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 Nexen N Fera AU5 — 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
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
83/100
21 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better handling, treadwear and wet. Pick the Nexen N Fera AU5 if comfort and noise matter most to you.
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Category breakdown
7 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 Cup 2 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 94 | 62 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 52 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Comfort
Score (0–100)
N Fera AU5 leads by 21
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 50 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 76 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 80 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
N Fera AU5 leads by 21
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 56 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 65 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 59 | 67 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 26
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 70 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Nexen N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 81 |
| Dry | 86 | 83 |
| Wet | 83 | 78 |
| Snow | – | 76 |
| Comfort | 67 | 88 |
| Noise | 70 | 91 |
| Treadwear | 90 | 81 |
| Handling | 96 | 70 |
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
81
/ 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 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 Nexen N Fera AU5 is widely regarded as a high-value, mid-range tire that excels in daily commuting and highway driving. While users frequently praise its comfort, quiet ride, and wet-weather performance, its performance in winter conditions and its softer sidewall construction remain points of contention among more spirited drivers.
Pros
- Excellent value for the price point
- Strong wet-weather traction and handling
- High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
- Impressive tread longevity for daily driving
Cons
- Poor performance in snow and freezing temperatures
- Softer sidewalls can lead to reduced cornering precision
- Reports of inconsistent quality control or premature structural failure
- Tendency to flat-spot in cold weather until warmed up
Observations
- Drivers of high-torque, rear-wheel-drive vehicles noted that the softer sidewalls and wet-weather grip can struggle with traction during low-speed acceleration.
- Users transitioning from performance-oriented tires (like the Pirelli PZero or Dunlop SportMaxx) noted a significant increase in comfort and noise reduction, albeit with a slight sacrifice in steering feedback.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | B · Nexen N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Michelin
81
/ 100
Nexen
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better handling, treadwear and wet. Pick the Nexen N Fera AU5 if comfort and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 96 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Nexen N Fera AU5 scores 88 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Nexen N Fera AU5 scores 91 vs 70 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 90 vs 81 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire B · Nexen N Fera AU5
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 also compared with
Nexen N Fera AU5 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.