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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 vs Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R — 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 + 6 road tests and 23 + 4 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads, 67–65 Narrow edge

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Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2

Summer

± 6

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)

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
Tire BPirelli

P Zero Trofeo R

Summer

± 6

Tests 64 · 6 tests Owners 64 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

Key facts

  • In 3 tests that measured dry braking for both, Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 1 and P Zero Trofeo R won 2 (average 97% vs 98% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured dry handling for both, Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 0 and P Zero Trofeo R won 2 (average 100% vs 100% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured wet braking for both, Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 3 and P Zero Trofeo R won 0 (average 86% vs 82% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured wet handling for both, Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 2 and P Zero Trofeo R won 1 (average 92% vs 90% of the best).
  1. 83

    Dry

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +2
    81
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests8485
    Reviews found online8274
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–297%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–2100%100%

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 84.1 + 40% × 81.9 = 83

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 73.9 = 81

  2. 55

    Wet

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +6
    49
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests5243
    Reviews found online6059
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–094%85%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–086%82%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–192%90%

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 51.6 + 40% × 60.2 = 55

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 43 + 40% × 58.7 = 49

  3. 59

    Comfort

    P Zero Trofeo R +4
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests49≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6660

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 40% × 48.5 + 60% × 65.7 = 59

    P Zero Trofeo R: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 59.6 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for P Zero Trofeo R. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 69

    Noise

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +4
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests7163
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–096%93%

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 63.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 65

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R. 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. 56

    Treadwear

    P Zero Trofeo R +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5057

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 49.9 = 56

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 56.9 = 61

    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 P Zero Trofeo R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Reviews found online8072
  7. 59

    Efficiency

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +11
    48
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo R
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests5948
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–093%86%
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
Relative Score 67 65
Dry 83 81
Wet 55 49
Comfort 59 63
Noise 69 65
Treadwear 56 61
Handling (owners) 80 72
Efficiency 59 48

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
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Less important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Pilot Sport Cup 2

± 6

P Zero Trofeo R

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.

In the overall rankings of 3 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 finished ahead 2 times and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport Cup 2P Zero Trofeo RΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% 98% −1.6 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Dry Handling Dry 100% 100% −0.4 0–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% 85% +8.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Wet Braking Wet 86% 82% +4.0 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Wet Handling Wet 92% 90% +1.4 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Noise Noise 96% 93% +3.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 93% 86% +7.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 36% 49% −13.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Overall Ranking Overall #2/9 #4/9 – 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19

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
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 review

Tire B P Zero Trofeo R

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and track performance
  • Outperforms competitors like the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in lap times
  • Maintains structural integrity and performance under hard driving on track

Cons

  • Extremely short tread life and fast wear, especially on the street
  • Poor wet performance and lack of feedback in wet conditions
  • Requires proper heat management (needs to be hot) for optimum performance
All owner themes in the P Zero Trofeo R review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 B · Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available181
Rim diameters18″ – 21″19″
Tread depth—5/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R

Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better efficiency, handling and wet. Pick the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R if treadwear and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 59 vs 48 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 80 vs 72 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 55 vs 49 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R scores 61 vs 56 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
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Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 55 vs 49 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Neither, by our numbers: 83 vs 81 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 69 vs 65 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, 63 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, 61 vs 56 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Pilot Sport Cup 2 or P Zero Trofeo R?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 59 vs 48 on our efficiency 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