Tests 65 · 1 test Owners 66 · 2 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop Direzza ZIII vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 1 + 23 road tests and 2 + 6,481 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 90–66
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Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,481 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
Pilot Sport 5 +2792Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 23 tests 65 93 Reviews found online 66 90 Direzza ZIII: 60% × 65 + 40% × 66.3 = 65
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.3 + 40% × 90.2 = 92
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69
Wet
Pilot Sport 5 +2594Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 94 Reviews found online 68 93 Direzza ZIII: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 67.8 = 69
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.8 + 40% × 93.3 = 94
No road tests of wet for Direzza ZIII. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
61
Comfort
Pilot Sport 5 +1778Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 71 Reviews found online 58 83 Direzza ZIII: 40% × 66.6 (est.) + 60% × 58 = 61
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Direzza ZIII. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison47Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 15 tests – 33 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 5. 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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67
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 5 +1986Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 92 Reviews found online 68 78 Direzza ZIII: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.5 = 67
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.8 = 86
No road tests of treadwear for Direzza ZIII. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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66
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 5 +2389Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Reviews found online 66 89 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison63Why this score
Source Direzza ZIII Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 17 tests – 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Direzza ZIII | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 90 |
| Dry | 65 | 92 |
| Wet | 69 | 94 |
| Comfort | 61 | 78 |
| Noise | – | 47 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 86 |
| Handling (owners) | 66 | 89 |
| Efficiency | – | 63 |
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
66
/ 100
Direzza ZIII
90
/ 100
Pilot Sport 5
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.
| Discipline | Category | Direzza ZIII | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #10/11 · 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test | 99% #4/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #10/11 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test | #9/50 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Direzza ZIII
Pros
- High level of predictability and ease of handling
- Consistent performance during extended track sessions
- Good durability and tread life for a 200tw tire
Cons
- Lacks the peak grip required for top-tier competitive autocross
- Tendency to 'grease up' or lose optimal grip after prolonged hard driving
- Not the fastest option in its category for pure lap times
Tire B Pilot Sport 5
Pros
- Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
- Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
- Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces
Cons
- Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
- Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
- Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Dunlop Direzza ZIII
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.
r/TeslaUK
·3 upvotes ·2026-03-27
“Pilot sport 5? Hi, after replacement tyres for M3. Just touched 30k miles and all 4 need doing. Michelin 235/45 ZR18 (98Y) XL TL PILOT SPORT 5 I was looking at these 154 pounds from Costco. Only they’re not T rated. Was comparing them with the original 235/45 ZR 18 PILOT SPORT 4 XL TO TESLA these are 204 pounds at Costco. Thoughts on whether the PS5 will be ok please? Visited a couple of independent tyre shops yesterday, 1 quoted budget 100 each through to PS4s at 230 each. The second wouldn’t quote on non Tesla approved, so just quoted the PS4 T0s at 203 each. Cheers”
r/Miata
·2 upvotes ·2026-05-13
“Anyone else greatly disappointed with their Michelin Pilot sport 5? My 10th anniversary recently got a set of 16 inch ND wheels (due to better tires being available on 16s) and a set of brand new PS5s. It’s on the original bilstein suspension with H&R sway bars and poly bushings all around. After having driven the PS5s for around 4k km i have to say i really don’t like them most of the time. Pros: They’re numb, which is amazing for highway driving. You really can’t feel anything from the tires and they’re super quiet. Cons: They’re numb. I literally can’t feel what they’re doing, they just don’t give any useable feedback from the road and the main thing i do is spirited driving. They also overheat extremely fast? I take five to six quicker turns and on the next turn in the entire car is just sliding around doing whatever the fuck it wants all while there still being no feedback whatsoever.. I’m frustrated af because i thought i’d treat myself to a good nice quality set of tires for once and thats the result.. I have driven on Kumho PS71s for i think a thousand km’s last year and they were waaay grippier and gave very good feedback. The car just isn’t as fun to drive now and it sucks hard. Rant over, thanks for listening. Tldr: Tyre bad :(”
r/ft86
·2 upvotes ·2026-07-21
“PS5 is a very good allround, comfortable but grippy tire. PS4S has a stiffer sidewall and is way sportier but harsher. There is to date no successor for the PS4S. I switched from PS4S to PS5 on my mustang and its a way better fit for a daily tire. I would remommend to get PS5 for the rear aswell.”
Top themes
#wet grip performance#tread life longevity#daily driving comfort#track heat delamination#premium pricing comparisons#road noise levels#steering feel feedback
Based on 173 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Direzza ZIII | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 66 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Dunlop Direzza ZIII
90
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop Direzza ZIII rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 86 vs 67 on treadwear.
Tire A · Dunlop Direzza ZIII
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
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Direzza ZIII or Pilot Sport 5?
Which is better in the wet, Direzza ZIII or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza ZIII or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Direzza ZIII or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 78 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Direzza ZIII or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 67 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