Michelin Pilot Sport 4 review
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.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
92.2%By road tests
92.2%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 2,273 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
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
Worth knowing
- 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.
21 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2022 AutoBild 19 Inch Summer UHP tire Test · 245/40 R19
4th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 10 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 1st of 10 | |
| Noise | 5th of 10 | |
| Price | 10th of 10 |
2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18
1st of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 6th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 3rd of 11 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 6th of 11 | |
| Noise | 4th of 11 | |
| Price | 11th of 11 |
2022 AMS Performance Summer tire Test · 245/45 R19
7th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 10 | |
| Wet Circle | 10th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 5th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 3rd of 10 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 5th of 10 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 10 | |
| Price | 9th of 10 |
2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick tire Test · 235/35 R19
4th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 10 | |
| Wet Circle | 4th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 9th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 10 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 6th of 10 | |
| Noise | 6th of 10 | |
| Price | 7th of 10 |
2021 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18
5th of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 9 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 9 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 9 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 4th of 9 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 6th of 9 |
2021 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17
2nd of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2021 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18
1st of 14
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 1st of 14 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 14 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 5th of 14 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 14 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 3rd of 14 | |
| Noise | 4th of 14 | |
| Price | 12th of 14 |
2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP tire Test · 225/40 R18
4th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 4th of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 10 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 5th of 10 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 6th of 10 | |
| Noise | 7th of 10 | |
| Price | 10th of 10 |
2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18
2nd of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 4th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 11 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 3rd of 11 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Noise | 5th of 11 | |
| Price | 11th of 11 |
2020 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R18
3rd of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 12th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 20 | |
| Noise | 14th of 20 | |
| Value | 20th of 20 | |
| Price | 20th of 20 | |
| Wear | 5th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 16th of 20 |
2020 ADAC 18 Inch Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18
2nd of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wear | 5th of 16 |
2020 tire Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18
1st of 49
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 49 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 49 |
2019 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18
2nd of 7
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 7 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 7 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 7 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 7 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 5th of 7 | |
| Straight Aqua | 3rd of 7 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 2nd of 7 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 2nd of 7 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 2nd of 7 |
2019 Auto Bild Sports Car tire Test · 245/45 R18
4th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 9th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 11 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 2nd of 11 | |
| Noise | 4th of 11 | |
| Price | 11th of 11 |
2019 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17
1st of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 15th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 20 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 1st of 20 | |
| Noise | 4th of 20 | |
| Value | 10th of 20 | |
| Price | 19th of 20 | |
| Wear | 2nd of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 13th of 20 |
2019 Summer 53 tire Braking Shootout · 225/45 R17
2nd of 45
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 45 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 45 |
2018 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17
2nd of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 Auto Review 225/45 R17 tire Test · 225/45 R17
1st of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 AMS Summer UHP tire Test · 225/45 R17
1st of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 4th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 3rd of 11 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 4th of 11 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Noise | 5th of 11 |
2018 Test World Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17
1st of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 1st of 16 | |
| Noise | 13th of 16 |
2018 AZ Summer AND All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17
1st of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 9 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 9 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 9th of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 9 | |
| Noise | 4th of 9 | |
| Price | 5th of 9 |
What owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of the scores above.
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.
From 117 threads and comments.