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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero Run Flat vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — 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 0 + 27 road tests and 52 + 6,632 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 86–56

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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

± 4

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,632 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)

“A note about the pilot sport 4 S: in cold weather (below 5 degrees) even if it isn't icy, the tyre compound hardens and has dramatically reduced grip. They are excellent summer tyres though, good in the wet too. These days I run Uniroyal rainsport 5 and they're very good.”

Category by category

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

  1. 61

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +32
    93
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests≈ 63 (est.)95
    Reviews found online5792

    P Zero Run Flat: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.5 = 61

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.7 = 93

    No road tests of dry for P Zero Run Flat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 61

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +27
    88
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 26 tests≈ 63 (est.)86
    Reviews found online5790

    P Zero Run Flat: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 61

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 86 + 40% × 90.4 = 88

    No road tests of wet for P Zero Run Flat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. 49

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +30
    79
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 64 (est.)70
    Reviews found online4084

    P Zero Run Flat: 40% × 63.9 (est.) + 60% × 39.8 = 49

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 84 = 79

    No road tests of comfort for P Zero Run Flat. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests–70
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S. 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.

  5. 44

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +28
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 54 (est.)70
    Reviews found online3074

    P Zero Run Flat: 60% × 53.7 (est.) + 40% × 29.8 = 44

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74.4 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for P Zero Run Flat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 54

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 S +36
    90
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online5490
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Run FlatPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests–72
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P Zero Run FlatMichelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 56 86
Dry 61 93
Wet 61 88
Comfort 49 79
Noise – 69
Treadwear 44 72
Handling (owners) 54 90
Efficiency – 72

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

P Zero Run Flat

± 4

Pilot Sport 4 S

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A P Zero Run Flat

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and precise, telepathic steering feedback
  • Better ride comfort and compliance than competing run-flat tires
  • Good initial value and professional purchase/installation experience

Cons

  • Noticeably diminished grip and unsettling behavior on wet roads or standing water
  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan, particularly on rear axles
  • Stiff sidewalls prone to bubbling, cuts, and blowouts upon pothole impact
All owner themes in the P Zero Run Flat review

Tire B Pilot Sport 4 S

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and predictable handling in both dry and wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise and improved ride comfort compared to competitors and run-flats
  • Sharper steering response and improved cornering stability

Cons

  • High initial purchase price
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some aggressive drivers and track users
  • Soft sidewalls can cause a slightly vague or laggy initial response during rapid steering transitions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 S review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli P Zero Run Flat

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as a benchmark max-performance summer tire, praising its outstanding dry and wet grip, stability, and daily driving refinement. Common criticisms focus on its premium price, rapid tread wear on high-powered heavy vehicles or hot track sessions, and significantly reduced grip in cold weather. Many enthusiasts consider it an ideal street tire, though some note softer sidewalls compared to predecessors or recommend dedicated track tires for hard circuit driving.

r/RZ34 ·1 upvote ·2026-10-08

“I got 30k miles out of the pilot sport 4s and pilot sport all season 4. The cost difference was not too bad and the all season 4 grip almost as well and are rated to 11f vs 40f for the pilot sport 4s. And they all wore evenly. Upsizing definitely made it feel more planted 245 275.”
camaro6.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by D_H I hated the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Was not happy with the wear. I wanted a drivable tire, and that's why I got them. They were pricy. Didn't last anywhere near the 30,000 mile range. Lasted just over 15,000 miles. Tire wear was not even, and the performance is a joke. But again, that's not why I got them. Tires always want to slip traction. I'm just going to stick with the stock tires from now on. I was wanting to know what everyone thought about these Atturo AZ850 front and rear tires though. I just put a very lightly used (from a friend) set of Atturo AZ850's in 1LE size on my 2020 2SS (I mounted them on MRR017 1LE Replica Wheels (285/30ZR20 Fronts and 305/30ZR20 Rears)), so far VERY happy with them especially considering the cost... They definitely hook better than my old 275 run flats...”
rennlist.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by gcurnew I got the Goodyear F1s on my car when delivered and found them surprisingly nice: good grip, quiet, compliant ride. Put PS4Ss on last year and while I'm happy with them, they are a tad noisier than the F1s with a slightly stiffer ride and no apparent difference in grip or handling. I know the Michelins are the "go to" tire and pretty much everyone raves about them...but I'm in the camp that thinks the F1s are an equivalent tire. Having had both, I would have just bought a set of F1 rears (my fronts were only partially worn) rather than a full set of Michelins. I've used Michelin exclusively for the past two decades. My car came with the F1s and was pleasantly surprised. Dare I say better than 4S? Excellent in the wet and dry and they don't seem to get greasy like the 4Ss can when pushed. Still don't know how they wear but unless performance drops off or noise suddenly goes up like with Pirellis, I might buy them again.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Track day durability#High price vs alternatives#Tread life and wear#Cold weather performance#Sidewall stiffness and comfort

Based on 208 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero Run Flat B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—110
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero Run Flat

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better handling, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 90 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 93 vs 61 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 79 vs 49 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 72 vs 44 on treadwear.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero Run Flat
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
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P Zero Run Flat or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Which is better in the wet, P Zero Run Flat or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 61 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, P Zero Run Flat or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 61 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, P Zero Run Flat or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 79 vs 49 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, P Zero Run Flat or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 72 vs 44 on our treadwear 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