Tests 80 · 9 tests Owners 79 · 1,371 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (wet braking)
“Loving my new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires and Enkei Raijin wheels”
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV vs Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 9 + 0 road tests and 1,371 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
Different seasons: Pilot Sport 4 SUV and Pilot Alpin PA3 are each scored against tires of their own season.
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Tests – · none yet Owners 80 · 11 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
86
Dry
Pilot Sport 4 SUV +878Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 86 ≈ 74 (est.) Reviews found online 86 83 Pilot Sport 4 SUV: 60% × 86 + 40% × 86.4 = 86
Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 83 = 78
No road tests of dry for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
91
Wet
Pilot Sport 4 SUV +1081Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 94 ≈ 79 (est.) Reviews found online 87 85 Pilot Sport 4 SUV: 60% × 94 + 40% × 86.7 = 91
Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 78.7 (est.) + 40% × 85.1 = 81
No road tests of wet for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
–
Snow
No comparison68Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online – 67 Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 68
No road tests of snow for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
64
Comfort
Pilot Alpin PA3 +1478Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 54 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 71 82 Pilot Sport 4 SUV: 40% × 54.2 + 60% × 71.2 = 64
Pilot Alpin PA3: 40% × 71.6 (est.) + 60% × 82.4 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
58
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 53 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Pilot Sport 4 SUV: 60% × 52.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 58
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 SUV. 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.
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72
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin PA3 +476Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 77 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 65 82 Pilot Sport 4 SUV: 60% × 77.1 + 40% × 65.3 = 72
Pilot Alpin PA3: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 81.7 = 76
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin PA3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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83
Handling (owners)
Level83Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Reviews found online 83 83 -
64
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Sport 4 SUV Pilot Alpin PA3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 64 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV | Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 79 |
| Dry | 86 | 78 |
| Wet | 91 | 81 |
| Snow | – | 68 |
| Comfort | 64 | 78 |
| Noise | 58 | – |
| Treadwear | 72 | 76 |
| Handling (owners) | 83 | 83 |
| Efficiency | 64 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
83
/ 100
Pilot Sport 4 SUV
79
/ 100
Pilot Alpin PA3
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
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.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 SUV | Pilot Alpin PA3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/9 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test | #6/7 2011 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Pilot Sport 4 SUV
Pros
- Outstanding grip and safety in both wet and dry conditions
- Precise steering response and enhanced cornering stability for heavy SUVs
- Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and overall handling
Cons
- Higher-than-average purchase price
- Increased road noise reported by some users as the tread wears down
- Faster tread wear and shorter mileage lifespan under aggressive driving or heavy vehicle loads
Tire B Pilot Alpin PA3
Pros
- Exceptional traction and grip on ice, light-to-moderate snow, and wet roads
- High comfort levels and very low road noise, comparable to summer tires
- Durable tread life with slow, even wear over thousands of miles
Cons
- Premium price point that some users find lacking in value
- Not optimized for deep snow or slow-speed climbing in mountainous 'white' roads
- Slight loss of braking performance felt on dry roads by some drivers
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
Community sentiment toward the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is generally very positive, with owners highlighting its strong grip, handling precision, and suitability for heavy performance SUVs. Users frequently compare it favorably to older Latitude Sport 3 and standard passenger tires, though they emphasize its summer-only limitation below 40°F and note trade-offs in price and tread life.
bobistheoilguy.com
·2022-02-01
“From 3 model you mention, only Alenza is designed for heavy vehicle/SUV, so longevity is better than other 2 for your Envoy even though the traction may not be the best. If you can find Pilot Sport 4 SUV, then it may be the best to replace Latitude Sport 3. I like Latitude Sport 3, the best in wet weather and great in dry, but it is true it is only 25000 miles lifetime.”
rennlist.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by robtr8 I like to use the tire size calculator on 1010Tires.com. Shows 285/40's as being almost 3% bigger than the OE size. Generally speaking you want no more than a 1% different. The PS 4 SUV's are available in a 295/35. Rocketcar - if you had P-Zero's then yup. They suck. Took them off the F Type immediately if not sooner. Quote: Originally Posted by RAudi Driver That's why they are called P-Zeros. If they were good Pirelli would have named them P-10's. Quote: Originally Posted by BrettIsAwesomer Not a fan of the LS3 on my Cayenne. They came on the car when I bought it but will replace with Pilot Sport 4 SUV later this year. There are some stretches of road where the surface conditions change and I get a terrible droning noise in the cabin with the LS3. However, in my Cayman with PS4S in the same areas you can barely tell the road surface changed. The wear on both sets is about the same. 2016 Cayenne S e-Hybrid with 21" Latitude Sport 3 (295/35) 2014 Cayman with 20" Pilot Sport 4S (235-265/35) I am putting an OPC warranty on the Cayenne, so for me the LS3 is is best N rated tyre available...”
r/CX5
·103 upvotes ·2021-05-15
“Loving my new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires and Enkei Raijin wheels”
Top themes
#Summer temperature limitations#Grip and handling performance#Tread life and wear#Comparison with Latitude Sport 3#Ride comfort and firmness#SUV-specific load design
Based on 37 community posts
Tire B
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV | B · Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 65 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 23″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
79
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
Built for different seasons: Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 is a winter tire, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV a summer tire. Each score is measured against tires of its own season, so the two are not ranked against each other — pick by the season you drive in.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.
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