Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero 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. Based on 3 + 27 road tests and 3,482 + 6,614 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 81–64

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Pirelli P Zero
Tire APirelli

P Zero

Summer

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 50 · 3,482 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,614 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. 73

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +19
    92
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 25 tests7994
    Reviews found online6489

    P Zero: 60% × 79.3 + 40% × 63.7 = 73

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 93.6 + 40% × 88.6 = 92

  2. 71

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +14
    85
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 26 tests8185
    Reviews found online5785

    P Zero: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 57 = 71

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.3 + 40% × 84.6 = 85

  3. 49

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)–
    Reviews found online36–

    P Zero: 60% × 58.6 (est.) + 40% × 35.8 = 49

    No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 62

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +13
    75
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests7070
    Reviews found online5081

    P Zero: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 50.3 = 62

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 80.8 = 75

  5. 59

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 S +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 20 tests6170
    Reviews found online56≈ 67 (est.)

    P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 56 = 59

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 67.3 (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.

  6. 52

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +19
    71
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6570
    Reviews found online3371

    P Zero: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 33.3 = 52

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 71.4 = 71

  7. 58

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 S +28
    86
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online5886
Scores at a glance
Pirelli P Zero vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryPirelli P ZeroMichelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 64 81
Dry 73 92
Wet 71 85
Snow 49 –
Comfort 62 75
Noise 59 69
Treadwear 52 71
Handling (owners) 58 86

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
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score

P Zero

Pilot Sport 4 S

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 P Zero finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryP ZeroPilot Sport 4 SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/7 #1/7 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Motor Summer Tire Test 235/35 ZR19 · 235/35R19

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero 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

Mixed

Community sentiment toward the Pirelli P Zero lineup is mixed across both automotive and cycling applications. Users frequently praise the tires for responsive handling, dry grip, and the value of newer all-season variants like the AS Plus 3, but strongly criticize their rapid tread wear, mixed wet-weather performance, and occasional durability issues like sidewall bubbling. Cyclists similarly appreciate rolling speed and comfort while noting significant difficulties with mounting tubeless beads.

r/bikewrench ·4 upvotes ·2026-02-17

“Impossible to install P Zero Race TLR I have Hollowgram R45 carbon wheels on my road bike and went for Pirelli P Zero TLR 700x30 after reading great reviews. The fact is, they are impossible to install. I tried and had two mechanics try and they said it’s absolutely impossible. The tire is too tight for the wheel and there is absolutely no way of putting it on. The wheel is ETRTO standard compliant and has a 21 mm internal canal. Has anyone had any similar experience? I am quite surprised”

r/Polestar ·22 upvotes ·2026-08-25

“Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 tires - An average driver's review This is a quick review for the Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 . I've got a 2022 P2 with the 20" non performance wheels. Decided to replace my original stock Michelin all season tires with something different as I was looking for a bit of a more comfortable ride. These new Pirellis provide a notably softer ride. Almost feels like I'm driving on the 19" wheels. The tires seem as quiet if not slightly quieter than the stock tires. Only have driven 600 or so miles on them so not sure about the efficiency difference. As far as cornering goes, I haven't pushed them to share any real observations. I'm in the States and ordered them through tirerack. I noticed they had two versions of this tire. I purchased the slightly more expensive version (roughly $1400 for set of 4) as I think it was the latest version. This was in June of 2026. Highly recommend these tires if you've got 20" wheels and want something a bit more comfortable in the all season tire category.”

taycanforum.com ·1 upvote ·2026-04-06

“2024 J1.1 GTS Sport Turismo on 21" Spyder RS wheels here. Went from Pirelli PZero's to NF1 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5's recently. They don't seem any louder than the PZero's, dry grip seems about the same, as does comfort. Wet grip and performance in cold conditions (I'm in Scotland, UK) over the PZero's is noticeably better. Very little in the way of the Ackerman effect in cold temperatures, compared to the PZero's which made an awful noise and skipped badly when turning at slow speeds, pulling out of junctions. Will see how they do wear rate wise, PZero's had about 2.5 to 3mm left at 16k miles. Anything approaching that on the ASY5's would be good. Unfortunately on the J1.1 on 21"'s the choice is essentially PZero's or ASY5's. Which is disappointing as I had PS4S's and CSC7's on my previous cars (G81 M3 and M340i Touring) and they were fantastic.”

Top themes
#rapid tread wear#sharp steering response#wet weather traction#difficult tubeless mounting#sidewall bubble issues#all season performance

Based on 282 community posts

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.

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.”

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...”

r/cars ·4 upvotes ·2018-08-21

“I’ll say this. Going from the Pilot Super Sport to the Pilot Sport 4 S of the same size, I’m disappointed in the soft sidewall of the 4 S. This is an 8.5” wide wheel with 235/40/18 tires. The left-right fast slalom action got a bit mushy like the weight transfer was slowed down when I switched to the 4 S. I think a shorter sidewall 4 S would perform better in this way, or the same tire on a 9” wide wheel too. That said, the dry and wet grip is exceptional. To save money, I’d recommend the Continental ExtremeContact Sport.”

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 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available194110
Rim diameters17″ – 24″17″ – 22″
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG220 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common9696

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 92 vs 73 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 71 vs 52 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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P Zero or Pilot Sport 4 S?

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 85 vs 71 on our wet score.

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 92 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, P Zero or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 69 vs 59 on our noise score.

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 75 vs 62 on our comfort score.

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

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 71 vs 52 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