Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Pilot Sport 4 leads, 80–76 Narrow edge
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Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 75 · 12,676 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 9 in 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 (overall ranking)
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
76
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 +985Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 87 Reviews found online 81 81 -
78
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 +987Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 90 Reviews found online 81 81 -
72
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 73 – -
73
Comfort
Pilot Sport 4 +578Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 83 Reviews found online 76 71 -
69
Noise
Pilot Sport 4 +574Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 76 Reviews found online 74 72 -
76
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +670Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 74 76 Reviews found online 78 61 -
78
Handling
Level78Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot Sport 4 Reviews found online 78 78
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 80 |
| Dry | 76 | 85 |
| Wet | 78 | 87 |
| Snow | 72 | – |
| Comfort | 73 | 78 |
| Noise | 69 | 74 |
| Treadwear | 76 | 70 |
| Handling | 78 | 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
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Important
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
80
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Defender LTX M/S | Pilot Sport 4 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires | 33% #7/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 | +50.0 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Defender LTX M/S
Pros
- Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
- Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
- Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions
Cons
- High upfront purchase price
- Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
- Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
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
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (and PS4S) is overwhelmingly positive, with users frequently praising the massive grip, excellent steering feel, and dramatic improvements in ride quality compared to OEM run-flats. While some note that they wear out relatively quickly and can be noisy on highways or sensitive to cold temperatures (below 40°F), they are widely considered a top-tier performance tire for both daily driving and spirited use.
r/wrx_vb
·3 upvotes ·2025-04-10
“I switched to ps4s. Sidewall is a little softer so they have a more comfortable ride at the expense of a little numbness during normal driving. Grip limits seem pretty similar. Ps4s should last longer. We'll see. Would buy again over stock dunlops.”
r/GR86
·20 upvotes ·2023-07-13
“PS4 tires for sale (OEM 18” takeoffs) I’ve got some PS4 take offs for sale. Only 2000 miles on them. Asking $400. Located in Boulder Colorado area. Willing to meet up within a few hundred miles. No tears, plugs or curbing. Read more”
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.”
Top themes
#Exceptional grip and handling#Ride quality and noise#Tread life and wear#Cold weather limitations#PS4 vs PS4S comparison#Run-flat replacement upgrade
Based on 122 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 62 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
80
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the Michelin Defender LTX M/S if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 76 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 78 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 70 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 73 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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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.