Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — Compared

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

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Tire ADunlop

SP Sport Maxx RT

Max Performance Summer tire

Tests – · none yet Owners 59 · 1,956 reviews

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 80 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,570 reviews

“The Michelin tyres you're thinking of that might be dicey in rain are the pilot sport cup 2, which are effectively street legal 'track' tyres. The pilot sport 4 s has great rain + dry performance, however if you have a Honda Accord its probably overkill - consider going down a tier towards the pilot sport 5 (non s) (The ps4s has been great for me in the wet but they're realistically more tyre than I need)”

Category by category

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

  1. –

    Dry

    No comparison
    90
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online–89
  2. –

    Wet

    No comparison
    85
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–85
    Reviews found online–85
  3. –

    Comfort

    No comparison
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online–81
  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–69
  5. –

    Treadwear

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online–72
  6. –

    Handling

    No comparison
    86
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx RTPilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online–86
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport Maxx RTMichelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score – 81
Dry – 90
Wet – 85
Comfort – 75
Noise – 68
Treadwear – 71
Handling – 86

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

SP Sport Maxx RT

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 SP Sport Maxx RT

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

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

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is widely praised by the community as a premier max performance summer tire, offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and refined road manners for daily driving and spirited street use. While some users note higher pricing and relatively quick wear on heavier vehicles or hot tracks, it remains a benchmark choice that many enthusiasts gladly return to despite alternatives like Continental or Kumho.

r/CarTrackDays ·1 upvote ·2020-07-03

“The Pilot Sport 4's are great tires for dual duty use. You'll want to keep hot pressures below 37-38 PSI. Anything above that they get very greasy, very fast. In the cars I've driven with them (a few BMW M cars, a 911 I think if I remember), you'll usually set your best laps in the first 4-5 laps of a session depending on temps. Once they over heat heat, as with any street tire, you have to park them for an hour to get the temps down again (downside to steel radials). I'd also recommend Hankook RS4s if you want a more durable track tire. That's what I run. Very long lasting, but not as great in the wet as the PS4s would be. Road noise would also be an issue for street use.”

r/GolfGTI ·12 upvotes ·2021-08-03

“Best alternative to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Time for some new tires and it seems like the pilot sport 4s is backordered everywhere in 235/45-17 or similar sizes. Been using the pilot super sport for a few summers and love them so just wanted to get basically the same thing. What other tire in that size is the next closest thing? Some of the competitors aren't made in that size or a close enough one. As far as the tirerack test results for a max performance summer tire the Continental extreme contact sport is available in that size but the other 2 in the test aren't. I'm not set on buying from them just using it to check availability.”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-03

“I tried conti’s and took them off the car after 2 days and went back to ps4s. Obviously on a closed course they feel very floaty around 130 and I’ve had the Michelin’s up to 165-170 and they stay planted. Depends if you drive those speeds, but like Watkins glen you’ll legally notice the difference. It was shocking at first.”

Top themes
#Dry and Wet Grip#Tread Life and Wear#Price vs Value#Track Performance Limits#Daily Comfort and Noise#Alternatives Comparison

Based on 104 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategoryMax Performance Summer tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—110
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Only Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has enough test and review data for a Relative Score, so there is no head-to-head winner yet.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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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.