Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 259 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta PS31 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 259 + 12,698 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 83–66
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Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,698 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.
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63
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +2487Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 89 Reviews found online 60 85 Ecsta PS31: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 63
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.1 + 40% × 84.5 = 87
No road tests of dry for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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69
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +2190Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 93 Reviews found online 68 85 Ecsta PS31: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 69
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 93.1 + 40% × 84.6 = 90
No road tests of wet for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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58
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) – Reviews found online 50 – Ecsta PS31: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 49.8 = 58
No road tests of snow for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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66
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +1177Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 83 Reviews found online 65 72 Ecsta PS31: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.6 = 66
Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 83.4 + 60% × 72.4 = 77
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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67
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 +471Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 67 ≈ 67 (est.) Ecsta PS31: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 67
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71
No road tests of noise for Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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65
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 4 +671Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 65 59 Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.4 = 71
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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69
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 4 +1281Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 69 81 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison76Why this score
Source Ecsta PS31 Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 14 tests – 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PS31 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 83 |
| Dry | 63 | 87 |
| Wet | 69 | 90 |
| Snow | 58 | – |
| Comfort | 66 | 77 |
| Noise | 67 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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
Ecsta PS31
83
/ 100
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 Ecsta PS31
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
- Strong dry traction for daily and spirited street driving
Cons
- Soft sidewalls lead to vague steering response and 'squirm' during aggressive maneuvers
- Inconsistent wet weather performance reported by some users, particularly in deep standing water
- Tread life can be shorter than expected for some driving styles
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
Kumho Ecsta PS31
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.
f30.bimmerpost.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by weston.__ I will be going down the non-rft route, Pilot Sport 4. You're not the only one to say the ride quality with non-rft is a massive improvement and this is the reason why I will change once the time comes. I went from Bridgestone S001 RFT to 'go-flats' and have found the suppleness an obvious difference. Since I put the pressure to the mid point between the low and high load plated pressures I have yet to have any of the heartstopping thumps come through the suspension that the Bridgestone seemed prone to.”
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/CarTalkUK
·1 upvote ·2023-01-18
“Have you checked to see if your wheels would accommodate a 215 tyre? Might be worth investigating. Other than that, Goodyear Eagle f1 asymmetric I would say have just as good dry performance as a PS4. They're minutely less grippy in the wet, but not noticeably so. They're also a lot quieter and a lot cheaper. I've run both PS4 and the Eagles on track, and now the Eagles are my go-to.”
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 · Kumho Ecsta PS31 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 21 | 62 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 460 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 13 | 13 |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PS31
83
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 63 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 90 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 81 vs 69 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 77 vs 66 on comfort.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 90 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 63 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 67 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 77 vs 66 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS31 or Pilot Sport 4?
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 65 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