Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 66 · 2,131 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 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 11 + 21 road tests and 2,131 + 12,714 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 82–72
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Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,714 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.
Key facts
- In 5 tests that measured dry braking for both, Ventus S1 evo2 won 1 and Pilot Sport 4 won 2 (average 98% vs 99% of the best).
- In 5 tests that measured wet braking for both, Ventus S1 evo2 won 0 and Pilot Sport 4 won 5 (average 94% vs 98% of the best).
- In 5 tests that measured wet handling for both, Ventus S1 evo2 won 0 and Pilot Sport 4 won 5 (average 97% vs 99% of the best).
- In 4 tests that measured dry handling for both, Ventus S1 evo2 won 0 and Pilot Sport 4 won 4 (average 98% vs 99% of the best).
- In 3 tests that measured noise for both, Ventus S1 evo2 won 3 and Pilot Sport 4 won 0 (average 100% vs 99% of the best).
-
74
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +1387Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 20 tests 77 89 Reviews found online 70 84 Dry Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 1–2 98% 99% Dry Handling (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 0–4 98% 99% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 90% Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 69.5 = 74
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.3 + 40% × 83.9 = 87
-
79
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +1089Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 20 tests 83 92 Reviews found online 73 84 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 97% 100% Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 100% Wet Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 0–5 94% 98% Wet Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 0–5 97% 99% Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 73.2 = 79
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 84.4 = 89
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66
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +1076Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests 72 82 Reviews found online 62 72 Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 86% 100% Ventus S1 evo2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 62.1 = 66
Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 81.6 + 60% × 71.7 = 76
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72
Noise
Ventus S1 evo2 +270Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 13 tests 76 73 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 100% 99% Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 70
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo2 or 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.
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61
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 +1071Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 57 60 Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.2 = 61
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.5 = 71
No road tests of treadwear for Ventus S1 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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67
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 4 +1481Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 67 81 -
72
Efficiency
Pilot Sport 4 +476Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 14 tests 72 76 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 85% 91%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 82 |
| Dry | 74 | 87 |
| Wet | 79 | 89 |
| Comfort | 66 | 76 |
| Noise | 72 | 70 |
| Treadwear | 61 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | 67 | 81 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo2
82
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4
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.
In the overall rankings of 7 tests that ran both, Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 7 times.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus S1 evo2 | Pilot Sport 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% | 99% | −0.9 | 1–2 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% | 99% | −1.5 | 0–4 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% | 90% | −10.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 97% | 100% | −3.3 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 94% | 98% | −4.2 | 0–5 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% | 99% | −2.1 | 0–5 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 80% | 100% | −20.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 86% | 100% | −14.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Noise | Noise | 100% | 99% | +0.5 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 85% | 91% | −5.8 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 90% | 68% | +22.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/11 | #4/11 | – | 0–7 in 7 shared tests Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test · 245/45 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus S1 evo2
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet grip performance
- Strong value compared to premium alternatives like Michelin or Continental
- Crisp steering response and confident cornering handling
Cons
- Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on heavier or high-performance vehicles
- Increased road noise and harsher ride quality as the tire ages and tread depth lowers
- Occasional reports of structural weaknesses such as sidewall bulges or cracking
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
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
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.
team-bhp.com
“I ran the stock 17" Ecopia's on my Ecosport for about 45k km. Luckily didn't face any side wall cuts. Overall it was a average tyre with decent grip levels - good grip without any squealing when driving up a ghat road quite enthusiastically even at the fag end of it's life. Ride quality was pretty bad and the smallest of ruts would result in a thud and being low profile amplified it even more. The tyres developed these cracks along the shoulder around the 35-40k mark which should not have happened due to which I changed them at 45k even though there was probably enough thread for about 5-10k km more. Moved to the Michelin PS4 now and the difference is night and day!”
mbworld.org
“Quote: Originally Posted by ua549 In over 55 years of driving I've never gotten more than 20k miles on a set of tires. Michelin Pilot Sport is the worst at 6k miles twice in a row with free factory replacements though I've gotten 18k miles on Michelin AS3 tires once or twice. Dunlop Sport is second at 15k miles. Overall Pirelli Cinturato P7 are the longest wearing tires I've owned over the years at 20k miles consistently. I swap out run flat tires if they come on a new car. I believe that heat is a major cause of tire wear. Even after a 2 mile trip @ 35 mph the tires on my E300 register about 120°F. Cold they are between 80°F and 85°F. In the dead of winter they are 5° colder. The OEM tires on my 5 year old '18 E300 got 12k miles. The car has 20k miles on it now and the P7 tires are about 40% worn. My experience with Summer tires is 15 to 18k max. The only Summer tires that I have owned that lasted more than 20 were the Pilot Sport PS4...which BTW is one of their marketing highlights, longer tread wear...though still shorter than all seasons which normally are rated for 30k or more.”
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.”
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 · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 61 | 62 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| UTQG | 220 - 440 AA - B A | 300 - 320 A - AA A |
| Sizes in common | 43 | 43 |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
82
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better handling, dry and wet. Where the Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 81 vs 67 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 74 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 89 vs 79 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 76 vs 66 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is noise
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 won 3 of 3 shared noise tests.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Which is better in the wet, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 89 vs 79 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 74 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 70 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 76 vs 66 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 61 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Ventus S1 evo2 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 76 vs 72 on our efficiency 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