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 + 14 road tests and 6,649 + 192 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 S leads, 83–81 Narrow edge
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Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,649 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 79 · 14 tests Owners 84 · 192 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 13 tests | 95 | 83 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 89 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 | 99% | 94% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 | 99% | 98% |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 | 88% | 76% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.5 = 93
Ultrac Vorti: 60% × 83.5 + 40% × 89.1 = 86
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 13 tests | 86 | 83 |
| Reviews found online | 90 | 85 |
| Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 84% | 92% |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 | 96% | 95% |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 | 84% | 79% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 | 99% | 89% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–0 | 98% | 96% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 3–1 | 98% | 97% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.9 + 40% × 90.4 = 88
Ultrac Vorti: 60% × 83.2 + 40% × 84.5 = 84
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 4 tests | 70 | 77 |
| Reviews found online | 83 | 81 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 | 90% | 94% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 83.4 = 78
Ultrac Vorti: 40% × 76.6 + 60% × 81.1 = 79
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 9 tests | 70 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–1 | 99% | 99% |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69
Ultrac Vorti: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S or Ultrac Vorti. 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 | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests | 70 | 72 |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 78 |
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74 = 72
Ultrac Vorti: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 78.3 = 74
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 90 | 87 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 9 tests | 72 | 24 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 | 92% | 86% |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Vredestein Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 81 |
| Dry | 93 | 86 |
| Wet | 88 | 84 |
| Comfort | 78 | 79 |
| Noise | 69 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 74 |
| Handling (owners) | 90 | 87 |
| Efficiency | 72 | 24 |
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
Ultrac Vorti
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 5 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead 5 times and Vredestein Ultrac Vorti 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 S | Ultrac Vorti | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% | 94% | +4.8 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 98% | +0.8 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 88% | 76% | +11.5 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 84% | 92% | −8.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 96% | 95% | +1.1 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 99% | 89% | +9.5 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 98% | 96% | +1.3 | 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% | 97% | +0.8 | 3–1 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 84% | 79% | +4.6 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 90% | 94% | −4.0 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 99% | +0.3 | 1–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 92% | 86% | +6.6 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 57% | 72% | −15.7 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
| Tyre Weight | Other | 99% | 84% | +15.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/15 | #6/15 | – | 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Based on 208 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | B · Vredestein Ultrac Vorti |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 42 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 18″ – 24″ |
| UTQG | 300 A - AA A | — |
| Sizes in common | 27 | 27 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better efficiency, dry and wet. Where the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 24 on efficiency.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 93 vs 86 on dry.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 88 vs 84 on wet.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 84 on our wet score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 86 on our dry score.
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 79 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 24 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
