Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Cinturato P7 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 8 + 23 road tests and 307 + 6,449 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 87–69

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Pirelli Cinturato P7
Tire APirelli

Cinturato P7

Summer

± 7

Tests 74 · 8 tests Owners 62 · 307 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (dry braking)

Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

± 4

Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 88 · 6,449 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. 73

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 5 +19
    92
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 23 tests7893
    Reviews found online6491
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–195%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–199%99%

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 64.1 = 73

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92.9 + 40% × 90.8 = 92

  2. 76

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +18
    94
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 23 tests8094
    Reviews found online6994
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–186%100%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–195%100%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–196%97%
    Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–199%99%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 80.3 + 40% × 68.7 = 76

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 94.1 + 40% × 93.6 = 94

  3. 61

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)–
    Reviews found online55–

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 61

    No road tests of snow for Cinturato P7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 5 +5
    79
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 9 tests9271
    Reviews found online6285

    Cinturato P7: 40% × 92.3 + 60% × 61.6 = 74

    Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 71 + 60% × 84.8 = 79

  5. 63

    Noise

    Cinturato P7 +16
    47
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 15 tests6133
    Reviews found online66≈ 67 (est.)
    Interior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–096%95%

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 61.1 + 40% × 65.9 = 63

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 47

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 5. 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.

  6. 58

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 5 +29
    87
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests6092
    Reviews found online5579

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 60.3 + 40% × 55 = 58

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 78.9 = 87

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 5 +25
    89
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online6489
  8. 75

    Efficiency

    Cinturato P7 +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 17 tests7564
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%90%
Scores at a glance
Pirelli Cinturato P7 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryPirelli Cinturato P7Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 69 87
Dry 73 92
Wet 76 94
Snow 61 –
Comfort 74 79
Noise 63 47
Treadwear 58 87
Handling (owners) 64 89
Efficiency 75 64

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.

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Cinturato P7

± 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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Pirelli Cinturato P7 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryCinturato P7Pilot Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% 98% −3.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% −0.3 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 86% 100% −14.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% 100% −4.8 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Braking Wet 96% 97% −1.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Circle Wet 99% 99% −0.5 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Handling Wet 98% 99% −0.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Interior Noise Noise 96% 95% +0.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% 90% +9.8 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/8 #4/8 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Cinturato P7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality when new
  • Strong dry traction, stability, and confident cornering grip
  • Low rolling resistance contributing to improved fuel economy

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear and reduced mileage lifespan
  • Noticeable increase in road noise and harshness as the tread wears down
  • Subpar wet-weather and cold-temperature grip compared to competitors
All owner themes in the Cinturato P7 review

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

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 as an exceptional daily-driving tire that bridges the gap between high performance and everyday comfort. Users frequently praise its outstanding wet grip, low road noise, and impressive tread life compared to more track-focused alternatives like the PS4S. However, some enthusiast drivers feel the sidewalls and feedback can feel a bit numb or soft for aggressive track use, noting it is built more for sporty road use than dedicated circuit driving.

r/CarTrackDays ·17 upvotes ·2025-05-25

“Michelin PS5 Delaminating Near new PS5, running a low speed track, and the fronts basically fell apart after 2 sessions. I know these aren't track-focussed tires, but is this really expected for them? Looks like the tires got too hot, but I'm just shocked how poorly they performed on a stock car (Golf R). Not sure if it's worth contacting Michelin over this or not. Read more”

r/kereta ·9 upvotes ·2025-12-15

“Have to replace my tyres soon, MC7 or PS5? Hi guys, I need to replace the tyres on my civic soon and I’m stuck between the MC7 and the PS5. I not a guy who will driving 180km/h in raining day so i think both performance is good enough for me. I did some research, it seems like MC7 have better performance overall. Also found that MC7 is cheaper than PS5 in my country (around RM600-700 cheaper for 4 tyres). I prefer tread life > noise/ comfort > performance (rarely drive over 120). Any feedback on the 2 brands would be super helpful. Thanks! === UPDATED === Thank you all for suggestions and opinions. So at the end i pick the MC7. Reasons: It’s possibly quieter compared to the PS5 The price is cheaper and come with 1 year premium (or what name i forgot) warranty There’s a Continental authorized dealer near my place I’ve never tried Continental before, so I decided to give it a try At the moment, the driving experience is a bit quieter than the previous PS4 (which is expected since it’s a new tire). As for performance, I haven’t really pushed it to the limit, but it’s more than sufficient for me, didn’t experience any wheel spin or loss of traction so far. One thing I do notice is that I can constantly hear small stones sticking to the tire and hitting the wheel arch which is very annoying. Also, on a personal note, I still prefer the sidewall shape of the PS5, so it took me some time to get used to the rounded sidewall of the MC7 Read more”

r/abarth ·3 upvotes ·2026-05-10

“Great tires, used to run the stock Pirellis but the ride comfort was atrocious and there was really no performance benefit so I switched them for some PS5.”

Top themes
#Wet grip and safety#Tread life and durability#Road noise and comfort#Daily driving performance#Soft sidewall feedback#Comparison to PS4S and competitors#Value and pricing

Based on 177 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Cinturato P7 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4966
Rim diameters16″ – 21″16″ – 22″
Tread depth11/32″—
UTQG260 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—
Sizes in common3333

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Cinturato P7

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Pirelli Cinturato P7 if noise and efficiency matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 87 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 73 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 76 on wet.

Tire A · Pirelli Cinturato P7
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5

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Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 76 on our wet score.

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 63 vs 47 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 79 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 87 vs 58 on our treadwear score.

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

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 75 vs 64 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