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Michelin Pilot Super Sport vs Pirelli P Zero Nero — Compared

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

Pilot Super Sport is ahead, 76–61

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Super Sport

Summer

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

Best test result: #6 of 9 in 2011 Autoreview Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“Swapped out the 6+ year old Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires for some Kumho Ecsta Sports… Bought my NC2 in April 2025. It came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports made in late 2018/early 2019. Previous owner didn't drive much, so they had plenty of tread. Figured I'd run them for another year before I replaced them. They handled great and I put ~6,000 miles on them in the 13 months I've owned the car. I could tell they rode a little bit hard and recently, the tread blocks on the outside edge of the tires started cracking. So, I replaced them with the new Kumho Ecsta Sport tires in the factory 205/45/17 size. I don't track or autocross the car, so OEM size is good for me… I only drove it straight home from Discount Tire, so I haven't really put these thru their paces. So far, they ride a lot better and seem to have better grip than the old Super Sports that were on the car (not sure if that's because they're so new and the Michelin's were old or what…). They seem quieter than the Michelins and the steering feel is different, but I can't really quantify how it feels it with words, sorry! I should wash my car this weekend and shine these new shoes up :-)”

Tire BPirelli

P Zero Nero

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 58 · 141 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 8 in 2012 Auto Bild 20 inch Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 81

    Dry

    Pilot Super Sport +17
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online8762
  2. 76

    Wet

    Pilot Super Sport +15
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online8158
  3. 72

    Comfort

    Pilot Super Sport +11
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Reviews found online7552
  4. 70

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Reviews found online75–
  5. 68

    Treadwear

    Pilot Super Sport +9
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Reviews found online7054
  6. 81

    Handling

    Pilot Super Sport +23
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Super SportP Zero Nero
    Reviews found online8158
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Super SportPirelli P Zero Nero
Relative Score 76 61
Dry 81 64
Wet 76 61
Comfort 72 61
Noise 70 –
Treadwear 68 59
Handling 81 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.

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

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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Super Sport

P Zero Nero

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 Super SportP Zero NeroΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 17% #6/9 · 2011 Autoreview Max Performance Summer Tyre Test 25% #4/8 · 2012 Auto Bild 20 inch Tyre Test −8.3 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 P Zero Nero

Pros

  • Exceptional dry-weather grip and cornering precision
  • Strong, durable sidewall construction resistant to pothole damage
  • High level of steering feedback and responsiveness

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Rapid tread wear and short overall lifespan
  • Significant increase in road noise as the tire wears
All owner themes in the P Zero Nero review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely praised by the automotive community for its exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and overall performance as a high-performance summer tire. While some users note limitations in cold or snowy weather and occasional concerns regarding tread life or aging cracks, most enthusiasts consider them a benchmark daily driver and street performance tire.

r/GolfGTI ·3 upvotes ·2018-03-23

“12k on two consecutive sets of PSS. Stage 2 MK6 (285whp/325wtq), drive fairly aggressively, an odd track day or two here and there, full suspension but run aggressive alignment settings. No abnormaly quick wear in any one spot, they just look like racing slicks when I’m done. If you can afford it, they are well worth the $$. Other tires may come close in performance, but for daily use, can’t beat the comfort of the PSS”
r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2016-04-18

“Yes, you just have to drive the car harder/faster to get tail happy. They are noticeably stickier. Accelerating from a stop is faster and every corner can be taken faster. I can now go 65mph with PSS on a certain curvy road that I could max out about 55mph on the Primacys.”
r/cars ·40 upvotes ·2017-07-04

“They weren't kidding about Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They're way grippier than the Continental ExtremeContact DW tires that were rated #2 after the Super Sports on tirerack.com. I had a 2009 GTI with 225 width ExtremeContacts and now I have a 2016 with 235 width Super Sports. The difference is not subtle. Now, both have been gently upgraded to the Pilot Sport 4 S, and the ExtremeContact Sport. The only two max performance summer tires with a tread life warranty. 30k miles on square stance cars where you rotate them properly, and 15k on staggered.”
Top themes
#exceptional dry and wet grip#handling and cornering performance#tread life and longevity#comparison to ps4s#cold weather and snow limitations#road noise and ride comfort

Based on 60 community posts

Tire B

Pirelli P Zero Nero

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Super Sport B · Pirelli P Zero Nero
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Pirelli P Zero Nero

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

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 81 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 81 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 76 vs 61 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 72 vs 61 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
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Tire B · Pirelli P Zero Nero
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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.

76

Leads

Pilot Super Sport

Amazon