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 + 3 road tests and 12,698 + 3,484 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 81–63
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Tests 85 · 21 tests Owners 76 · 12,698 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.”
Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 48 · 3,484 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 3 tests | 89 | 80 |
| Reviews found online | 85 | 62 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 100% | 96% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 100% | 100% |
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 89.1 + 40% × 84.5 = 87
P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.9 = 73
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 20 / 3 tests | 93 | 81 |
| Reviews found online | 85 | 55 |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 93% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–2 | 97% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 99% |
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 93.1 + 40% × 84.6 = 90
P Zero: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 55.4 = 71
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 58 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 37 |
P Zero: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 37.1 = 50
No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests | 83 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 47 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 67% |
Pilot Sport 4: 40% × 83.4 + 60% × 72.4 = 77
P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 47.1 = 56
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 1 tests | 73 | 61 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | 54 |
| Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 100% | 97% |
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 71
P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.6 = 58
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4. 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.
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests | 78 | 65 |
| Reviews found online | 59 | 28 |
| Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 94% | 66% |
Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 78.1 + 40% × 59.4 = 71
P Zero: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 27.8 = 50
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 81 | 57 |
| Source | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 1 tests | 76 | 59 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 76% | 73% |
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 | Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 63 |
| Dry | 87 | 73 |
| Wet | 90 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 50 |
| Comfort | 77 | 56 |
| Noise | 71 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 71 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 81 | 57 |
| Efficiency | 76 | 59 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Pilot Sport 4
P Zero
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 finished ahead 5 times and Pirelli P Zero 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport 4 | P Zero | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% | 96% | +4.3 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% | 100% | −0.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 100% | 93% | +7.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% | 94% | +2.8 | 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% | 99% | +1.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 100% | 67% | +33.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 100% | 97% | +2.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 94% | 66% | +28.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 76% | 73% | +3.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 60% | 66% | −5.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #13/20 | #17/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Value | Cost | 69% | 53% | +16.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/49 | #25/49 | – | 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“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”
“CC2s fitted yesterday. Initial subjective reaction are they deffinately seem both quieter and more comfortable than the stock PS4. I did a non scientific noise test using a app on my phone. On my way to have the tyres changed I drove a section of the A460 toward & from Cannock, approx half a mile in each direction. I did exactly the same run at the same speed with the CC2s a couple of hours later. This is a fairly rough surface well worn tarmac but I avoided all ruts & holes. PS4: 41psi 50mph, average noise level 67.4db. The average being registered by the app, not my calculation. CC2: 40 psi 50mph, average noise level 64.6db. In both cases the phone lay on the central console forward of the tray & armrest. The comfort feeling is the CC2s are softer, damping ridges & ruts better than the PS4, while driving a route of 14 miles each way I drive every Tuesday & Thursday & consists of a wide range of different surfaces including the newer super smooth quiete tarmac.”
“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.”
Based on 246 community posts
Community opinions on the Pirelli P Zero tire line are divided depending on whether users are discussing the cycling tires or automotive variants. Cyclists generally praise the road and gravel options for speed, comfort, and grip, though some note they can be difficult to mount. Automotive users offer a more mixed review, praising the high-performance grip, responsive steering, and comfort of options like the P Zero AS Plus 3, while frequently criticizing summer and OE variants for rapid tread wear, wet weather traction issues, and susceptibility to sidewall bubbles.
“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”
“Um I got my x3mc with p0's pz4 and I love them because there is no sideflex in them, you really only feel the suspension working and not the tire, so very darty steering if you will. Also put pzero all season plus on my cooper coupé s, and again excellent no sidewall flexing. May or may not try the Michelin one day. But the pzero on my x3mc burns really really fast in the back. 2 summers max, the front hardly get used, and can't swap since they are wider in the back”
“Impossible to install P Zero Race TLR I have Hollowgram R45 carbon wheels on my road bike and went for Pirelli P Zero TLR 700x30 after reading great reviews. The fact is, they are impossible to install. I tried and had two mechanics try and they said it’s absolutely impossible. The tire is too tight for the wheel and there is absolutely no way of putting it on. The wheel is ETRTO standard compliant and has a 21 mm internal canal. Has anyone had any similar experience? I am quite surprised”
Based on 284 community posts
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 | B · Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 62 | 194 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 17″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 220 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 47 | 47 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Pirelli P Zero
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 81 vs 57 on handling.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 77 vs 56 on comfort.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 71 vs 50 on treadwear.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 90 vs 71 on wet.
Pirelli P Zero won 2 of 3 shared wet braking tests.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 90 vs 71 on our wet score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 73 on our dry score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 58 on our noise score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 77 vs 56 on our comfort score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 71 vs 50 on our treadwear score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 76 vs 59 on our efficiency score.
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
