tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Pilot Exalto — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–71

Check price on Amazon · Pilot Sport 4 or Pilot Exalto on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,686 reviews

“I just installed A/S PS4 from Michelin on my BRZ recently & man they are so nice. How quiet it is, is wow, night and day. They handle quite nice except when it's still cold (sub 40F) on highway, traction control triggers but it may bc I'm lowered and yet to do my alignment. I don't know compared to stock, I was on Falken prior. I am using different tire set-up then stock however. I have 245/35 at the front and 265/35 in rear. My only regret is not going up to 40 on the sidewall for more meat. This is on 18" wheels.”

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 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)88–
    Reviews found online8173
  2. 87

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +14
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)91–
    Reviews found online8174
  3. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)83–
    Reviews found online7169
  4. 74

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online72–
  5. 70

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online6170
  6. 78

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Exalto
    Reviews found online7872
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Michelin Pilot Exalto
Relative Score 80 71
Dry 85 71
Wet 87 73
Comfort 78 69
Noise 74 –
Treadwear 70 68
Handling 78 72

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
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4

Pilot Exalto

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 Pilot Exalto

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong, predictable grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Progressive handling characteristics near the limit

Cons

  • High retail price point
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to reduced steering feedback and responsiveness
  • Increased road noise reported by some users
All owner themes in the Pilot Exalto review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.

r/RZ34 ·1 upvote ·2026-10-08

“Switched from the garbage stock Potenza's to Continental DWS06 a week after grabbing my Z. Absolutely fucking worth it. I got Swift R lowering springs installed and that also made a great improvement. Z feels much more confidant and way more composed on my twisty roads and roundabouts My ND Miata also came with the same Potenza's and I went with the Michelin PS4's. Transformed the handling as well”
r/CarTalkUK ·1 upvote ·2023-01-18

“Have you checked to see if your wheels would accommodate a 215 tyre? Might be worth investigating. Other than that, Goodyear Eagle f1 asymmetric I would say have just as good dry performance as a PS4. They're minutely less grippy in the wet, but not noticeably so. They're also a lot quieter and a lot cheaper. I've run both PS4 and the Eagles on track, and now the Eagles are my go-to.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2 upvotes ·2020-11-13

“First time post for me on Bitog. I just installed the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires on my 2017 Mazda GT. Noise doesn't seem to be an issue I'm experiencing. Prior to the new Pilot Sports 4's all seasons I had the Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3+ and the 4's are much quieter on the Mazda. The 4's feel a tad bit softer in ride, quieter and handle just as nice. However, they are new rubber and the tread pattern is completely different from the Michelin Pilot Sports AS 3+ . I've only put about 500 miles on them, but so far, I really like them for their ride comfort, noise, stability and wet/dry grip levels. They feel like a more mature AS3+ if you have them now”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires

Based on 246 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Exalto

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Michelin Pilot Exalto
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available62—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Pilot Exalto

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 69 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 72 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Exalto
Check price on Amazon

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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

80

Leads

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon