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Michelin Primacy HP vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — Compared

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

Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is ahead, 73–65

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Tire AMichelin

Primacy HP

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 204 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 6 in 2010 Autocar Tyre Test - FWD (overall ranking)

“You will notice the difference, but if you don't track, autocross, or canyon carve, I wouldn't bother. You don't have to stick with Primacy but it's not worth the PSS. The only reason I would go PSS in that instance, is if the price is similar to Primacy HP (it might actually be similar). If you drive in snow at all I would not go with PSS. Do not go with anything more aggressive than PSS for day to day street driving. There are people who daily drive more aggressive RS3s, RE-71s, ZII Star Specs, etc. but they track/autocross, know the limits, and take it easy around standing water.”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport A/S 3+

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 655 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)

“Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Tires just installed Just got the tires on this morning with an alignment and proper balancing. Holy cow, night and day difference from the original Bridgestones on the car. Car handles so much better. It honestly makes me feel like I just bought a new car. If you have any questions or are considering getting them, feel free to ask!”

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online6580
  2. 65

    Wet

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online6478
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online–59
  4. 65

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online6165
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online–67
  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online6366
  7. 62

    Handling

    Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+
    Reviews found online6271
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Primacy HPMichelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Relative Score 65 73
Dry 67 76
Wet 65 76
Snow – 64
Comfort 65 67
Noise – 67
Treadwear 64 70
Handling 62 71

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

Primacy HP

Pilot Sport A/S 3+

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.

DisciplineCategoryPrimacy HPPilot Sport A/S 3+ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/6 · 2010 Autocar Tyre Test - FWD 94% #2/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires −74.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Primacy HP

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and longevity
  • Strong dry-road grip and handling
  • High fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance

Cons

  • Noticeable decline in wet-weather grip as tread depth decreases
  • High retail price compared to competitors
  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Primacy HP review

Tire B Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions
  • Crisp, highly responsive steering and handling feel
  • Substantial upgrade in performance and wet weather confidence compared to OEM tires

Cons

  • Significantly faster tread wear than expected, often failing to reach the mileage warranty
  • High levels of road noise, buzzing, and droning that increase noticeably as the tread wears down
  • Stiff sidewalls leading to a harsher, less comfortable ride over bumps and road imperfections
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Primacy HP

Mixed

Community opinion on the Michelin Primacy HP is divided. While some enthusiasts view them as lacking grip and inferior compared to Michelin's performance-oriented Pilot Sport line, others appreciate them as stock tires for daily driving or playful street handling due to their predictable breakaway and low rolling resistance.

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2016-01-21

“PSA: The Stock Michelin Primacy HP tires are SUMMER tires! I figured, given that winter has finally arrived in much of the US, I'd make a quick reminder that this car ships in the US with summer only tires. I've noticed that this fact is rarely mentioned in threads about snowy weather or winter tires, and I myself didn't realize this until just before I bought mine. A quick explanation for the non-car guys in the sub. Most cars in the US sell new with all-season tires mounted. These are tires that maintain a balance to allow them to work OK on hot dry pavement, in the rain, and in winter weather. Not great, but OK. They're a jack of all trades, master of none In contrast, these cars (at least in the US market) shipped with summer-only tires. This means that they are NOT OK for use in winter weather--even just cold dry pavement. Summer tires are made of a compound that is too hard in cold weather, therefore not sticky even on clean pavement. In addition, they often lack the open spaces in the tread that are necessary for good snow traction.”
Top themes
#Stock tire performance#Comparison with Pilot Sport#Playful vs serious grip#Daily driving suitability#Low rolling resistance

Based on 10 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Positive

The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ as a high-performing all-season tire that delivers exceptional dry and wet grip, great cornering stability, and low noise compared to stock options. Most users praise them as an ideal compromise for daily drivers who want warm-weather performance without swapping to dedicated summer tires, though some users note they struggle in heavy winter snow compared to competitors like Continental.

r/WRX ·28 upvotes ·2017-12-19

“Just had these Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed to replace OEM Dunlops”
r/AMG ·8 upvotes ·2018-07-26

“new tires = BIG difference in traction (pilot sport a/s 3+)”
r/Golf_R ·1 upvote ·2018-10-17

“The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ was amazing on my STI in cold and wet in the Seattle area. But I never had a chance to drive them on proper snow/ice, so I can't vouch for them in a northeast winter, unfortunately. :/”
Top themes
#Wet and dry traction#Winter and snow performance#Daily driving compromise#Handling and cornering grip#Comparison with summer tires#Ride comfort and noise

Based on 15 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Primacy HP B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Primacy HP

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better wet, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 76 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 76 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 71 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 70 vs 64 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Primacy HP
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
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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.

73

Leads

Pilot Sport A/S 3+

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