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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Super Sport vs Bridgestone Potenza Sport — Compared

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

Pilot Super Sport leads, 75–73 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Super Sport

Summer

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 79 · 1,506 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test (dry handling)

“The Michelin PSS are great tires. I am currently running Michelin (PS3s) on my sport bike. But a more budget-minded summer tire I like for a DD car is the Yokohama s.drive. I got over 26k miles out of my last set on an S5 (some twisties, but no track use). The s.drive is cheaper, quieter, and I believe a little lighter than the PSS. The s.drives do give up grip to the PSS, for sure, but that depends on how hard you push your car on the street, if you're going to be doing track driving with these tires, how much you like being able to break it loose, and the type of car these would be going on. For a car I want to regularly exercise on weekends, I'd go PSS. For a DD that just needs to feel better than it would on an A/S tire, the s.drive is a good balance.”

Tire BBridgestone

Potenza Sport

Summer

Tests 78 · 28 tests Owners 65 · 723 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 7 in 2024 Sports Car Tyre Test (dry braking)

“I’ve been running the Potenza Sport for the past 2 years during the warm months here in CO on my G37, and they’ve been great. In my experience they worsen my mpg by 3 mpg (depends how I’m driving) and they’ve worn extremely well considering I have -2.5 degrees of camber. I will say the best part is the steering response, it makes my heavy G37 feel way lighter with how good the steering response is and I feel way more confident under braking and cornering in the canyons.”

Category by category

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

  1. 81

    Dry

    Potenza Sport +5
    86
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)7692
    Reviews found online8775
    Dry Braking (% of best)99%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%98%
  2. 76

    Wet

    Potenza Sport +9
    85
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)7393
    Reviews found online8072
    Wet Braking (% of best)95%100%
  3. 72

    Comfort

    Pilot Super Sport +14
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)–55
    Reviews found online7564
  4. 70

    Noise

    Pilot Super Sport +30
    40
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)–24
    Reviews found online7564
  5. 68

    Treadwear

    Pilot Super Sport +7
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)–71
    Reviews found online7045
  6. 81

    Handling

    Pilot Super Sport +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportPotenza Sport
    Reviews found online8173
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Super SportBridgestone Potenza Sport
Relative Score 75 73
Dry 81 86
Wet 76 85
Comfort 72 58
Noise 70 40
Treadwear 68 61
Handling 81 73

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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Super Sport

Potenza Sport

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 Super SportPotenza SportΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 99% #2/9 · 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2024 Sports Car Tyre Test −1.4 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/9 · 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test 98% #5/7 · 2024 Autobild Sportscars Summer TIre Test R20 +2.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/9 · 2012 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/9 · 2021 Auto Bild UUHP Summer Tyre Test −75.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 95% #5/9 · 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test 100% #1/11 · 2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer Tyre Test −5.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Pilot Super Sport

Pros

  • Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
  • Precise steering response and excellent road feedback
  • Better-than-expected tread wear and mileage for a performance tire

Cons

  • Reduced grip and traction in cold weather (below 15°C)
  • Mediocre performance and tendency to aquaplane when tread wears down in heavy rain
  • High price point compared to some alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Super Sport review

Tire B Potenza Sport

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet grip
  • Precise, telepathic steering response and feedback
  • Excellent braking performance

Cons

  • Fast tread wear and short lifespan
  • High road noise
  • Firm, sometimes harsh ride quality over bumps
All owner themes in the Potenza Sport review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is overwhelmingly positive regarding dry/wet grip, handling performance, and everyday usability for sports cars. While some users note high costs, rapid wear under aggressive track driving, or poor performance in cold and snowy weather, they remain widely praised as a benchmark summer street tire.

r/Miata ·11 upvotes ·2026-10-07

“Worth bearing in mind the Sam Vimes "Boots" Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness. The tires I got on my new '17 RF GT didn't last very long, the two sets of cheap tires I replaced them with didn't either, then I put Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on it and they're great performers as well as outlasting the earlier sets combined.”
r/Cartalk ·2 upvotes ·2022-05-09

“The pilot super sport tires on my car were 4 and 5 years old so I decided to install new tires. My mechanic who changed them out told me that my old tires still look pretty good and had some tread life left so I’d figured I’d sell them before I threw them out. I had a buyer but they said they were concerned as there was cracking around the outside tread but I don’t really see it. What do you think?”
r/370z ·2 upvotes ·2017-10-20

“I switched to Pilot Super Sports a couple months ago and can say there is some noise reduction. So far they are holding up pretty well, probably better than the RE50A considering I did a fair bit of auto crossing with it. Biggest difference I noticed was grip, significantly more grip especially when abused (hot). I also went 255 up front so that may have had an effect on the grip as well. They are also more comfortable over rough surfaces.”
Top themes
#exceptional grip and handling#tread life and mileage#comparison to pilot sport 4s#performance in wet conditions#cost and pricing value#cold weather and snow limitations

Based on 64 community posts

Tire B

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

Mixed

Community opinion on the Bridgestone Potenza Sport and its variants is generally positive regarding its sharp steering response, dry grip, and handling precision, though some users report faster tread wear and negative impacts on fuel economy. The introduction of newer iterations like the Potenza Sport AS and the Potenza Sport Evo aims to address previous shortcomings in rolling resistance, tread life, and winter traction. Overall, drivers appreciate its high-performance characteristics on both the street and track, while balancing concerns over longevity and price.

r/mazda6 ·29 upvotes ·2023-04-08

“Trying Bridgestone Potenza Sports for summers with simple Spirt Edition A19 wheels Last fall I put Blizzaks WS90s on the stock rims, and had a confident time this winter. I love the stock Mazda rims and intended to swap on a set of performance summer tires. However decide to go with aftermarket wheels that match the stock as much as I could afford, so here they are. 19X8 SPORT EDITION A19 DARK GREY 225/45R-19 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA SPORT I love the look of the new rims maybe even more than the stock now that they are on simple as they are. Will have to see how the tires behave. I may decide to go back to a set of Conti DwS HiPer All-Seasons next year. Read more”
r/ft86 ·16 upvotes ·2025-09-11

“Bridgestone Potenza Sport Anybody running potenza sports? My rear right tire inside sidewall got shredded suddenly at highway speed (85+ mph). Fortunately I did not lose control and was able to move the car to a nearby school parking lot with a spare. Ordered a set of DWS06+ and they should be delivered tomorrow. The tires are a little more than 4 years old and had about 12k miles on them. Kind of bummed at the situation, but this could’ve been much worse. Are potenza sports generally that bad? Read more”
r/fordfusion ·2 upvotes ·2026-09-16

“Just replaced my set of Potenza Sport AS. 2 side wall failures with 70% tread left. Replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4s. Michelin's are a much better riding tire than the Bridgestones. A little more road noise though.”
Top themes
#Steering response and handling#Wet and dry grip#Tread wear and longevity#Rolling resistance and fuel economy#All-season performance (AS variant)#Track performance

Based on 34 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Super Sport B · Bridgestone Potenza Sport
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available50128
Rim diameters17″ – 23″16″ – 24″
Tread depth—7 - 10/32″
UTQG—200 - 320 A - AA A
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Black Lettering
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

Winner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better noise, comfort and handling. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza Sport if wet and dry matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 70 vs 40 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 72 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza Sport scores 85 vs 76 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 81 vs 73 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
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Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza Sport
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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.

75

Narrow edge

Pilot Super Sport

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