Tests 73 · 8 tests Owners 61 · 312 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (dry braking)
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 312 + 6,540 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 86–68
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Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,540 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.
-
72
Dry
Pilot Sport 5 +2092Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 23 tests 78 93 Reviews found online 64 90 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 98% Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 99% 99% Cinturato P7: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 63.6 = 72
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.3 = 92
-
75
Wet
Pilot Sport 5 +1994Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 23 tests 80 94 Reviews found online 68 93 Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 86% 100% Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 100% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 97% Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 99% 99% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 98% 99% Cinturato P7: 60% × 80 + 40% × 68.3 = 75
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.8 + 40% × 93.3 = 94
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61
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) – Reviews found online 54 – Cinturato P7: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.2 = 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 0.32).
-
72
Comfort
Pilot Sport 5 +678Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 9 tests 89 71 Reviews found online 61 83 Cinturato P7: 40% × 88.8 + 60% × 60.8 = 72
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78
-
63
Noise
Cinturato P7 +1647Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 15 tests 61 33 Reviews found online 65 ≈ 66 (est.) Interior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 96% 95% Cinturato P7: 60% × 61.1 + 40% × 65.3 = 63
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for 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.
-
58
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 5 +2886Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests 61 92 Reviews found online 55 78 Cinturato P7: 60% × 60.6 + 40% × 54.9 = 58
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86
-
63
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 5 +2689Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Reviews found online 63 89 -
75
Efficiency
Cinturato P7 +1263Why this score
Source Cinturato P7 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 17 tests 75 63 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 90%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Cinturato P7 | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 86 |
| Dry | 72 | 92 |
| Wet | 75 | 94 |
| Snow | 61 | – |
| Comfort | 72 | 78 |
| Noise | 63 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 86 |
| Handling (owners) | 63 | 89 |
| Efficiency | 75 | 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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
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Less important
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Cinturato P7
86
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Cinturato P7 | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-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 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 67% #4/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test | 100% #1/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| 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 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 67% #3/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test | 100% #1/7 · Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 100% #1/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test | 90% #4/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Interior Noise | Noise | 96% | 95% | +0.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 96% #9/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested | 99% #2/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 67% #4/8 · 2020 Gute Fahrt SUV Summer Tyre Test | 87% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wear | Treadwear | 72% #11/12 · 2020 ADAC SUV Summer Tyre Test | 93% #2/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| 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) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 51% #10/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested | 56% #13/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| 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
- Quiet, smooth and comfortable ride, especially on non-run-flat versions and when new. Many owners said it was a clear improvement over OEM Bridgestone, Michelin, Yokohama, Hankook and Continental tires.
- Strong dry grip, stable and predictable handling, and good steering feedback for a touring tire.
- Confident wet performance with good resistance to hydroplaning. Many users reported very good wet grip and braking.
Cons
- Premature or rapid tread wear was the most common complaint. Many reported 8,000 to 25,000 miles, with uneven shoulder or inner-edge wear, and a few described tires worn out in under a year.
- Road noise increases markedly as the tires wear, and some owners described a roar or hum after 8,000 to 30,000 miles. Some also found them loud on concrete or coarse roads.
- Weak or fragile sidewalls. Owners reported bulges, cracks, and blowouts from potholes or light curb contact, mostly on run-flat and low-profile sizes. Sidewall and shoulder cracking from age was also noted.
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
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
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
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/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/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/saab
·90 upvotes ·2026-03-28
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
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 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 49 | 66 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 21″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 A A | 320 - 340 A - B A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 33 | 33 |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Pirelli Cinturato P7
86
/ 100
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 86 vs 58 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 63 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 72 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 94 vs 75 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 75 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 72 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, 78 vs 72 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 58 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Cinturato P7 or Pilot Sport 5?
Pirelli Cinturato P7, 75 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