Tests – · none yet Owners 46 · 10 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport — 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 + 1 road tests and 10 + 1,506 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Super Sport is ahead, 78–58
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Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 82 · 1,506 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test (dry handling)
“Damn. 295s on Style 359Ms? That's pushing it a bit, isn't it? I so desperately wish Michelin would make a 285/30 PSS. I'm running 275/35s now, and while I like the extra rubber on the road, I don't like the increased sidewall height over the OEM 265/35.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
63
Dry
Pilot Super Sport +1982Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 77 Reviews found online 60 90 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 63
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 77.5 + 40% × 89.7 = 82
No road tests of dry for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
57
Wet
Pilot Super Sport +2077Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 52 84 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 60.6 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 57
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 73 + 40% × 83.7 = 77
No road tests of wet for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
35
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 52 (est.) – Reviews found online 11 – Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 51.5 (est.) + 40% × 10.8 = 35
No road tests of snow for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
57
Comfort
Pilot Super Sport +1774Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 52 76 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 40% × 65.3 (est.) + 60% × 51.8 = 57
Pilot Super Sport: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.1 = 74
No road tests of comfort for Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
62
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 55 – Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
50
Treadwear
Pilot Super Sport +2070Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 57 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 40 73 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 57.1 (est.) + 40% × 40 = 50
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.7 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Super Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
57
Handling (owners)
Pilot Super Sport +2683Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Pilot Super Sport Reviews found online 57 83
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 78 |
| Dry | 63 | 82 |
| Wet | 57 | 77 |
| Snow | 35 | – |
| Comfort | 57 | 74 |
| Noise | 62 | – |
| Treadwear | 50 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 57 | 83 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
58
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
78
/ 100
Pilot Super Sport
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Super Sport 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Pilot Super Sport | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/4 | #1/4 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Pros
- Exceptional dry and wet handling with predictable, repeatable limits
- Solid sidewall design that improves cornering and braking performance
- Surprisingly smooth and comfortable ride quality for a performance tire
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear, which is typical for tires in this category
- Complete lack of usability in freezing temperatures, ice, or snow
- Development of a road humming noise as the tire wears
Tire B Pilot Super Sport
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
- Precise steering response and excellent road feedback
- Better-than-expected tread wear and mileage for a performance tire
Cons
- Reduced grip and traction in cold weather (below 15°C)
- Mediocre performance and tendency to aquaplane when tread wears down in heavy rain
- High price point compared to some alternatives
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely praised by the community as a benchmark high-performance street tire offering outstanding dry grip, sharp cornering capability, and decent ride comfort for daily driving. Many drivers note that its successor, the Pilot Sport 4S, improves upon it—especially in cold and wet conditions—while several users highlight downsides such as poor winter/snow capability, premium pricing, and eventual rubber degradation or tread cracking as the tires age.
mustang6g.com
·2 upvotes ·2020-11-13
“OK. PSS vs. PS4S. I used both of these on my 2011 GT500. In general the PS4S is an modest upgrade over the PSS. Slightly better dry grip. Bigger improvement in wet grip. Better grip when not warmed up yet. I did not that the PS4S is more sensitive to very cold (below freezing) temperatures, so I put the GT500 away a little sooner for winter. For my GT350, I switched to the A/S 3+ (275/35/R19 front, 285/35/R19 rear) and have been really liking them. I am sure they are slower on a track, but on the street they just grip and scoot on corners or straight aways (slightly less grip on a hard launch - but haven't tried launch control yet). It is very nice not having to worry about rain or cold. Still plan to put her in storage before the first snow to avoid the salt.”
r/370z
·2 upvotes ·2017-10-20
“I switched to Pilot Super Sports a couple months ago and can say there is some noise reduction. So far they are holding up pretty well, probably better than the RE50A considering I did a fair bit of auto crossing with it. Biggest difference I noticed was grip, significantly more grip especially when abused (hot). I also went 255 up front so that may have had an effect on the grip as well. They are also more comfortable over rough surfaces.”
r/BMW
·1 upvote ·2014-01-22
“Damn. 295s on Style 359Ms? That's pushing it a bit, isn't it? I so desperately wish Michelin would make a 285/30 PSS. I'm running 275/35s now, and while I like the extra rubber on the road, I don't like the increased sidewall height over the OEM 265/35.”
Top themes
#Dry grip and cornering#Comparison to PS4S#Poor snow performance#Tread life and wear#High purchase price#Age and cracking issues#Daily driving comfort
Based on 364 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 50 |
| Rim diameters | — | 17″ – 23″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 280 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
58
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
78
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Winner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 83 vs 57 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 77 vs 57 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 70 vs 50 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 82 vs 63 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
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Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 77 vs 57 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 82 vs 63 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 74 vs 57 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 70 vs 50 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