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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport — 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.

Tire A Michelin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Summer Max Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
92/100
17 professional tests
User signal (40%)
92/100
2,273 owner reviews
Dry
92
Wet
89
Comfort
87
Noise
81
Treadwear
88
Handling
94

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Summer Max Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Super Sport tread pattern
Objective (60%)
76/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
93/100
2,080 owner reviews
Dry
98
Wet
90
Comfort
93
Noise
92
Treadwear
90
Handling
95

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better noise, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 6
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
92
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
98
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Professional tests (TWG score) 89 99
Tire Rack owners 93 95
Tyre Reviews owners 90 94
Dry Braking (% of best) 98% 100%
Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 100%

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 1
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
89
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
90
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Professional tests (TWG score) 87 88
Tire Rack owners 87 89
Tyre Reviews owners 87 83
Wet Braking (% of best) 99% 94%
Wet Handling (% of best) 93% 97%

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 6
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
87
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
93
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Professional tests (TWG score) 83 –
Tire Rack owners 83 87
Tyre Reviews owners 78 81

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 11
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
81
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
92
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Professional tests (TWG score) 74 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 2
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
88
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
90
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Tire Rack owners 67 80
Tyre Reviews owners 74 82

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Super Sport leads by 1
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
94
B — Michelin Pilot Super Sport
95
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4Pilot Super Sport
Tyre Reviews owners 84 86
DriverReviews owners 90 88

Scores at a glance

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Relative Score 89 92
Dry 92 98
Wet 89 90
Comfort 87 93
Noise 81 92
Treadwear 88 90
Handling 94 95

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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

Tire A

Tire B

Test data

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryTire ATire BΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #3/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? -1.7 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #5/11 · 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test 100% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? -0.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/11 · 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test 50% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? -25 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #3/9 · 2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test 94% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? +5.1 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 93% #6/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 97% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? -4.7 Different tests
From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Michelin Pilot Sport 4

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.
Tire B Michelin Pilot Super Sport

The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely regarded as a benchmark ultra-high-performance summer tire, praised for its exceptional dry grip, steering precision, and confidence-inspiring handling. While it excels in warm, spirited driving conditions, users note that its performance diminishes significantly in cold temperatures or heavy standing water, and some report increased road noise compared to touring-oriented tires.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry traction and cornering grip
  • High level of steering feedback and responsiveness
  • Strong wet weather performance for a summer-focused tire
  • Impressive tread life relative to its performance category
  • Significant ride quality improvement over OEM run-flat tires

Cons

  • Noticeable loss of grip in cold temperatures (below 10-15°C)
  • Increased road noise reported by some users
  • Higher price point compared to competitors
  • Reduced performance in standing water as tread depth decreases

Observations

  • Users transitioning from factory run-flat tires on BMW and other luxury vehicles report a transformative improvement in ride comfort and steering feel.
  • High-horsepower vehicle owners note that while the tire offers excellent grip, it can still struggle to put power down in cold or damp conditions.
  • Some users on 18-inch and smaller setups report that the stiff sidewalls can lead to a harsher ride on uneven or broken road surfaces.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely praised by the automotive community for its exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and overall performance as a high-performance summer tire. While some users note limitations in cold or snowy weather and occasional concerns regarding tread life or aging cracks, most enthusiasts consider them a benchmark daily driver and street performance tire.

r/cars ·40 upvotes ·2017-07-04

“They weren't kidding about Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They're way grippier than the Continental ExtremeContact DW tires that were rated #2 after the Super Sports on tirerack.com. I had a 2009 GTI with 225 width ExtremeContacts and now I have a 2016 with 235 width Super Sports. The difference is not subtle. Now, both have been gently upgraded to the Pilot Sport 4 S, and the ExtremeContact Sport. The only two max performance summer tires with a tread life warranty. 30k miles on square stance cars where you rotate them properly, and 15k on staggered.”

r/GolfGTI ·3 upvotes ·2018-03-23

“12k on two consecutive sets of PSS. Stage 2 MK6 (285whp/325wtq), drive fairly aggressively, an odd track day or two here and there, full suspension but run aggressive alignment settings. No abnormaly quick wear in any one spot, they just look like racing slicks when I’m done. If you can afford it, they are well worth the $$. Other tires may come close in performance, but for daily use, can’t beat the comfort of the PSS”

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2016-04-18

“As someone who lapped the car until I destroyed the OEM tires, and then lapped a set of PSS until I destroyed those too. The PSS are stickier than stock for sure, but they arent really sticky when it comes to tires for the track. They overheat and get greasy if you drive them hard, and they will slip at just slightly higher speeds. TL;DR: they are better than stock, but they arent a track sticky tire by any means so tail happy is still a thing.”

r/Cartalk ·2 upvotes ·2025-05-25

“Had this on my E90, as well. Alignment was good, wheel balance on road force machine was good. Turned out i had over 0.250" of runout on both rear wheels. Took me two sets of 255/35/18 PSS's and me watching them balance the tires to figure it out... bought new wheels, never went to a Tirediscounters since.”

Top themes
#exceptional dry and wet grip#handling and cornering performance#tread life and longevity#comparison to ps4s#cold weather and snow limitations#road noise and ride comfort

Based on 60 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
CategorySummer Max Performance tiresSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin

Michelin

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

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 92 vs 81 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 98 vs 92 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 93 vs 87 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport

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.