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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 leads, 80–76 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 75 · 12,676 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 9 in 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“Wow! You burn rubber. I totally appreciate what you’ve said and on my old e60 I ran both contis D06 and Michelins ps4 for 3 sets each. Both different feel and wear. Contis lasted longer but didn’t feel as nice as PS4. Now I’m in another BMW and cannot rotate the same way with a staggered wheel size. I’m in NC, when I drove PS4, in cold weather, they wore out quickly. They are a summer tire for sure, but I will use a slightly higher pressure to lengthen service life. That camber is rough on the inner tire shoulder / tread and the all season contains held up better there.”

Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 85

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)87–
    Reviews found online8181
  2. 87

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)90–
    Reviews found online8181
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online–73
  4. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)83–
    Reviews found online7176
  5. 74

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online7274
  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)7674
    Reviews found online6178
  7. 78

    Handling

    Level
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7878
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 80 76
Dry 85 76
Wet 87 78
Snow – 72
Comfort 78 73
Noise 74 69
Treadwear 70 76
Handling 78 78

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4

Defender LTX M/S

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 4Defender LTX M/SΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires −63.3 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Pilot Sport 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
  • Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
  • Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving

Cons

  • Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
  • Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (and PS4S) is overwhelmingly positive, with users frequently praising the massive grip, excellent steering feel, and dramatic improvements in ride quality compared to OEM run-flats. While some note that they wear out relatively quickly and can be noisy on highways or sensitive to cold temperatures (below 40°F), they are widely considered a top-tier performance tire for both daily driving and spirited use.

r/wrx_vb ·3 upvotes ·2025-04-10

“I switched to ps4s. Sidewall is a little softer so they have a more comfortable ride at the expense of a little numbness during normal driving. Grip limits seem pretty similar. Ps4s should last longer. We'll see. Would buy again over stock dunlops.”
r/GR86 ·20 upvotes ·2023-07-13

“PS4 tires for sale (OEM 18” takeoffs) I’ve got some PS4 take offs for sale. Only 2000 miles on them. Asking $400. Located in Boulder Colorado area. Willing to meet up within a few hundred miles. No tears, plugs or curbing. Read more”
r/JettaGLI ·59 upvotes ·2026-09-27

“Reminder: Tires are the key to this car Just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires with a new set ahead of the rainy season. Lasted 36K miles. It was the best mod to the car and a fresh set reminded just how good a brand new set is. The car is glued to the road, riding wonderfully smooth and quiet. Spend the money, get the best tires for you. The tune can wait. And it will need it.”
Top themes
#Exceptional grip and handling#Ride quality and noise#Tread life and wear#Cold weather limitations#PS4 vs PS4S comparison#Run-flat replacement upgrade

Based on 122 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available62—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the Michelin Defender LTX M/S if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 76 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 78 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 73 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon

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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.

80

Narrow edge

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon