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 + 4 road tests and 6,632 + 54 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Pilot Sport 4 S 85, P Zero (PZ5) 84.
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Tests 81 · 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 81 · 4 tests Owners 90 · 54 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (wet handling)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 4 tests | 95 | 87 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 92 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 | 96% | 96% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 | 99% | 99% |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 85% | 94% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.7 = 93
P Zero (PZ5): 60% × 87.1 + 40% × 91.7 = 89
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 4 tests | 86 | 86 |
| Reviews found online | 90 | 93 |
| Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 93% | 91% |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 | 100% | 97% |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 89% | 92% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 90% | 91% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 87% | 98% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 | 95% | 98% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86 + 40% × 90.4 = 88
P Zero (PZ5): 60% × 86.2 + 40% × 93.4 = 89
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests | 70 | 55 |
| Reviews found online | 84 | 85 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 | 84% | 84% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 84 = 79
P Zero (PZ5): 40% × 55 + 60% × 85 = 73
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 3 tests | 70 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 | 98% | 98% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 69
P Zero (PZ5): 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S or P Zero (PZ5). 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 | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 73 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 84 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.4 = 72
P Zero (PZ5): 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 77
No road tests of treadwear for P Zero (PZ5). The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 90 | 92 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 4 tests | 72 | 53 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 | 96% | 86% |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 85 | 84 |
| Dry | 93 | 89 |
| Wet | 88 | 89 |
| Comfort | 79 | 73 |
| Noise | 69 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 77 |
| Handling (owners) | 90 | 92 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 53 |
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
P Zero (PZ5)
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 3 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead 2 times and Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 S | P Zero (PZ5) | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 96% | −0.5 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 99% | +0.2 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 85% | 94% | −9.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 EVO Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 93% | 91% | +2.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 EVO Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 100% | 97% | +3.1 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 90% | 91% | −1.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 87% | 98% | −11.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 95% | 98% | −3.5 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 89% | 92% | −3.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 EVO Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 84% | 84% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Noise | Noise | 98% | 98% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 98% #2/7 · 2024 EVO Summer Tyre Test | 93% #3/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 96% | 86% | +10.4 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test · 255/35 R19 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | Other | 100% | 84% | +16.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 EVO Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/10 | #5/10 | – | 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
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.
“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.”
“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.”
“I’ll say this. Going from the Pilot Super Sport to the Pilot Sport 4 S of the same size, I’m disappointed in the soft sidewall of the 4 S. This is an 8.5” wide wheel with 235/40/18 tires. The left-right fast slalom action got a bit mushy like the weight transfer was slowed down when I switched to the 4 S. I think a shorter sidewall 4 S would perform better in this way, or the same tire on a 9” wide wheel too. That said, the dry and wet grip is exceptional. To save money, I’d recommend the Continental ExtremeContact Sport.”
Based on 208 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | B · Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 193 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 17″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 95 | 95 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Pirelli P Zero (PZ5)
Too close to call: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S and Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) are within 2 points overall. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is stronger on efficiency, comfort and dry. Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) is stronger on treadwear.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 53 on efficiency.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 79 vs 73 on comfort.
Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) scores 77 vs 72 on treadwear.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 93 vs 89 on dry.
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Neither, by our numbers: 88 vs 89 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 89 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 73 on our comfort score.
Pirelli P Zero (PZ5), 77 vs 72 on our treadwear score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 53 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
