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 + 6 road tests and 6,632 + 23 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 85–67
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Tests 82 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,632 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 66 · 6 tests Owners 65 · 23 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test (dry braking)
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 Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 6 tests | 94 | 84 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 82 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 | 98% | 99% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 | 98% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 75% | 100% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 92.1 = 93
Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 84.1 + 40% × 81.9 = 83
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 6 tests | 86 | 52 |
| Reviews found online | 91 | 60 |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 95% | 89% |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 80% | 70% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 96% | 79% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 95% | 88% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 96% | 92% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 90.6 = 88
Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 51.6 + 40% × 60.2 = 55
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests | 70 | 49 |
| Reviews found online | 84 | 66 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 80% | 60% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 84.2 = 79
Pilot Sport Cup 2: 40% × 48.5 + 60% × 65.7 = 59
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 3 tests | 70 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–0 | 99% | 98% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69
Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S or Pilot Sport Cup 2. 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 Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 60 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 50 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74 = 72
Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 49.8 = 56
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 90 | 80 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 3 tests | 72 | 59 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 95% | 90% |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 85 | 67 |
| Dry | 93 | 83 |
| Wet | 88 | 55 |
| Comfort | 79 | 59 |
| Noise | 69 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 56 |
| Handling (owners) | 90 | 80 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 59 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Pilot Sport 4 S
Pilot Sport Cup 2
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.
In the overall rankings of 4 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead 4 times and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 S | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% | 99% | −1.3 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% | 100% | −2.1 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 75% | 100% | −25.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 95% | 89% | +6.6 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% | 79% | +17.4 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 95% | 88% | +7.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 92% | +4.1 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 80% | 70% | +10.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 80% | 60% | +20.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 98% | +1.0 | 2–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% | 90% | +4.8 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 43% | 37% | +5.7 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test · 265/35 R19 |
| Tyre Weight | Other | 99% | 91% | +8.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/9 | #10/9 | – | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2020 Auto Bild Sportscars Summer tire test R19 · 245/35R19 |
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 just went 12k on PSS for mixed use weekend and HDPE. 275/35 19x10 front and 305/30 19x11rear stagger. I replaced the PS4s from stock purchased PP1. I immediately noticed the PSS seemed a little louder and the concrete joints were felt and heard. Now after putting on 285/35 and 325/30 MP4S I'm enjoying a better ride. I have a track event this weekend so I'll get to test the 4S in track duty.”
“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.”
Based on 208 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 18 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 18″ – 21″ |
| Sizes in common | 13 | 13 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better wet, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 88 vs 55 on wet.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 79 vs 59 on comfort.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 56 on treadwear.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 59 on efficiency.
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 3 of 3 shared dry braking tests.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 55 on our wet score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 83 on our dry score.
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 79 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 56 on our treadwear score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 59 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
