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 S +2593Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 95 Reviews found online 68 92 Potenza S-02: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.5 = 93
No road tests of dry for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
66
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 S +2288Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 26 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 86 Reviews found online 64 91 Potenza S-02: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.9 + 40% × 90.5 = 88
No road tests of wet for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
61
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) – Reviews found online 54 – Potenza S-02: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54 = 61
No road tests of snow for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
58
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 S +2078Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 53 84 Potenza S-02: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.2 = 58
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 83.5 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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61
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 S +869Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 54 ≈ 66 (est.) Potenza S-02: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.9 = 61
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69
No road tests of noise for Potenza S-02. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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58
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 S +1472Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 52 74 Potenza S-02: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 52 = 58
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.1 = 72
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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71
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 4 S +1990Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Reviews found online 71 90 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison72Why this score
Source Potenza S-02 Pilot Sport 4 S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests – 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-02 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 85 |
| Dry | 68 | 93 |
| Wet | 66 | 88 |
| Snow | 61 | – |
| Comfort | 58 | 78 |
| Noise | 61 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 72 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 90 |
| Efficiency | – | 72 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Potenza S-02
85
/ 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.
r/Golf_R
·1 upvote ·2021-03-17
“I run the all seasons on my Golf because I drive ~400+ miles per week in all matter of weather. The high tread wear rating and all-weather grip make more sense for me. But, having run the max performance PS4s before, if you’re cool with having two sets, they are basically impossible to beat. Absolute magic tires.”
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.”
r/TyreReviews
·41 upvotes ·2026-03-17
“Am I the owner of the newer PS4s?😁 Hello everyone, new in the sub and just want to share my love for the Pilot Sport 4s. This is the third set and I love it. To me they are the perfect compromise beetween performance anche tyre wear. Last set last me 43k km, I do lot of highway and some spirited drive when possibile. I also had a set of Sport Contact 7, awesome grip, to me better than the PS4s, almost too much for my stock Golf. They also wear out faster. I saw yesterday the review of Potenza Sport Evo and they promise very week, maybe next time I’ll try!”
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 | 300 A - AA A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-02
85
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry, wet and comfort. 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 93 vs 68 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 88 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 78 vs 58 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 71 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 69 vs 61 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 78 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza S-02 or Pilot Sport 4 S?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 58 on our treadwear score.
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.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology