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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–73

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

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

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“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.”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Summer

Tests 73 · 1 test Owners 74 · 308 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 3 in Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres (straight aqua)

“Michelin PS3 MO1 vs Pirelli Pzero MO About to order 4 new tires for this 2012 Mercedes CLS500 SB (X218), but tire choices are quite limited. Sizes: 255/40R18 99Y front 285/35R18 97Y rear Currently running Pirelli Pzero MO on all corners, which are in desperate need of replacement. Unfortunately, Michelin PS4, PS5 or PS4S are not available in both these sizes in Europe. The PS4 has been quite an improvement over the PS3 iirc, so it feels wrong to go for the PS3. However, the Pirelli Pzero MO isn’t the newest PZ5 iteration nor the previous PZ4 I suppose. So… Should we go for another set of Pirelli Pzero or the Michelin PS3? (PFA) Read more”

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 +12
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)8769
    Reviews found online8179
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%95%
    Dry Handling (% of best)99%97%
  2. 87

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)9076
    Reviews found online8180
    Wet Braking (% of best)99%89%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%97%
  3. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)83–
    Reviews found online7173
  4. 74

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online72–
  5. 70

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online6164
  6. 78

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3
    Reviews found online7877
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Relative Score 80 73
Dry 85 73
Wet 87 78
Comfort 78 71
Noise 74 –
Treadwear 70 65
Handling 78 77

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

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 4Pilot Sport 3 PS3ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #3/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 95% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres +3.3 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 97% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres +2.5 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 80% #2/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 80% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres +0.2 Different tests
Price Other 44% #10/10 · 2022 AutoBild 19 Inch Summer UHP Tyre Test 82% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres −37.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/11 · 2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test 50% #2/10 · 2013 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #3/10 · 2022 AMS Performance Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres −5.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/11 · 2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test 89% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres +9.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #6/10 · 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test 97% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres −0.3 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 Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Enhanced ride comfort and compliance over road imperfections

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly with spirited driving
  • Softer sidewalls can result in a slightly spongy or 'squidgy' feel during aggressive cornering
  • Higher initial purchase price compared to some mid-range alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 3 PS3 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/Audi ·1 upvote ·2026-07-09

“If you have summer performance tires like the PS4s you 1000% require snow tires! I have a 2016 A6 with PS4s and they lose all traction under 5ish degrees Celsius. Snow tires are a must for northerners like us (from a Canadian)”
r/BoltEV ·5 upvotes ·2026-04-29

“Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires are noisy (a followup) I have been asked on this sub if the PS4 tires on my wife’s Bolt are noisy, and I wasn’t sure how to answer. Well, we made two 60-mile round trips this past weekend, mostly on highways with 55 and 70 mph speed limits, and I have to say that the tires are kind of noisy. Certainly not as quiet as EV-oriented tires are. The grip is fantastic, so we really like them. If you are sensitive to noise, though, these Max Performance class tires are probably not for you.”
r/WRXSTi ·149 upvotes ·2025-07-09

“New tires Pilot Sport 4s got some new Pilot Sport 4s in 245/40/18. way different to my yokohama advan AS+. a lot more grip, obviously. very minimal to no sidewall flex. very good tires. i had pilot sport 3's on my 2013 hatchback wrx back in the day. feels good to get back on some good tires again.”
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 Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Mixed

The Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is largely viewed as an older generation tire, often overshadowed by its successor, the PS4. While some users consider buying discounted warehouse stock for daily driving or note limited size availability, others strongly advise against choosing the PS3 when newer iterations are available. (Note: Several posts in the discussion confuse the tire with the PlayStation 3 gaming console.)

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-04-09

“Is the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 a good choice for a daily driver? I've been considering changing my tires to Michelin Primacy 4 for my Mazda 2. I've been quoted with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 ones with manufacturing date of mid 2024 for 25% less, that the garage wants to clear from their warehouse. Is this an overkill? Edit: Thank you all for your help. I went with the PS3 and it seems that it was a good choice. Read more”
Top themes
#PS3 vs PS4 comparison#Limited size availability#Discounted warehouse stock#Daily driving suitability#Tread life expectations#Console confusion

Based on 10 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available62—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

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 73 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 78 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 71 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 70 vs 65 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
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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

Leads

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon