83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
8 professional tests
User signal (40%)
94/100
2,005 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 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.
VS
92
/ 100
Objective (60%)
76/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
93/100
2,080 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better comfort, noise and dry. 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 Super Sport leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | 99 |
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | 95 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 94 | 94 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 100% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 99% | 100% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Super Sport leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | 88 |
| Tire Rack owners | 55 | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 83 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 81% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 92% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Super Sport leads by 26
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 50 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 76 | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 81 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Pilot Super Sport leads by 22
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 56 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 65 | 80 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 59 | 82 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 86 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 88 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 92 |
| Dry | 86 | 98 |
| Wet | 83 | 90 |
| Comfort | 67 | 93 |
| Noise | 70 | 92 |
| Treadwear | 90 | 90 |
| Handling | 96 | 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
83
/ 100
Tire A
92
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | 100% #1/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | 0 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #2/9 · 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day 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 | 50% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | 50% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | 0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 81% #4/7 · Michelin Range Test - CrossClimate 3, 3 Sport, Primacy 5, Pilot Sport 5 and Cup 2 | 94% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | -13.6 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 92% #1/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 VS Cup 2 R - Tested | 97% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | -5 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 is widely regarded as a premier track-focused tire that offers exceptional dry-weather grip and steering precision for high-performance vehicles. While it provides surprising levels of feedback and stability for a semi-slick, users emphasize that it is not a traditional daily driver tire, as it requires significant heat to reach optimal performance and suffers from rapid tread wear and compromised wet-weather safety.
Pros
- Exceptional dry-weather traction and cornering grip
- High levels of steering feedback and communicative handling
- Predictable and progressive breakaway characteristics at the limit
- Strong, stiff sidewalls that enhance stability during spirited driving
- Surprisingly capable on track for a street-legal tire
Cons
- Very short tread life and rapid wear
- Poor performance in cold temperatures and standing water
- Requires significant heat to reach optimal operating grip
- High price point relative to longevity
- Tendency to pick up and throw road debris due to sticky compound
Observations
- Users with high-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive sports cars (e.g., Corvette, M2, GT3) report the most significant benefits in traction, though they also experience the fastest wear.
- Drivers of lighter vehicles (e.g., Mazda MX-5) note that the tire's stiff sidewall significantly improves steering precision compared to standard performance tires.
- Some users on AWD platforms noted that the tire's performance is highly dependent on proper tire pressure management to avoid overheating during track sessions.
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 Cup 2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
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 Cup 2 | B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Michelin
92
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better comfort, noise and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 93 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 92 vs 70 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 98 vs 86 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 90 vs 83 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 also compared with
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 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.