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 6,667 + 6,540 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 leads, 86–83 Narrow edge
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Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,667 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.”
Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,540 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!”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 23 tests | 95 | 93 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 90 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.6 = 93
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.3 = 92
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 23 tests | 86 | 94 |
| Reviews found online | 90 | 93 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86 + 40% × 90.4 = 88
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.8 + 40% × 93.3 = 94
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 9 tests | 70 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | 84 | 83 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 83.5 = 78
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 15 tests | 70 | 33 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests | 70 | 92 |
| Reviews found online | 75 | 78 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.8 = 72
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 90 | 89 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 17 tests | 72 | 63 |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 86 |
| Dry | 93 | 92 |
| Wet | 88 | 94 |
| Comfort | 78 | 78 |
| Noise | 69 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 86 |
| Handling (owners) | 90 | 89 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 63 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Pilot Sport 4 S
Pilot Sport 5
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.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-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 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“Quote: Originally Posted by D_H I hated the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Was not happy with the wear. I wanted a drivable tire, and that's why I got them. They were pricy. Didn't last anywhere near the 30,000 mile range. Lasted just over 15,000 miles. Tire wear was not even, and the performance is a joke. But again, that's not why I got them. Tires always want to slip traction. I'm just going to stick with the stock tires from now on. I was wanting to know what everyone thought about these Atturo AZ850 front and rear tires though. I just put a very lightly used (from a friend) set of Atturo AZ850's in 1LE size on my 2020 2SS (I mounted them on MRR017 1LE Replica Wheels (285/30ZR20 Fronts and 305/30ZR20 Rears)), so far VERY happy with them especially considering the cost... They definitely hook better than my old 275 run flats...”
“Depending on the size they are absolutely overkill for street use on stock motor. I just installed a set of 245 ps4s on 17x9 rpf1s and its almost impossible to trigger the abs and traction co trol. The car is on absolute rails. That being said, if you have the money, there is not really any negatives from that. I intend to use mine on track days. Felt the cup 2s were overkill for 2 to 3 track days a year.”
“I was running pilot sport 4s on my MS. (19” wheels) I was lucky to get 13,000-14,000. I just switched to Kumho Majesty 9’s for about 1/3 the price. Currently have 4,000 miles on them and just to rotated. Fingers crossed I can get 13,000 miles out of them.”
Based on 208 community posts
Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.
“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.”
“I’ve done 20k on a set of fronts that still have ~2-2.5mm left. They’re wearing very well IMO.”
“Michelin PS5 Delaminating Near new PS5, running a low speed track, and the fronts basically fell apart after 2 sessions. I know these aren't track-focussed tires, but is this really expected for them? Looks like the tires got too hot, but I'm just shocked how poorly they performed on a stock car (Golf R). Not sure if it's worth contacting Michelin over this or not. Read more”
Based on 173 community posts
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 66 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| UTQG | 300 A - AA A | 320 - 340 A - B A |
| Sizes in common | 35 | 35 |
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.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 69 vs 47 on noise.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 86 vs 72 on treadwear.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 63 on efficiency.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 88 on wet.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 88 on our wet score.
Neither, by our numbers: 93 vs 92 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 69 vs 47 on our noise score.
Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 78 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 72 on our treadwear score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 63 on our efficiency score.
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
