Tests – · none yet Owners 49 · 30 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Falken FK453 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — 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 + 21 road tests and 30 + 12,721 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 83–55
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Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,721 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (dry braking)
“Those are Pilot sport 4 (all season). If it had s after the 4 it would be the summer high performance version. I put the pilot sport 4 on wife's GTI autobahn 2016. Great handling tire, stiff side walls, not the smoothest ride but best overall.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
56
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +3187Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 89 Reviews found online 50 84 FK453: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 50 = 56
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.3 + 40% × 83.9 = 87
No road tests of dry for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
60
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +2989Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 93 Reviews found online 56 84 FK453: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.9 = 60
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 84.4 = 89
No road tests of wet for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
55
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +2176Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 82 Reviews found online 49 72 FK453: 40% × 64.7 (est.) + 60% × 48.8 = 55
Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 81.5 + 60% × 71.6 = 76
No road tests of comfort for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
–
Noise
No comparison70Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests – 73 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 70
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4. 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.
-
51
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 +2071Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 57 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 41 60 FK453: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.5 = 71
No road tests of treadwear for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
45
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 4 +3681Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 45 81 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source FK453 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Falken FK453 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 55 | 83 |
| Dry | 56 | 87 |
| Wet | 60 | 89 |
| Comfort | 55 | 76 |
| Noise | – | 70 |
| Treadwear | 51 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | 45 | 81 |
| Efficiency | – | 76 |
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
55
/ 100
FK453
83
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4
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 | FK453 | Pilot Sport 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/8 2016 Sport Auto UHP Summer Tyre Test | #7/9 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A FK453
Pros
- Strong dry weather traction and cornering grip
- Competitive price point offering good value for money
- Aesthetically pleasing sidewall design
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on rear axles
- Harsh ride quality and high road noise
- Unstable handling characteristics at high speeds
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Falken FK453
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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/JettaGLI
·59 upvotes ·2026-09-27
“Reminder: Tires are the key to this car Just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires with a new set ahead of the rainy season. Lasted 36K miles. It was the best mod to the car and a fresh set reminded just how good a brand new set is. The car is glued to the road, riding wonderfully smooth and quiet. Spend the money, get the best tires for you. The tune can wait. And it will need it.”
r/BMW
·1 upvote ·2024-09-24
“I basically always ran Michelins on the BMWs I had. Pilot Super Sport on the E91 335d (which unexpectedly did really well wrt longevity with 600nm+ and a heavy foot) and now PS4 ZP (so the runflat type) on my 320hp F31 330d. They are just really really good. Pretty pricey though.”
r/TeslaModelS
·1 upvote ·2025-03-27
“I was running pilot sport 4s on my MS. (19” wheels) I was lucky to get 13,000-14,000. I just switched to Kumho Majesty 9’s for about 1/3 the price. Currently have 4,000 miles on them and just to rotated. Fingers crossed I can get 13,000 miles out of them.”
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 · Falken FK453 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 62 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| UTQG | 240 - 300 A - AA A | 300 - 320 A - AA A |
Which one should you actually buy?
55
/ 100
Falken FK453
83
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 81 vs 45 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 56 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 89 vs 60 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 76 vs 55 on comfort.
Tire A · Falken FK453
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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FK453 or Pilot Sport 4?
Which is better in the wet, FK453 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 89 vs 60 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, FK453 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 56 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, FK453 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 76 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, FK453 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 51 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