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Summer tire Summer Max Performance tires Updated September 2026

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.

Relative score
89/100
tests + owners
Owner reviews
92/100
2,273 reviews
Road tests
92/100
21 published tests
Community sentiment Positive Read the buzz
#grip and handling performance#ride quality and comfort#tread wear and lifespan#wet weather capability#comparison to runflats
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Scores

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%
Would buy again 78%
Dry
Overall dry
95.5%
Corner stability
86%
Dry traction
91%
Steering response
83%
Wet
Overall wet
92.8%
Hydroplaning resistance
78%
Wet traction
89%
Snow & ice
Light snow
68%
Heavy snow
57%
Comfort
Overall comfort
91.7%
Ride comfort
83%
Noise
Overall noise
91.5%
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
88.2%
Handling
Overall handling
94.1%
By source
DriverReviews94%12,313 reviews Tyre Reviews82%339 reviews Tire Rack78%10 reviews

By road tests

92.2%
Dry
88.9%
Wet
87.1%
Comfort
83.2%
Noise
73.7%
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
87.9%
Dry Handling
84.4%
Subj. Dry Handling
89%
Wet Braking
84.3%
Subj. Wet Handling
92.9%
Wet Handling
84.3%
Straight Aquaplaning
93.2%
Curved Aquaplaning
87.5%
Side G-Force on Wet surface
87.5%
Inside Noise level
70%
Subjective Comfort
91.9%
Rolling Resistance
55.4%
Price
8.3%
Wear
91.7%
From owners

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.
Test results

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
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Price · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 10
Wet Handling6th of 10
Dry Braking4th of 10
Dry Handling4th of 10
Rolling Resistance2nd of 10
Straight Aqua1st of 10
Curved Aquaplaning1st of 10
Noise5th of 10
Price10th of 10

2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18

1st of 11
Best: Dry Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 11
Wet Handling5th of 11
Dry Braking6th of 11
Dry Handling1st of 11
Rolling Resistance2nd of 11
Straight Aqua3rd of 11
Curved Aquaplaning6th of 11
Noise4th of 11
Price11th of 11

2022 AMS Performance Summer tire Test · 245/45 R19

7th of 10
Best: Rolling Resistance · 2nd Weakest: Wet Circle · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 10
Wet Handling9th of 10
Wet Circle10th of 10
Dry Braking5th of 10
Dry Handling5th of 10
Rolling Resistance2nd of 10
Straight Aqua3rd of 10
Curved Aquaplaning5th of 10
Noise3rd of 10
Price9th of 10

2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick tire Test · 235/35 R19

4th of 10
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 10
Wet Handling6th of 10
Wet Circle4th of 10
Dry Braking4th of 10
Dry Handling9th of 10
Rolling Resistance2nd of 10
Straight Aqua1st of 10
Curved Aquaplaning6th of 10
Noise6th of 10
Price7th of 10

2021 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

5th of 9
Best: Dry Handling · 2nd Weakest: Wet Handling · 6th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 9
Wet Handling6th of 9
Dry Braking3rd of 9
Dry Handling2nd of 9
Rolling Resistance2nd of 9
Straight Aqua5th of 9
Subj. Dry Handling4th of 9
Subj. Wet Handling6th of 9

2021 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

2nd of 10
DisciplinePlacementField position

2021 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

1st of 14
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 12th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Handling1st of 14
Dry Handling5th of 14
Rolling Resistance5th of 14
Straight Aqua5th of 14
Curved Aquaplaning3rd of 14
Noise4th of 14
Price12th of 14

2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP tire Test · 225/40 R18

4th of 10
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Price · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 10
Wet Handling3rd of 10
Dry Braking1st of 10
Dry Handling2nd of 10
Rolling Resistance4th of 10
Straight Aqua5th of 10
Subj. Dry Handling2nd of 10
Subj. Comfort5th of 10
Subj. Wet Handling6th of 10
Noise7th of 10
Price10th of 10

2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18

2nd of 11
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 11
Wet Handling1st of 11
Dry Braking1st of 11
Dry Handling2nd of 11
Rolling Resistance4th of 11
Straight Aqua1st of 11
Subj. Dry Handling1st of 11
Subj. Comfort3rd of 11
Subj. Wet Handling1st of 11
Noise5th of 11
Price11th of 11

2020 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R18

3rd of 20
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Value · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 20
Wet Handling9th of 20
Dry Braking1st of 20
Dry Handling3rd of 20
Rolling Resistance12th of 20
Straight Aqua1st of 20
Noise14th of 20
Value20th of 20
Price20th of 20
Wear5th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership16th of 20

2020 ADAC 18 Inch Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

2nd of 16
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wear5th of 16

2020 tire Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18

1st of 49
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 4th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 49
Dry Braking1st of 49

2019 EVO Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

2nd of 7
Best: Wet Handling · 2nd Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 7
Wet Handling2nd of 7
Dry Braking2nd of 7
Dry Handling2nd of 7
Rolling Resistance5th of 7
Straight Aqua3rd of 7
Subj. Dry Handling2nd of 7
Subj. Comfort2nd of 7
Subj. Wet Handling2nd of 7

2019 Auto Bild Sports Car tire Test · 245/45 R18

4th of 11
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Price · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 11
Wet Handling4th of 11
Dry Braking9th of 11
Dry Handling5th of 11
Rolling Resistance6th of 11
Straight Aqua1st of 11
Subj. Comfort2nd of 11
Noise4th of 11
Price11th of 11

2019 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 20
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Price · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 20
Wet Handling1st of 20
Dry Braking1st of 20
Dry Handling2nd of 20
Rolling Resistance15th of 20
Straight Aqua1st of 20
Subj. Comfort1st of 20
Noise4th of 20
Value10th of 20
Price19th of 20
Wear2nd of 20
Total Cost of Ownership13th of 20

2019 Summer 53 tire Braking Shootout · 225/45 R17

2nd of 45
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 45
Dry Braking1st of 45

2018 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

2nd of 10
DisciplinePlacementField position

2018 Auto Review 225/45 R17 tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 11
DisciplinePlacementField position

2018 AMS Summer UHP tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 11
Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking1st of 11
Wet Handling1st of 11
Dry Braking1st of 11
Dry Handling5th of 11
Rolling Resistance4th of 11
Straight Aqua3rd of 11
Subj. Dry Handling4th of 11
Subj. Wet Handling1st of 11
Noise5th of 11

2018 Test World Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 16
Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Noise · 13th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking1st of 16
Wet Handling4th of 16
Dry Braking3rd of 16
Straight Aqua1st of 16
Subj. Dry Handling2nd of 16
Subj. Wet Handling1st of 16
Noise13th of 16

2018 AZ Summer AND All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17

1st of 9
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 9
Wet Handling1st of 9
Dry Braking1st of 9
Dry Handling1st of 9
Rolling Resistance9th of 9
Straight Aqua1st of 9
Noise4th of 9
Price5th of 9
Community buzz

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.

Sentiment breakdown
Positive38%
Mixed50%
Negative12%
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

From 117 threads and comments.

Head-to-head

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 compared

Compare any two