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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs General Altimax One S — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 82–66

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 80 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,601 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 7 in 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“Best alternative to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Time for some new tires and it seems like the pilot sport 4s is backordered everywhere in 235/45-17 or similar sizes. Been using the pilot super sport for a few summers and love them so just wanted to get basically the same thing. What other tire in that size is the next closest thing? Some of the competitors aren't made in that size or a close enough one. As far as the tirerack test results for a max performance summer tire the Continental extreme contact sport is available in that size but the other 2 in the test aren't. I'm not set on buying from them just using it to check availability.”

Tire BGeneral

Altimax One S

Summer

Tests 60 · 4 tests Owners 71 · 17 reviews

Best test result: #32 of 49 in 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test (wet braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 90

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +31
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Professional tests (TWG score)9150
    Reviews found online8972
    Dry Braking (% of best)95%89%
  2. 85

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +21
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Professional tests (TWG score)8559
    Reviews found online8572
    Wet Braking (% of best)87%81%
  3. 75

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +7
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online8167
  4. 68

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Professional tests (TWG score)69–
  5. 71

    Treadwear

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7072
    Reviews found online7171
  6. 86

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 S +16
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SAltimax One S
    Reviews found online8670
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4 SGeneral Altimax One S
Relative Score 82 66
Dry 90 59
Wet 85 64
Comfort 75 68
Noise 68 –
Treadwear 71 71
Handling 86 70

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4 S

Altimax One S

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 4 SAltimax One SΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 95% #3/8 · 2025 Sports Cars Tyre Test 89% #41/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +5.9 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/7 · 2020 EVO UHP Summer Tyre Test 3% #33/49 · 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test +97.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #5/6 · 2018 EVO UUHP Tyre Test 90% #42/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +4.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #6/7 · 2025 Autobild Sportcars Summer Tire Test R20 81% #32/49 · 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test +5.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Pilot Sport 4 S

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and predictable handling in both dry and wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise and improved ride comfort compared to competitors and run-flats
  • Sharper steering response and improved cornering stability

Cons

  • High initial purchase price
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some aggressive drivers and track users
  • Soft sidewalls can cause a slightly vague or laggy initial response during rapid steering transitions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 S review

Tire B Altimax One S

Pros

  • Exceptional wet-weather grip and high driver confidence in the rain
  • High level of ride comfort and quietness for most daily driving conditions
  • Good tread wear longevity and overall value for money compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Notable tire and road noise reported by multiple users
  • Unresponsive steering feel and lack of sporty handling characteristics
  • Very soft sidewalls that are vulnerable to punctures from minor hazards like thorns
All owner themes in the Altimax One S review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is overwhelmingly positive, with users praising its exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and overall refinement for daily driving and spirited road use. While some note that they are pricey and can wear out quickly under aggressive track conditions or heavy vehicle weights, they are widely considered the benchmark high-performance max summer tire. Competitors like Continental ExtremeContact Sport and Kumho are frequently mentioned as budget-friendly alternatives, but many drivers ultimately return to the PS4S for its unmatched confidence and all-around performance.

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.”
r/CarsAustralia ·1 upvote ·2025-03-09

“The Michelin tyres you're thinking of that might be dicey in rain are the pilot sport cup 2, which are effectively street legal 'track' tyres. The pilot sport 4 s has great rain + dry performance, however if you have a Honda Accord its probably overkill - consider going down a tier towards the pilot sport 5 (non s) (The ps4s has been great for me in the wet but they're realistically more tyre than I need)”
r/Corvette ·1 upvote ·2026-07-14

“I live in north east ohio and have a 730 wheel horsepower zr1. I have the pilot sport 4s summer tire. When the car was stock I could drive it in 45 and up and feel safe. Now at 730 it’s a little so so around 48 degrees. As far as rain. I have never felt like I was out of control with the car up to 75-80 in a fkin monsoon worth of rain. I had 10K miles on them with plenty of burnouts and plenty of 170 mph pulls and they had excellent tread life still, I had to replace due to a nail and an object in the road ruining the sidewall on the other one. I know everyone says they don’t last for shit, but 10K miles on a ZR1 track alignment and I had plenty of tread on them. I bet they’d go 20-30K miles with my driving style no problem.”
Top themes
#Dry and Wet Grip#Tread Life and Mileage#Price and Value Comparison#Track vs Street Performance#Ride Comfort and Noise#Sidewall Stiffness#Alternatives and Competitors

Based on 109 community posts

Tire B

General Altimax One S

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S B · General Altimax One S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available11081
Rim diameters17″ – 22″15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

General Altimax One S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 75 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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Tire B · General Altimax One S
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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.

82

Leads

Pilot Sport 4 S

Amazon