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Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 vs Nitto NT555 G2 — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 3 PS3 is ahead, 73–66

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Summer

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 75 · 308 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 3 in Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres (dry braking)

“Michelin PS3 MO1 vs Pirelli Pzero MO About to order 4 new tires for this 2012 Mercedes CLS500 SB (X218), but tire choices are quite limited. Sizes: 255/40R18 99Y front 285/35R18 97Y rear Currently running Pirelli Pzero MO on all corners, which are in desperate need of replacement. Unfortunately, Michelin PS4, PS5 or PS4S are not available in both these sizes in Europe. The PS4 has been quite an improvement over the PS3 iirc, so it feels wrong to go for the PS3. However, the Pirelli Pzero MO isn’t the newest PZ5 iteration nor the previous PZ4 I suppose. So… Should we go for another set of Pirelli Pzero or the Michelin PS3? (PFA) Read more”

Tire BNitto

NT555 G2

Summer

Tests 65 · 2 tests Owners 61 · 411 reviews

Best test result: #21 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (overall ranking)

“Try the NT555G2 up front and the NT555RII in the rear. I hook all the time after the tires warm up.”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +13
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7157
    Reviews found online8069
    Dry Braking (% of best)95%89%
    Dry Handling (% of best)97%94%
  2. 77

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +22
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7653
    Reviews found online7857
    Wet Braking (% of best)89%80%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%89%
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    49
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Reviews found online–34
  4. 71

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Reviews found online7367
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Reviews found online–66
  6. 65

    Treadwear

    NT555 G2 +13
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–84
    Reviews found online6567
  7. 77

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2
    Reviews found online7767
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3Nitto NT555 G2
Relative Score 73 66
Dry 75 62
Wet 77 55
Snow – 49
Comfort 71 68
Noise – 67
Treadwear 65 78
Handling 77 67

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
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

NT555 G2

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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport 3 PS3NT555 G2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 95% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres 89% #10/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test +6.1 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres 94% #10/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test +3.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres 5% #21/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires +28.6 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 89% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres 80% #10/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test +9.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres 89% #10/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test +8.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Enhanced ride comfort and compliance over road imperfections

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly with spirited driving
  • Softer sidewalls can result in a slightly spongy or 'squidgy' feel during aggressive cornering
  • Higher initial purchase price compared to some mid-range alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 3 PS3 review

Tire B NT555 G2

Pros

  • Aggressive, visually appealing tread pattern and sidewall design
  • Exceptional value and lower price point compared to premium brands like Michelin or Pirelli
  • Long-lasting tread life and slow wear rates for a summer performance tire

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather traction, with multiple users reporting hydroplaning and a slippery feel in the rain
  • Lack of straight-line traction and wheel spin under heavy acceleration, especially on high-horsepower RWD vehicles
  • Subpar performance in cooler temperatures or cold conditions, requiring heat to grip properly
All owner themes in the NT555 G2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Mixed

The Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is largely viewed as an older generation tire, often overshadowed by its successor, the PS4. While some users consider buying discounted warehouse stock for daily driving or note limited size availability, others strongly advise against choosing the PS3 when newer iterations are available. (Note: Several posts in the discussion confuse the tire with the PlayStation 3 gaming console.)

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-04-09

“Is the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 a good choice for a daily driver? I've been considering changing my tires to Michelin Primacy 4 for my Mazda 2. I've been quoted with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 ones with manufacturing date of mid 2024 for 25% less, that the garage wants to clear from their warehouse. Is this an overkill? Edit: Thank you all for your help. I went with the PS3 and it seems that it was a good choice. Read more”
Top themes
#PS3 vs PS4 comparison#Limited size availability#Discounted warehouse stock#Daily driving suitability#Tread life expectations#Console confusion

Based on 10 community posts

Tire B

Nitto NT555 G2

Mixed

Community opinions on the Nitto NT555 G2 are mixed, often positioning it as an affordable, good-looking tire with decent tread life that performs adequately in warm weather. However, many enthusiast drivers note that it struggles significantly with straight-line traction, wet weather grip, and cold temperatures compared to higher-end alternatives like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

r/Mustang ·6 upvotes ·2022-03-30

“I have the nittos NT555 G2s on my mustang and they have lasted about 30k miles. But I wouldn't call them ultra high performance by any stretch of the word. I put firestone firehawk indy 500s, 305s on all 4 corners of my widebody scatpack and think it's a far superior tire in terms of grip, style and rain grooves for wet traction.”
r/GolfGTI ·39 upvotes ·2020-05-18

“Update! I ended up going with the Nitto NT555 G2’s, thanks for all the suggestions. They are amazing tires! They ride smooth for an ultra performance, the price was friendly, and they grip extremely well!”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2024-02-06

“i had some NT555 G2s on my bmw.. they are awesome tires but they DO NOT like to be cold.. if your area gets cold, id say under 60F do not drive aggressive until they warm up. they are a summer only tire.”
Top themes
#straight-line traction#wet weather performance#cold temperature grip#price and value#treadwear and longevity#comparison to michelin ps4s

Based on 24 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 B · Nitto NT555 G2
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—64
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″
Tread depth—10.2/32″
UTQG—320 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Nitto NT555 G2

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — better wet, dry and handling. Pick the Nitto NT555 G2 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 77 vs 55 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 75 vs 62 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Nitto NT555 G2 scores 78 vs 65 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 77 vs 67 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Nitto NT555 G2
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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.

73

Leads

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Amazon