Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Primacy 4 ST — 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 21 + 1 road tests and 12,691 + 1 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 83–73

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Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,691 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (dry braking)

“Those are Pilot sport 4 (all season). If it had s after the 4 it would be the summer high performance version. I put the pilot sport 4 on wife's GTI autobahn 2016. Great handling tire, stiff side walls, not the smoothest ride but best overall.”

Michelin Primacy 4 ST
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4 ST

Summer

± 7Provisional

Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 73 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2023 APAC 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. 87

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 1 tests8978
    Reviews found online8573

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.1 + 40% × 84.5 = 87

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 78 + 40% × 73.4 = 76

  2. 90

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +15
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 1 tests9373
    Reviews found online8577

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 93.1 + 40% × 84.7 = 90

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 76.6 = 75

  3. 77

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests8371
    Reviews found online7269

    Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 83.4 + 60% × 72.4 = 77

    Primacy 4 ST: 40% × 70.8 + 60% × 69.2 = 70

  4. 71

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 1 tests7373
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST. 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.

  5. 71

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests78≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6071

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.5 = 71

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Primacy 4 ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 81

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Reviews found online8171
  7. 76

    Efficiency

    Pilot Sport 4 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 1 tests7675
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Primacy 4 ST: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Michelin Primacy 4 ST
Relative Score 83 73
Dry 87 76
Wet 90 75
Comfort 77 70
Noise 71 70
Treadwear 71 69
Handling (owners) 81 71
Efficiency 76 75

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Pilot Sport 4

± 7

Primacy 4 ST

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.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport 4Primacy 4 STΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 80% #3/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 80% #3/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 98% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 90% #2/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 80% #2/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 99% #3/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 70% #8/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 96% #3/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 70% #4/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 99% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 78% #7/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 70% #5/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 98% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 99% #6/10 · 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test 100% #2/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 80% #2/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 100% #1/6 · 2023 APAC Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/9 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 #1/6 2023 APAC Tyre Test – 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 Primacy 4 ST

Pros

  • Exceptional durability and tread life
  • High levels of wet and dry grip
  • Superior ride comfort

Cons

  • Slightly higher noise levels compared to the segment-leading quiet tire (Continental CC6)
  • Fuel efficiency is competitive but not class-leading
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 ST 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.

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 Primacy 4 ST

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Michelin Primacy 4 ST
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available627
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 20″
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Primacy 4 ST

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better wet, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Primacy 4 ST rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 90 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 76 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 81 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 77 vs 70 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4 ST

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Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 90 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 76 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 70 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 77 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 69 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Sport 4 or Primacy 4 ST?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the efficiency score, within 3 points.

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