82
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
43 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
90
/ 100
Objective (60%)
92/100
17 professional tests
User signal (40%)
92/100
2,273 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
6 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 89 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 93 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 87 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 87 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 83 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 78 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 74 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 74 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 4 leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC5 | Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 84 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 90 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 82 | 90 |
| Dry | 88 | 92 |
| Wet | 80 | 89 |
| Comfort | 86 | 87 |
| Noise | – | 81 |
| Treadwear | 78 | 88 |
| Handling | 80 | 94 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
82
/ 100
Tire A
90
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 is widely regarded as a high-value, comfort-oriented tire that excels in noise reduction and ride quality. While it offers impressive dry and wet grip for daily driving and spirited maneuvers, it is generally categorized as a balanced all-rounder rather than a dedicated track-focused performance tire.
Pros
- Exceptional cabin noise reduction and quiet operation
- High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
- Strong value-for-money proposition compared to premium performance rivals
- Reliable dry and wet weather traction for daily use
Cons
- Tread wear can be rapid when subjected to aggressive or spirited driving
- Sidewalls are relatively soft, which may feel less progressive at the absolute limit
- Reports of increased puncture susceptibility once tread depth decreases
- Inconsistent wet weather performance reported by a minority of users
Observations
- Users frequently report significant noise reduction when replacing factory-fitted tires on mid-sized sedans like the Honda Civic and Mazda 6.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles or those with high-torque engines (e.g., Ford Falcon XR6) noted faster wear on rear tires compared to fronts.
- The tire is noted for improving ride quality on vehicles previously fitted with stiffer, performance-oriented rubber.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 is widely regarded as a premier high-performance summer tire, praised for its exceptional wet-weather traction and balanced daily-driving characteristics. While many users report a significant improvement in ride quality and noise levels compared to OEM run-flats or older performance tires, some enthusiasts note a softer sidewall that can feel less precise or 'darty' during aggressive cornering compared to dedicated track-focused rubber.
Pros
- Class-leading wet weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- Excellent balance of comfort and road noise reduction for a performance tire
- Predictable and progressive handling characteristics
- Strong dry-weather traction and braking performance
- Significant upgrade over OEM run-flat tires in terms of ride quality
Cons
- Softer sidewalls can lead to a less 'sharp' or 'darty' steering feel
- Tread wear can be rapid, particularly with spirited driving or on high-torque vehicles
- Performance can drop off noticeably as tread depth decreases
- Higher price point compared to many competitors
- Some reports of increased road noise as the tire ages
Observations
- Tesla and EV owners frequently report a measurable decrease in range due to higher rolling resistance compared to OEM 'eco' tires.
- Users with heavy, high-torque vehicles (e.g., tuned sedans, performance wagons) often praise the tire's ability to put power down, though this comes at the cost of faster rear-tire wear.
- Drivers switching from run-flat tires on luxury vehicles (BMW, Audi, Mercedes) consistently report a transformative improvement in ride comfort and cabin noise.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (and its variants) is widely praised by the community as a massive upgrade over stock run-flats and budget tires, offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise steering feel, and improved ride comfort. While users frequently note trade-offs in tread life due to the softer rubber compound, and higher pricing, it remains a top-tier recommendation for spirited street driving and performance cars.
r/BMW
·26 upvotes ·2024-09-23
“Surprised by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires - 2024 M440i Hey, BMW community. A year ago, I was lucky enough to order a 2024 M440i GC Xdrive. Spent hours driving different BMW's, tweaking my order sheet before my allocation was filled. Got the adaptive suspension, with 19's on Pirelli run-flats. After a few months, my San Remo GC was delivered. GREAT car. Now with ~17k miles, it was time for a routine service. And, apparently, new rear tires. Decided to just replace them all at the dealer. Went with what they recommended; Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (Star marked). What an upgrade! Steering feel, precision, comfort AND quiet. Anyone on the fence about the Pilot Sport 4 - highly recommended. Read more”
r/BoltEV
·5 upvotes ·2026-04-29
“Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires are noisy (a followup) I have been asked on this sub if the PS4 tires on my wife’s Bolt are noisy, and I wasn’t sure how to answer. Well, we made two 60-mile round trips this past weekend, mostly on highways with 55 and 70 mph speed limits, and I have to say that the tires are kind of noisy. Certainly not as quiet as EV-oriented tires are. The grip is fantastic, so we really like them. If you are sensitive to noise, though, these Max Performance class tires are probably not for you.”
r/ft86
·3 upvotes ·2022-01-09
“I just installed A/S PS4 from Michelin on my BRZ recently & man they are so nice. How quiet it is, is wow, night and day. They handle quite nice except when it's still cold (sub 40F) on highway, traction control triggers but it may bc I'm lowered and yet to do my alignment. I don't know compared to stock, I was on Falken prior. I am using different tire set-up then stock however. I have 245/35 at the front and 265/35 in rear. My only regret is not going up to 40 on the sidewall for more meat. This is on 18" wheels.”
r/tires
·2 upvotes ·2026-07-28
“Those are Pilot sport 4 (all season). If it had s after the 4 it would be the summer high performance version. I put the pilot sport 4 on wife's GTI autobahn 2016. Great handling tire, stiff side walls, not the smoothest ride but best overall.”
Top themes
#grip and handling performance#ride quality and comfort#tread wear and lifespan#wet weather capability#comparison to runflats#noise levels#temperature limits and cold weather
Based on 117 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Continental
90
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 94 vs 80 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 88 vs 78 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 89 vs 80 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 92 vs 88 on dry.
Tire A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC5
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental ContiMaxContact MC5 also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.