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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs Nitto Motivo — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 81–58

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 80 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,570 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“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)”

Tire BNitto

Motivo

Summer Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 53 · 52 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

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 +35
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Professional tests (TWG score)91–
    Reviews found online8947
  2. 85

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +29
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Professional tests (TWG score)85–
    Reviews found online8551
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Reviews found online–44
  4. 75

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +13
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online8155
  5. 68

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 S +7
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Professional tests (TWG score)69–
    Reviews found online–53
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online7265
  7. 86

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 S +32
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SMotivo
    Reviews found online8654
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4 SNitto Motivo
Relative Score 81 58
Dry 90 55
Wet 85 56
Snow – 54
Comfort 75 62
Noise 68 61
Treadwear 71 65
Handling 86 54

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.

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

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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4 S

Motivo

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 SMotivoΔBoth?
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Other 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires 80% #4/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires −18.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test 39% #12/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires +11.1 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 Motivo

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and exceptionally low road noise
  • Strong dry traction and responsive handling in corners
  • Great overall value and competitive pricing compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Subpar traction and grip in wet and snowy conditions for some drivers
  • Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by a subset of users
  • Potential balancing issues or out-of-round manufacturing complaints
All owner themes in the Motivo 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 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is widely praised by the community as a premier max performance summer tire, offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and refined road manners for daily driving and spirited street use. While some users note higher pricing and relatively quick wear on heavier vehicles or hot tracks, it remains a benchmark choice that many enthusiasts gladly return to despite alternatives like Continental or Kumho.

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/GolfGTI ·12 upvotes ·2021-08-03

“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.”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-08-03

“I tried conti’s and took them off the car after 2 days and went back to ps4s. Obviously on a closed course they feel very floaty around 130 and I’ve had the Michelin’s up to 165-170 and they stay planted. Depends if you drive those speeds, but like Watkins glen you’ll legally notice the difference. It was shocking at first.”
Top themes
#Dry and Wet Grip#Tread Life and Wear#Price vs Value#Track Performance Limits#Daily Comfort and Noise#Alternatives Comparison

Based on 104 community posts

Tire B

Nitto Motivo

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S B · Nitto Motivo
CategorySummerSummer Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available110—
Rim diameters17″ – 22″—
Tread depth—10.3/32″
UTQG—560 A A
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Nitto Motivo

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry, handling and wet. 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 55 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 56 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 75 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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Tire B · Nitto Motivo
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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.

81

Leads

Pilot Sport 4 S

Amazon