Tests 66 · 6 tests Owners 65 · 23 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 vs Nitto NT555 — 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 6 + 0 road tests and 23 + 13 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport Cup 2 is ahead, 67–53
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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83
Dry
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +2855Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 84 ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 82 48 Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 84.1 + 40% × 81.9 = 83
NT555: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 47.7 = 55
No road tests of dry for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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55
Wet
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +352Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 52 ≈ 56 (est.) Reviews found online 60 45 Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 51.6 + 40% × 60.2 = 55
NT555: 60% × 56.5 (est.) + 40% × 44.9 = 52
No road tests of wet for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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–
Snow
No comparison41Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 53 (est.) Reviews found online – 23 NT555: 60% × 53.1 (est.) + 40% × 23.4 = 41
No road tests of snow for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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59
Comfort
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +752Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 49 ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 66 44 Pilot Sport Cup 2: 40% × 48.5 + 60% × 65.7 = 59
NT555: 40% × 64.5 (est.) + 60% × 44 = 52
No road tests of comfort for NT555. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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69
Noise
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +960Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 71 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) 50 Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69
NT555: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 49.6 = 60
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2. 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.
No road tests of noise for NT555. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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56
Treadwear
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +452Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 58 (est.) Reviews found online 50 43 Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 49.9 = 56
NT555: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 43.4 = 52
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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80
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 +3050Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Reviews found online 80 50 -
59
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 NT555 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 59 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Nitto NT555 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 53 |
| Dry | 83 | 55 |
| Wet | 55 | 52 |
| Snow | – | 41 |
| Comfort | 59 | 52 |
| Noise | 69 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 52 |
| Handling (owners) | 80 | 50 |
| Efficiency | 59 | – |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Pilot Sport Cup 2
53
/ 100
NT555
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 Cup 2
Pros
- Phenomenal grip and stability in dry conditions
- Exceptional steering precision and driver feedback
- Strong, robust sidewalls providing great agility and balance
Cons
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
- High purchase price
- Requires significant heat to achieve optimal grip, making them less ideal for cold or short road trips
Tire B NT555
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and sticky, hot-tar-like road adhesion
- Enhanced handling and high-speed stability
- Sporty aesthetic and semi-slick feel favored by enthusiasts
Cons
- Subpar wet weather traction and dangerous in winter/cold conditions
- Can struggle to maintain traction on higher-horsepower vehicles (e.g., V8 setups)
- Notable road noise that increases as the tire wears
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | B · Nitto NT555 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 18 | 53 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 21″ | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.3/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 4 | 4 |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
53
/ 100
Nitto NT555
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better handling, dry and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score. Nitto NT555 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 80 vs 50 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 83 vs 55 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 69 vs 60 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 59 vs 52 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire B · Nitto NT555
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Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 55 vs 52 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 83 vs 55 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 69 vs 60 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 59 vs 52 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or NT555?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 56 vs 52 on our treadwear score.
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