Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs Yokohama W.drive V905 — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 81–69

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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 8 in 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

“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 BYokohama

W.drive V905

Winter

Tests 69 · 2 tests Owners 68 · 17 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

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 +21
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)9168
    Reviews found online8971
    Dry Braking (% of best)99%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%98%
  2. 85

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +12
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)8573
    Reviews found online8573
    Wet Braking (% of best)92%93%
    Wet Handling (% of best)98%97%
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online–57
  4. 75

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +8
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online8165
  5. 68

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 S +3
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)6963
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Professional tests (TWG score)7064
    Reviews found online7270
  7. 86

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 S +16
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4 SW.drive V905
    Reviews found online8670
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S vs Yokohama W.drive V905: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4 SYokohama W.drive V905
Relative Score 81 69
Dry 90 69
Wet 85 73
Snow – 66
Comfort 75 67
Noise 68 65
Treadwear 71 66
Handling 86 70

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

Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4 S

W.drive V905

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 SW.drive V905ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 99% #4/9 · 2021 Auto Bild UUHP Summer Tyre Test 98% #5/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +0.9 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/6 · 2018 EVO UUHP Tyre Test 98% #11/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +1.6 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% #2/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 84% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +13.2 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #4/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test 96% #18/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +1.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/3 · 2022 Auto Express UUHP Summer Tire Test R19 33% #7/9 · 2017 ADAC Winter Tire Test R16 +16.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 92% #5/6 · 2018 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test 91% #20/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +1.6 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #5/7 · 2024 Autobild Sportscars Summer TIre Test R20 93% #9/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −0.7 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 98% #3/7 · 2024 EVO Summer Tyre Test 97% #9/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +0.6 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 W.drive V905

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and confidence in deep and fresh snow
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple winter seasons
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Higher-than-average road noise levels at highway speeds
  • Mixed performance in wet conditions, with some reports of aquaplaning sensitivity
  • Potential for reduced grip when temperatures rise above 10-15°C
All owner themes in the W.drive V905 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

Yokohama W.drive V905

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S B · Yokohama W.drive V905
CategorySummerWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available110—
Rim diameters17″ – 22″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Yokohama W.drive V905

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 69 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 75 vs 67 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire B · Yokohama W.drive V905

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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