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Cooper CS2 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Cooper CS2 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 11 + 6,649 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 86–68

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Cooper CS2
Tire ACooper

CS2

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 11 reviews

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,649 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.

  1. 68

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +25
    93
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 68 (est.)95
    Reviews found online6792

    CS2: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 68

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.5 = 93

    No road tests of dry for CS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +20
    88
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 26 tests≈ 68 (est.)86
    Reviews found online6790

    CS2: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.9 + 40% × 90.4 = 88

    No road tests of wet for CS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 69

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 69 (est.)70
    Reviews found online7083

    CS2: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 69.5 = 69

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 83.4 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for CS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests–70
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

    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.

  5. 69

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)70
    Reviews found online7074

    CS2: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 69

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for CS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 70

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 S +20
    90
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online7090
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCS2Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests–72
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper CS2Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 68 86
Dry 68 93
Wet 68 88
Comfort 69 78
Noise – 69
Treadwear 69 72
Handling (owners) 70 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
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
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
± 8

CS2

± 4

Pilot Sport 4 S

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.

DisciplineCategoryCS2Pilot Sport 4 SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #43/52 2015 Market Overview - Braking Test #1/10 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CS2

Pros

  • Long-lasting tread life and slow wear rate over thousands of miles
  • Good value for money
  • Quiet operation and low noise levels

Cons

  • Subpar wet-weather grip and a tendency to slip in heavy rain
  • Prone to wheel spin during hard acceleration in dry conditions for some vehicles
  • Mediocre performance on loose surfaces
All owner themes in the CS2 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

Cooper CS2

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

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.”
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.”
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.”
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 · Cooper CS2 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—110
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″
UTQG—300 A - AA A

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper CS2

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Cooper CS2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

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 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 78 vs 69 on comfort.

Tire A · Cooper CS2
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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CS2 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Which is better in the wet, CS2 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CS2 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, CS2 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 78 vs 69 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CS2 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 69 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