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Head-to-head Updated

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–69

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Tire ACooper

CS5 Grand Touring

All Season Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 776 reviews

“Picky1, Former owner of a 2012 Sienna XLE FWD with the 235/60/17 tires. I tried multiple tires on it (Michelin Primacy MXV4s (OEM), Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia HL 422, Firestone FR710s, Cooper CS5 Grand Touring). The best results came from the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring tires. They took my family through multiple 1,000 mile trips, as well as northeast weather including rain, sleet, snow, and ice. I made some comments in the below thread: The CS5's held strong (and had the best wear of the four brands I tried) until I picked up a 2015 Sienna Limited AWD with the Bridgestone run-flats. Those were replaced with Michelin Defender LTX tires, which are phenomenal. Unfortunately, they do not come in the 235/60/17 size. -Eugene”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,686 reviews

“I just installed A/S PS4 from Michelin on my BRZ recently & man they are so nice. How quiet it is, is wow, night and day. They handle quite nice except when it's still cold (sub 40F) on highway, traction control triggers but it may bc I'm lowered and yet to do my alignment. I don't know compared to stock, I was on Falken prior. I am using different tire set-up then stock however. I have 245/35 at the front and 265/35 in rear. My only regret is not going up to 40 on the sidewall for more meat. This is on 18" wheels.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 71

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +14
    85
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–88
    Reviews found online7381
  2. 71

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +16
    87
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online7281
  3. 63

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online59–
  4. 69

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online6971
  5. 71

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online7872
  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online7061
  7. 64

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringPilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online6478
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper CS5 Grand TouringMichelin Pilot Sport 4
Relative Score 69 80
Dry 71 85
Wet 71 87
Snow 63 –
Comfort 69 78
Noise 71 74
Treadwear 68 70
Handling 64 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

CS5 Grand Touring

Pilot Sport 4

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 CS5 Grand Touring

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry traction with strong hydroplaning resistance
  • High value for the price compared to premium competitors
  • Smooth, comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Some drivers experienced noticeable road noise, particularly on specific lighter vehicles like hybrids
  • Mediocre performance in heavy winter snow, ice, or deep mud
  • Cornering grip in emergency maneuvers is considered average by some drivers
All owner themes in the CS5 Grand Touring review

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
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring is largely positive, with owners highlighting its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable all-season traction in rain and light snow. While praised as a strong value compared to premium competitors like Michelin, several users note that treadwear often falls short of the advertised 80,000-mile warranty, particularly on heavier minivans or under high-heat conditions.

subaruoutback.org ·2017-01-08

“I too was looking for quiet tires when it came time to replace. Have been very happy with COOPER CS5 GRAND TOURING ==> The CS5 has many modern technologies which improve longevity and traction AND they are M+S rated. I run them all year in Vermont and the snow traction is acceptable with Subaru AWD.”
r/cars ·1 upvote ·2017-09-01

“I have the Cooper cs5 grand touring on my Odyssey and love them. Very quiet and snoot riding. Fwiw, I'm in Southern California so we have little cold/wet weather let alone snow, but they did great when I drove up to Sequoia and had cables on during the snow storm. Much better than the Michelin Defenders I had before.”
subaruoutback.org ·1 upvote ·2023-02-05

“My wife and I have been running Cooper CS5 Grand Touring on Outback and Impreza for many years. (the Outback is on its 2nd set) For us, having a QUIET tire is primary importance... followed closely with winter-traction here in Vermont winters. We do NOT want to have 2nd set of dedicated snow-tires for the winter. The CS5 have met our requirements. At the very least, I would suggest you consider the CS5 Ultra as you make a decision.”
Top themes
#ride comfort and low noise#winter and wet traction#treadwear vs warranty mileage#competitive pricing and rebates#comparison to Michelin tires#tire pressure sensitivity#speed rating differences

Based on 38 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

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/RZ34 ·1 upvote ·2026-10-08

“Switched from the garbage stock Potenza's to Continental DWS06 a week after grabbing my Z. Absolutely fucking worth it. I got Swift R lowering springs installed and that also made a great improvement. Z feels much more confidant and way more composed on my twisty roads and roundabouts My ND Miata also came with the same Potenza's and I went with the Michelin PS4's. Transformed the handling as well”
r/CarTalkUK ·1 upvote ·2023-01-18

“Have you checked to see if your wheels would accommodate a 215 tyre? Might be worth investigating. Other than that, Goodyear Eagle f1 asymmetric I would say have just as good dry performance as a PS4. They're minutely less grippy in the wet, but not noticeably so. They're also a lot quieter and a lot cheaper. I've run both PS4 and the Eagles on track, and now the Eagles are my go-to.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2 upvotes ·2020-11-13

“First time post for me on Bitog. I just installed the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires on my 2017 Mazda GT. Noise doesn't seem to be an issue I'm experiencing. Prior to the new Pilot Sports 4's all seasons I had the Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3+ and the 4's are much quieter on the Mazda. The 4's feel a tad bit softer in ride, quieter and handle just as nice. However, they are new rubber and the tread pattern is completely different from the Michelin Pilot Sports AS 3+ . I've only put about 500 miles on them, but so far, I really like them for their ride comfort, noise, stability and wet/dry grip levels. They feel like a more mature AS3+ if you have them now”
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 · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
CategoryAll Season Touring tiresSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—62
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth11 - 12/32″—
UTQG780 A A—
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better wet, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 69 on comfort.

Tire A · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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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.

80

Leads

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon