tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Sportsmart vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–74

Check price on Amazon · Pilot Sport 4 or Sportsmart on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire ADunlop

Sportsmart

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 76 · 11 reviews

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

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

“CC2s fitted yesterday. Initial subjective reaction are they deffinately seem both quieter and more comfortable than the stock PS4. I did a non scientific noise test using a app on my phone. On my way to have the tyres changed I drove a section of the A460 toward & from Cannock, approx half a mile in each direction. I did exactly the same run at the same speed with the CC2s a couple of hours later. This is a fairly rough surface well worn tarmac but I avoided all ruts & holes. PS4: 41psi 50mph, average noise level 67.4db. The average being registered by the app, not my calculation. CC2: 40 psi 50mph, average noise level 64.6db. In both cases the phone lay on the central console forward of the tray & armrest. The comfort feeling is the CC2s are softer, damping ridges & ruts better than the PS4, while driving a route of 14 miles each way I drive every Tuesday & Thursday & consists of a wide range of different surfaces including the newer super smooth quiete tarmac.”

Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +8
    85
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–88
    Reviews found online8281
  2. 73

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +14
    87
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online7481
  3. 72

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +6
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online7671
  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online–72
  5. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online6861
  6. 81

    Handling

    Sportsmart +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartPilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online8178
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SportsmartMichelin Pilot Sport 4
Relative Score 74 80
Dry 77 85
Wet 73 87
Comfort 72 78
Noise – 74
Treadwear 67 70
Handling 81 78

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Sportsmart

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 Sportsmart

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip that inspires rider confidence
  • Predictable feedback and handling, especially when approaching the limit
  • Fast warm-up times suitable for both road and occasional track use

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 miles depending on usage
  • Stiff N-TEC construction can feel harsh over road imperfections
  • Occasional reports of air pressure retention issues on specific rear units
All owner themes in the Sportsmart 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

Dunlop Sportsmart

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

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.

bimmerfest.com ·2024-10-19

“Wow! You burn rubber. I totally appreciate what you’ve said and on my old e60 I ran both contis D06 and Michelins ps4 for 3 sets each. Both different feel and wear. Contis lasted longer but didn’t feel as nice as PS4. Now I’m in another BMW and cannot rotate the same way with a staggered wheel size. I’m in NC, when I drove PS4, in cold weather, they wore out quickly. They are a summer tire for sure, but I will use a slightly higher pressure to lengthen service life. That camber is rough on the inner tire shoulder / tread and the all season contains held up better there.”
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”
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”
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 · Dunlop Sportsmart B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcyclePassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—62
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sportsmart

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better wet, dry and comfort. Pick the Dunlop Sportsmart if handling matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 77 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 72 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 81 vs 78 on handling.

Tire A · Dunlop Sportsmart
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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