Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 27 + 23 road tests and 6,614 + 6,449 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 5 leads, 87–83 Narrow edge

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

± 4

Tests 82 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,614 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)

“A note about the pilot sport 4 S: in cold weather (below 5 degrees) even if it isn't icy, the tyre compound hardens and has dramatically reduced grip. They are excellent summer tyres though, good in the wet too. These days I run Uniroyal rainsport 5 and they're very good.”

Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

± 4

Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 88 · 6,449 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))

“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”

Category by category

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

  1. 93

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +1
    92
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 23 tests9493
    Reviews found online9291

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 92.1 = 93

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92.9 + 40% × 90.8 = 92

  2. 88

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +6
    94
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 23 tests8694
    Reviews found online9194

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 90.7 = 88

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 94.1 + 40% × 93.6 = 94

  3. 79

    Comfort

    Level
    79
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 9 tests7071
    Reviews found online8485

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 84.2 = 79

    Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 71 + 60% × 84.8 = 79

  4. 69

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 S +22
    47
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 15 tests7033
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 47

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5. 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.

  5. 72

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 5 +15
    87
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests7092
    Reviews found online7479

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.1 = 72

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 78.9 = 87

  6. 90

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 S +1
    89
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online9089
  7. 72

    Efficiency

    Pilot Sport 4 S +8
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 17 tests7264
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4 SMichelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 83 87
Dry 93 92
Wet 88 94
Comfort 79 79
Noise 69 47
Treadwear 72 87
Handling (owners) 90 89
Efficiency 72 64

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Pilot Sport 4 S

± 4

Pilot Sport 5

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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport 4 SPilot Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Dry 94% #3/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 93% #5/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 94% #8/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 95% #10/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 99% #4/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 98% #4/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 96% #4/7 · 2025 Autobild Sportcars Summer Tire Test R20 87% #6/7 · 2026 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% #1/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 94% #6/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Wet Wet 88% #5/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 99% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 90% #7/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 91% #9/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 87% #7/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 97% #5/7 · 2026 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 90% #6/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 98% #3/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 84% #8/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 84% #6/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 90% #4/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 99% #2/7 · 2025 Autobild Sportcars Summer Tire Test R20 71% #7/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Interior Noise Noise 80% #5/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 95% #3/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #4/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 99% #2/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 98% #2/7 · 2024 EVO Summer Tyre Test 87% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% #2/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 92% #3/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 46% #11/11 · 2023 Sport Auto UHP Tyre Test 56% #13/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #1/10 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test #9/50 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – 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 Pilot Sport 5

Pros

  • Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
  • Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
  • Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
  • Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
  • Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 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

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as a benchmark max-performance summer tire, praising its outstanding dry and wet grip, stability, and daily driving refinement. Common criticisms focus on its premium price, rapid tread wear on high-powered heavy vehicles or hot track sessions, and significantly reduced grip in cold weather. Many enthusiasts consider it an ideal street tire, though some note softer sidewalls compared to predecessors or recommend dedicated track tires for hard circuit driving.

Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Track day durability#High price vs alternatives#Tread life and wear#Cold weather performance#Sidewall stiffness and comfort

Based on 208 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 as an exceptional daily-driving tire that bridges the gap between high performance and everyday comfort. Users frequently praise its outstanding wet grip, low road noise, and impressive tread life compared to more track-focused alternatives like the PS4S. However, some enthusiast drivers feel the sidewalls and feedback can feel a bit numb or soft for aggressive track use, noting it is built more for sporty road use than dedicated circuit driving.

r/abarth ·3 upvotes ·2026-05-10

“Great tires, used to run the stock Pirellis but the ride comfort was atrocious and there was really no performance benefit so I switched them for some PS5.”

bimmerforums.co.uk ·1 upvote ·2024-05-06

“look at camskill,always the cheapest,ive just gotten the michelin ps5 for my M4 ,not fitted yet as my conti sport 7 still have life,only bought last month as there was a cashback offer from michelin at camskill,i got £80 so got 2 x 275-35-19 and x2 255-35-19 for £617 delivered,”

r/kereta ·9 upvotes ·2025-12-15

“Have to replace my tyres soon, MC7 or PS5? Hi guys, I need to replace the tyres on my civic soon and I’m stuck between the MC7 and the PS5. I not a guy who will driving 180km/h in raining day so i think both performance is good enough for me. I did some research, it seems like MC7 have better performance overall. Also found that MC7 is cheaper than PS5 in my country (around RM600-700 cheaper for 4 tyres). I prefer tread life > noise/ comfort > performance (rarely drive over 120). Any feedback on the 2 brands would be super helpful. Thanks! === UPDATED === Thank you all for suggestions and opinions. So at the end i pick the MC7. Reasons: It’s possibly quieter compared to the PS5 The price is cheaper and come with 1 year premium (or what name i forgot) warranty There’s a Continental authorized dealer near my place I’ve never tried Continental before, so I decided to give it a try At the moment, the driving experience is a bit quieter than the previous PS4 (which is expected since it’s a new tire). As for performance, I haven’t really pushed it to the limit, but it’s more than sufficient for me, didn’t experience any wheel spin or loss of traction so far. One thing I do notice is that I can constantly hear small stones sticking to the tire and hitting the wheel arch which is very annoying. Also, on a personal note, I still prefer the sidewall shape of the PS5, so it took me some time to get used to the rounded sidewall of the MC7 Read more”

Top themes
#Wet grip and safety#Tread life and durability#Road noise and comfort#Daily driving performance#Soft sidewall feedback#Comparison to PS4S and competitors#Value and pricing

Based on 177 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available11066
Rim diameters17″ – 22″16″ – 22″
Sizes in common3535

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear and wet. Pick the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S if noise and efficiency matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 69 vs 47 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 87 vs 72 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 64 on efficiency.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 88 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 88 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Neither, by our numbers: 93 vs 92 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 69 vs 47 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Neither, by our numbers: 79 vs 79 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 87 vs 72 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 64 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