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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Nexen N FERA SUR4G — 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 Nexen

Nexen N FERA SUR4G

Summer Extreme Performance tires

Nexen N FERA SUR4G tread pattern
Objective (60%)
74/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
72/100
5 owner reviews
Dry
90
Wet
86
Comfort
48
Noise
–
Treadwear
46
Handling
83

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. 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 Sport 4 leads by 2
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
92
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
90
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Professional tests (TWG score) 89 87
Tire Rack owners 93 –
Tyre Reviews owners 90 94
Dry Braking (% of best) 100% 94%
Dry Handling (% of best) 96% 100%

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 leads by 3
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
89
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
86
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Professional tests (TWG score) 87 87
Tire Rack owners 87 –
Tyre Reviews owners 87 84
Wet Braking (% of best) 92% 96%

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 leads by 39
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
87
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
48
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Professional tests (TWG score) 83 –
Tire Rack owners 83 –
Tyre Reviews owners 78 48

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
81
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
–
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Professional tests (TWG score) 74 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 leads by 42
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
88
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
46
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Tire Rack owners 67 –
Tyre Reviews owners 74 46

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Sport 4 leads by 11
A — Michelin Pilot Sport 4
94
B — Nexen N FERA SUR4G
83
Why this score
SourcePilot Sport 4N FERA SUR4G
Tyre Reviews owners 84 83
DriverReviews owners 90 –

Scores at a glance

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Nexen N FERA SUR4G: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport 4Nexen N FERA SUR4G
Relative Score 90 70
Dry 92 90
Wet 89 86
Comfort 87 48
Noise 81 –
Treadwear 88 46
Handling 94 83

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

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

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 100% #3/16 · 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test 94% #3/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test +5.8 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 96% #1/9 · 2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test 100% #3/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test -4.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout 33% #3/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test +16.7 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #4/11 · 2019 Auto Bild Sports Car Tyre Test 96% #2/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test -3.8 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 Nexen N FERA SUR4G

The Nexen N Fera SUR4G is widely regarded as a high-performance track-focused tire that delivers exceptional dry grip at a competitive price point. While users praise its track capabilities and surprising wet-weather performance, the tire is noted for its rapid tread wear, making it better suited for dedicated track use than daily driving.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry track grip
  • Competitive pricing compared to rivals like the Hankook RS4
  • Surprisingly capable performance in wet conditions
  • Consistent performance during track events

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • Not ideal for high-mileage daily driving
  • Performance drops off significantly as the tire wears

Observations

  • Users report the tire is highly effective for competitive track events and racing scenarios.
  • The tire's longevity is significantly impacted by frequent track usage, with some users cycling through multiple sets per season.
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

Nexen N FERA SUR4G

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

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 B · Nexen N FERA SUR4G
CategorySummer Max Performance tiresSummer Extreme Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin

Nexen

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

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 88 vs 46 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 48 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 94 vs 83 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 89 vs 86 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Tire B · Nexen N FERA SUR4G

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.