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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Pirelli P Zero — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–64

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

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

Best test result: #1 of 49 in 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test (dry braking)

“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.”

Tire BPirelli

P Zero

Summer

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 3,479 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”

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 4P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)8879
    Reviews found online8164
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%97%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%100%
  2. 87

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +16
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)9180
    Reviews found online8157
    Wet Braking (% of best)94%99%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%99%
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    50
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Reviews found online–37
  4. 78

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +16
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)8370
    Reviews found online7151
  5. 74

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 +15
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)7661
    Reviews found online7255
  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +17
    53
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Professional tests (TWG score)7665
    Reviews found online6134
  7. 78

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +20
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport 4P Zero
    Reviews found online7858
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Pirelli P Zero
Relative Score 80 64
Dry 85 73
Wet 87 71
Snow – 50
Comfort 78 62
Noise 74 59
Treadwear 70 53
Handling 78 58

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
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Important
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport 4

P Zero

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 4P ZeroΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/49 · 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test 97% #5/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout +2.6 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/9 · 2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 90% #2/10 · 2022 AMS Performance Summer Tyre Test 73% #16/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +17.1 Different tests
Noise Other 97% #7/10 · 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tyre Test 97% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +0.2 Different tests
Price Other 68% #10/10 · 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tyre Test 66% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +2.3 Different tests
Value Other 59% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 53% #20/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +6.7 Different tests
Wear Other 96% #5/16 · 2020 ADAC 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test 66% #15/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +30.3 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/49 · 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test 50% #2/10 · 2014 EVO Max Performance Summer Tyre Test +50.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #3/10 · 2022 AMS Performance Summer Tyre Test 93% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +2.4 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 98% #2/7 · 2019 EVO Summer Tyre Test 67% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +31.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #13/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0% #17/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Same test
Wet Braking Wet 94% #4/10 · 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tyre Test 99% #3/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout −5.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/9 · 2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test 99% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +1.0 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 P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero 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/BMW ·1 upvote ·2024-09-24

“I basically always ran Michelins on the BMWs I had. Pilot Super Sport on the E91 335d (which unexpectedly did really well wrt longevity with 600nm+ and a heavy foot) and now PS4 ZP (so the runflat type) on my 320hp F31 330d. They are just really really good. Pretty pricey though.”
f30.bimmerpost.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by weston.__ I will be going down the non-rft route, Pilot Sport 4. You're not the only one to say the ride quality with non-rft is a massive improvement and this is the reason why I will change once the time comes. I went from Bridgestone S001 RFT to 'go-flats' and have found the suppleness an obvious difference. Since I put the pressure to the mid point between the low and high load plated pressures I have yet to have any of the heartstopping thumps come through the suspension that the Bridgestone seemed prone to.”
r/TeslaModelS ·1 upvote ·2025-03-27

“I was running pilot sport 4s on my MS. (19” wheels) I was lucky to get 13,000-14,000. I just switched to Kumho Majesty 9’s for about 1/3 the price. Currently have 4,000 miles on them and just to rotated. Fingers crossed I can get 13,000 miles out of them.”
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

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community sentiment toward the Pirelli P Zero lineup is mixed across both automotive and cycling applications. Users frequently praise the tires for responsive handling, dry grip, and the value of newer all-season variants like the AS Plus 3, but strongly criticize their rapid tread wear, mixed wet-weather performance, and occasional durability issues like sidewall bubbling. Cyclists similarly appreciate rolling speed and comfort while noting significant difficulties with mounting tubeless beads.

r/Velo ·6 upvotes ·2026-05-07

“I've used the old P zero SL in a 26, was happy with grip and feel but they did not last very long, 2000k for me before they're basically started puncturing every second ride. That would have to be my only complaint”
mbworld.org

“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
z4-forum.com ·2018-01-21

“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
Top themes
#rapid tread wear#sharp steering response#wet weather traction#difficult tubeless mounting#sidewall bubble issues#all season performance

Based on 282 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Pirelli P Zero
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available62194
Rim diameters16″ – 20″17″ – 24″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—220 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Pirelli P Zero

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

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 70 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero
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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