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 + 1 road tests and 6,614 + 655 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 84–74
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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.”
Tests – · 1 test Owners 72 · 655 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
“Just had these Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed to replace OEM Dunlops”
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 A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests | 94 | ≈ 73 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 79 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 92.1 = 93
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 78.6 = 75
No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 77 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 91 | 82 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 90.7 = 88
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 77 (est.) + 40% × 82.1 = 79
No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 58 |
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 57.9 = 63
No road tests of snow for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 84 | 63 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 84.2 = 79
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 62.8 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / – tests | 70 | – |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | – |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S. 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.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 70 | 73 |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 66 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.1 = 72
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 66.1 = 70
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 90 | 70 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / – tests | 72 | – |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 84 | 74 |
| Dry | 93 | 75 |
| Wet | 88 | 79 |
| Snow | – | 63 |
| Comfort | 79 | 65 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 72 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 90 | 70 |
| Efficiency | 72 | – |
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Pilot Sport 4 S
Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 A/S 3+ | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | 73% #6/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/10 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test | #2/19 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | – | 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.
“I had a similar experience with Discount Tire and brand new Michelin PS4S's. I clipped a large lane marker (not a dot, a turtle) with both driver's side tires and pinch-flatted them both. I had driven them less than 10 miles so Discount Tire replaced them for only $50 without me even asking for a discount. I had purchased them for about $450 each and didn't buy a road hazard warranty, so I was very pleased with Discount Tire.”
“My 2023 20th AE Golf R came with Hankook tires , and I've been very pleased with them. I'm a fairly aggressive driver and frequent the twisty roads in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also have a mildly modded Mk VI Golf R shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires on factory 18" rims, and the Hankooks seem to perform almost as well in the dry, but outshine the PS4s in the wet. I will most likely need new tires next year, but I am undecided between the Hankooks and the Michelin PS4AS tires . As for Continental tires ... I use Continental tubular tires on my road bicycle, but have experienced many problems, including massive chunking with them on my 1974 BMW 2002Tii and my 1979 Scirocco Gti , so I am not going to use them on my cars again.”
“My 2020 Kia Forte GT came with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Those were not going to work in the PNW as a daily driver tire. I went right to Costco and bought some Michelin Pilot All season tires, the ones that compete with the Continental DWS at the time. I listed the take offs on Craigslist for $400 and sold them that day.”
Based on 208 community posts
Community members widely praise the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ for its dry handling, wet grip, and substantial improvement in ride comfort over stock tires. However, several users express reservations about its poor traction in genuine snow conditions and note that road noise can become prominent as the tread wears. It is frequently compared against competitors like the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 as well as its successor, the Pilot Sport All Season 4.
“The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is what I have on my car, they are quieter and offer a softer ride than the stock Goodyear eagle sport, and are also grippier. Best of both worlds, and it's a decent price.”
“Quote: Originally Posted by pqn628 I had the OEM Bridgestone Potenza with at least 6/9 thread left on the tires and got rid of them because I didnt like how hard they ride. I ended up getting Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ All Season (245/35/19 and 275/35/19) and its a completely different car now. It rides much smoother and quieter than the Bridgestones. I got them at costco for around 950 installed. They are running an instant 70 dollar rebate on 4 Michelin and 1 penny install per tire. Make sure you do a wheel alignment, Costco nationwide does not do alignments for some dumb reason.”
“Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Tires just installed Just got the tires on this morning with an alignment and proper balancing. Holy cow, night and day difference from the original Bridgestones on the car. Car handles so much better. It honestly makes me feel like I just bought a new car. If you have any questions or are considering getting them, feel free to ask!”
Based on 47 community posts
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 2 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 21″ |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better handling, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 70 on handling.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 93 vs 75 on dry.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 79 vs 65 on comfort.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 88 vs 79 on wet.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 79 on our wet score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 75 on our dry score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 79 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 70 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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
