Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 3 + 23 road tests and 525 + 6,510 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 87–78

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)
Tire APirelli

Cinturato P7 (P7C2)

Summer tire

± 7

Tests 80 · 3 tests Owners 71 · 525 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Al Volante Summer Tire Test R16 (wet)

Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

± 4

Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,510 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))

“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 5 +17
    92
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 23 tests7893
    Reviews found online≈ 72 (est.)90

    Cinturato P7 (P7C2): 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.9 (est.) = 75

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.2 = 92

    No owner ratings of dry for Cinturato P7 (P7C2). The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 83

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +11
    94
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 23 tests8694
    Reviews found online≈ 79 (est.)93

    Cinturato P7 (P7C2): 60% × 86.1 + 40% × 79.1 (est.) = 83

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 93.3 = 94

    No owner ratings of wet for Cinturato P7 (P7C2). The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. –

    Comfort

    No comparison
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests–71
    Reviews found online–83

    Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78

  4. 68

    Noise

    Cinturato P7 (P7C2) +21
    47
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 15 tests6933
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Cinturato P7 (P7C2): 60% × 68.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 68

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 47

    No owner ratings of noise for Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. –

    Treadwear

    No comparison
    86
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests–92
    Reviews found online–78

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86

  6. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    89
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online–89
  7. 72

    Efficiency

    Cinturato P7 (P7C2) +9
    63
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 17 tests7263
Scores at a glance
Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryPirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 78 87
Dry 75 92
Wet 83 94
Comfort – 78
Noise 68 47
Treadwear – 86
Handling (owners) – 89
Efficiency 72 63

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less 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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Cinturato P7 (P7C2)

± 4

Pilot Sport 5

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryCinturato P7 (P7C2)Pilot Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Dry 97% #4/8 · 2022 Al Volante Summer Tire Test R16 93% #5/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 84% #13/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 95% #10/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 91% #2/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 99% #4/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 90% #2/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 100% #1/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 70% #3/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 87% #6/7 · 2026 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% #6/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 94% #6/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Wet Wet 100% #1/8 · 2022 Al Volante Summer Tire Test R16 99% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #13/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 91% #9/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #13/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 98% #3/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 90% #3/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 100% #1/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 83% #4/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 71% #7/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests
Interior Noise Noise 90% #5/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 95% #3/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% #7/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 92% #3/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/12 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 #9/50 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Cinturato P7 (P7C2)

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Pilot Sport 5

Pros

  • Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
  • Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
  • Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
  • Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
  • Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.

r/i20n ·17 upvotes ·2025-07-21

“Tyres: Ps5’s initial impression Tyres seem to be a common question across a few forums so I thought ide share. So after 12 months (27,000kms) with my i20n, I was (over) due to replace my tyres. While I loved the p-zeros, I wasn’t keen on the short life, so went with the pilot sport 5. My impressions as follows: Initial impression: a lot less road noise than the p-zero City drive: no noticeable difference (apart from the reduced noise) Highway drive: handling is not noticeably changed, but the reduced noise is really appreciated here! Twisty’s: the difference here is notable, ps5’s don’t provide quite the same aggressive limitless grip feel as the p-zeros. Still holds the line perfectly but noted a bit of slip on the inside front wheel under heavy throttle. I do approx 100km on back roads commuting to and from work every day, so I’ll update this thread if I find anything worth reporting Read more”

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2026-07-21

“PS5 is a very good allround, comfortable but grippy tire. PS4S has a stiffer sidewall and is way sportier but harsher. There is to date no successor for the PS4S. I switched from PS4S to PS5 on my mustang and its a way better fit for a daily tire. I would remommend to get PS5 for the rear aswell.”

r/Miata ·2 upvotes ·2026-05-13

“Anyone else greatly disappointed with their Michelin Pilot sport 5? My 10th anniversary recently got a set of 16 inch ND wheels (due to better tires being available on 16s) and a set of brand new PS5s. It’s on the original bilstein suspension with H&R sway bars and poly bushings all around. After having driven the PS5s for around 4k km i have to say i really don’t like them most of the time. Pros: They’re numb, which is amazing for highway driving. You really can’t feel anything from the tires and they’re super quiet. Cons: They’re numb. I literally can’t feel what they’re doing, they just don’t give any useable feedback from the road and the main thing i do is spirited driving. They also overheat extremely fast? I take five to six quicker turns and on the next turn in the entire car is just sliding around doing whatever the fuck it wants all while there still being no feedback whatsoever.. I’m frustrated af because i thought i’d treat myself to a good nice quality set of tires for once and thats the result.. I have driven on Kumho PS71s for i think a thousand km’s last year and they were waaay grippier and gave very good feedback. The car just isn’t as fun to drive now and it sucks hard. Rant over, thanks for listening. Tldr: Tyre bad :(”

Top themes
#wet grip performance#tread life longevity#daily driving comfort#track heat delamination#premium pricing comparisons#road noise levels#steering feel feedback

Based on 173 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummer tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available266
Rim diameters16″16″ – 22″
UTQG—320 - 340 A - B A

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better dry and wet. Pick the Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) if noise and efficiency matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) scores 68 vs 47 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 83 on wet.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) scores 72 vs 63 on efficiency.

Tire A · Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 83 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2), 68 vs 47 on our noise score.

Which rolls more easily, Cinturato P7 (P7C2) or Pilot Sport 5?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2), 72 vs 63 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